Couponmom Meets Feingold

My Stash of "Educational Incentives" from the Library Books Sale!

Last week I went to a natural foods store in town and soon learned why it was called the “Green Grocer”…and they aren’t just talking about Earthy green, either! $5 for a loaf of organic bread…yikes! As a stay at home mom living in a high cost of living area of the country, I’ve been trying to find ways of reducing my costs, especially in the area of groceries. We are so blessed because we have so much, yet I want to make my dollar go as far as it can.  Last Spring, I read the coupon mom book (www.couponmom.com) and began using some of her tips to reduce my grocery bill. Things like saving coupons to use when an item is on sale and then stocking up or using leftovers for lunch the next day, etc. I started shopping at Aldi and fell in love. Not only could I get food for a lower price (especially produce), but I can get in and out of that store with two boys in 20 minutes. Well, needless to say, there are not too many Feingold approved items at Aldi. So, what is a Feingold mom to do? First, I panicked.  The first two weeks I felt like I was at the grocery store every other day buying this and that.  I threw out old products and stocked up on new things…vitamins, toothpaste, snacks, etc. The truth is that after the initial “investment” I think things are going to average out over time. Once I got a handle on the Foodlist that came with my materials, I realized that many of the items can be found at Target, Superwalmart (although many of you know how I feel about Superwalmart!) or Hannaford, our local grocery store. Many times it is just a matter of paying a little more for a name brand product rather than the store brand. I’ve become a big fan of Annie’s Homegrown Organic products, all of which can be found at Target! While, I am paying more for these products I am paying less in prepackaged products. For example, I am just sending meat, cheese and crackers instead of a lunchable for school lunch. Often,  making something homemade is cheaper, too.  Probably the biggest money saver is not eating out as much.  Well, actually not eating out at all at this point. There are some “approved” items listed in the restaurant guide but at this stage when we are totally trying to eliminate non-Feingold items it is easier to just eat at home.  Of course, you also know about my cheap way of bribing…stocking up on like-new books at the library book sale. For fifty cents, I can get him to stick to the plan for 5 days…just 10 cents a day! So, even though there may be a monetary investment, the thrifty mom in me and still be thrifty.  I also remind myself that there are some things that you can’t put a price tag on.