Dried Herbs and spices lose their potency quickly. Buy only a small amount at a time. When using fresh herbs an spices, use 3 times the amount of the dried.

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Tags: Cooking & Kitchen Tips, Herbs, Quick Tip, Shopping Tips, Spices
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Frugal shoppers know that the best time to get a deal on holiday items is to purchase them after the holidays are over and save them for next year. You can pocket some major savings by thinking ahead and saving 50-70% or more on holiday items now rather than paying full price for them right before the holidays.

The biggest after holiday savings is seen after the Christmas holiday. Retailers usually put all holiday merchandise at 50% off the day after Christmas and you will usually see 75% a week or two later. Some retailers will do further markdowns just to move the merchandise off the shelves to make room for Valentine’s items.

Look for deals on items like wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, holiday lights, festive decorations, potted poinsettias and other potted holiday plants. Holiday gift sets and baskets can be a great bargain. This year, I picked up Yankee Candle gift baskets online at 50% off retail. They make great gifts later in the year for teachers, friends, and family members. Other holiday goodies worth watching for include holiday cards, napkins, paper plates, Ziploc baggies with holiday designs, candy, and candles.

Most people don’t know they can negotiate with the store manager for further markdowns. At one of my local grocery stores they put all of the holiday clearance in shopping carts and park them near the front store entrance. I’m not shy about asking the store manager what kind of deal he can make me if I purchase the entire basket full of merchandise.  I’ve walked out with hundreds of dollars worth of products for a mere $20 for the entire cart.

Christmas is not the only holiday that offers great post-holiday savings. Each major holiday is a great time to stock up on items to use the following year. Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving all provide a great opportunity to save money.

Storing your post holiday bargains is an important thing to remember because poor storage can result in melted candy or forgotten gift items. Here’s some helpful tips for storage:

* Freeze all candy that could possibly melt like chocolate. All other food candy such as jelly beans or valentine heart candies should be put into zipper bags with as much air removed as possible. Most candy has a very long shelf life and should be just fine the next year.

* Holiday wraps and decorations should be stored with your other holiday items in a cool dry place such as a garage or basement.

* How you store gift items will depend on when you plan on giving them. Gifts you plan on giving the following year should be stored with your holiday decorations so that you will remember them the following year. Label your storage containers with the holiday name and contents on the outside so you know what is inside.

* For gifts that you planning on giving year round (think gift baskets of coffee, tea and spa type items) set yourself up with a gift closet, cupboard or chest so that you have your gifts at hand for any occasion that arises.

Putting aside a small amount of money to stockpile holiday gifts and items after the holiday is a smart way to save lots of money and be prepared ahead of time saving you less stress next year.

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Tags: 4th of July, Christmas, Easter, Frugal Living, Halloween, Holiday, Post Holiday, Shopping, Shopping Tips, St. Patrick's Day, Storage, Thanksgiving
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If your favorite way to enjoy summer is grilling on the BBQ, don’t fret! You’re not relegated to endless nights of hamburgers and hot dogs because meat prices have gone crazy. In fact, there are all kinds of great deals out there to keep your grocery budget in line while enjoying gourmet delights on the grill.

Shop Early: Most stores have a policy about moving meat products quickly. Many butchers will immediately mark down yesterday’s meat before they start packaging for the day. The savings can be as high as 50 percent off the last marked price. If the meat was already on sale, the daily markdown savings can be as high as 75 percent off full retail!

Shop Late: Those morning markdowns are great, but most butchers would love to sell everything before going home at night. If there’s lots of meat in the case, I will routinely ask for a discount for taking large quantities home where I’ll further cut and wrap it myself. This is particularly true for bulk ground beef, which I’ve picked up for under 99 cents per pound as a reward for wiping out the entire case.

Buy bulk: Most meat departments have a cut/wrap free policy. If you buy the whole pork shoulder or rib roast rack, the store will cut it into the size and cut type you’d like. The savings can be as high as 40 to 60 percent higher than buying the smaller pack of the same item. Pre-marinate and freeze in zip-seal bags for later use.

Use a coupon: If your area stores offer coupons for $5 or $10 off a specific purchase amount, use them for buying meat, spending only up to the value required on the coupon. This gives you an additional 10 to 20 percent off your purchase.

Keep freezer supplies and a good knife on hand: You’d be amazed what you can do with a London broil on sale for $1.99 per pound. A four-pound piece can be easily turned into stir fry or fajita strips and stretch across five meals. Pork rib chops for $1.49 per pound can be braised, stuffed or sauced for a quick dinner. And beef ribs for 79 cents per pound can be served up with coleslaw, corn and watermelon for the perfect summer meal outside. And of course, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional burger or dog!

Any way you grill it, summer is a great time to cook outside, but it doesn’t have to bust your grocery budget.

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Tags: Barbeque, BBQ, Bulk Shopping, Grilling, Shopping Tips, Summer, Summer Grilling
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