Food bank gets into ‘Cut Your Costs’

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 25, 2008 at 11:24 am

The concept of cost-cutting isn’t just a home finance necessity - for organizations like food banks that need to operate on tight budgets, the same rules apply.

A Vermont food bank has decided one way to save on food and strengthen donations is to take the supply chain into its own hands, by buying a farm. NECN’s Anya Huneke has more on the concept.

What can you take away from this? Buying your own farm may not be a reasonable solution, but growing your own fruits and vegetables can be a moneysaver - with a little work replacing that trip down the produce aisle.

Great deals at Jimbo’s Steak and Fin

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 11, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Thanks to Jimbo’s Steak and Fin for becoming an NECN “Cut Your Costs” partner.

Visit Jimbo’s at Braintree Five Corners to take advantage of their discount menus. Bar menu appetizers start at $1.95 each! Or get a bucket of wings and beers for $12!

There’s also a daily dinner and lunch special for under $10!

Come down to Jimbo’s today and enjoy great quality, fresh steak and seafood at an unbeatable value!

They’re located at 405 Franklin St., in Braintree, MA. Call 781-848-0300 for more information!

Saving at the grocery store

Posted by Ted McEnroe July 1, 2008 at 6:55 pm

Our friends at Consumers Checkbook magazine are regular guests on “Good Morning Live”. Recently they shared a few tips for saving a few bucks the next time you hit the store. They’re all pretty common sense ideas, but great ways to cut your grocery bill.

* PLAN YOUR MEALS AND MAKE A SHOPPING LIST.  Proper planning makes you
less vulnerable to high-cost, low-nutrition impulse items.  A list also
makes you less likely to forget things, sparing you from wasting time
and gas on a return trip.  Walking through the store where you usually
shop, you can make a list of the items you regularly buy.  Then
photocopy it and mark up a copy each week before you go to the store.

* SHOP SPECIALS.  Take full advantage of the specials offered by
whatever store you use.  For example, if tuna that usually sells for
$1.59 a can is marked down to 79 cents, consider buying in quantity. You
save $8 on a purchase of 10 cans.

* TRY STORE BRANDS INSTEAD OF NATIONAL BRANDS.  CHECKBOOK has found that
substituting store brands for about one-sixth of the items in a typical
shopper’s market basket typically cuts the grocery bill by about 5
percent.

* CHOOSE A LOWER PRICED STORE.  In most areas where CHECKBOOK does
comparison shopping for a balanced market basket of about 150 items,
there are some chain stores that consistently beat other supermarkets by
10 percent or more.  Even if the lowest priced store isn’t convenient
for you for everyday shopping, think about whether it will be convenient
sometimes- when you are dropping off the babysitter or coming home from
a game, for instance.

* CONSIDER A WAREHOUSE STORE.  CHECKBOOK has found, for example, that
when a Costco or Sam’s Club is available, it will typically save
shoppers for the items it carries about 30 percent compared to shopping,
even for similar- size items, at the area’s major chain supermarkets.

* CONSIDER CHANGES IN YOUR OVERALL EATING HABITS.  Eating less meat is
likely to save you money and reduce your fat intake.

* BE FLEXIBLE.  Adjust your eating habits to take advantage of bargains.
For example, when beef goes up in price and chicken goes down, eat more
chicken.

* CONSIDER LESS EXPENSIVE RECIPES.  Especially consider foods from other
parts of the world.  Many countries use much less meat than is commonly
used in the U.S. to prepare exceedingly tasty dishes.

* CONSIDER THE COST OF CONVENIENCE FOODS.  You can save by slicing your
own cheese or making your own sauce for peas.  You also usually save by
avoiding products prepared in individual serving packets.

* SELECT SIZES CAREFULLY.  Big roasts, hams, and turkeys usually have
more meat to bone than smaller ones.  Large sizes of flour, sugar, rice,
salad oil, and other storable staples also usually save you money.  And
milk is cheaper by the gallon.  But small apples and bananas may be
perfect for families with small children, and small cans of tomato paste
may save you money by helping avoid wasted leftovers.

* COMPARE SIZES OF ITEM-PRICED FRESH PRODUCE BEFORE YOU BUY.  In the
same store, CHECKBOOK often finds some heads of iceberg lettuce, sold by
the head that weigh twice as much as others.

* USE UNIT PRICING TO DETERMINE WHICH PRODUCTS OFFER THE BEST VALUE-the
lowest price per pound, for example.

* CALCULATE COST PER SERVING, NOT JUST COST PER POUND.  Some products
have more waste than others.  For instance, bone-in roasts and chops
will give you two or three servings per pound, while boneless meat will
give three or four.

* LOOK CAREFULLY AT MEAT BEFORE YOU BUY.  A CHECKBOOK study to assess
waste in meats found one rib steak that was 88 percent lean and another
that was 48 percent lean; as a result, the leaner piece cost 45 percent
less per lean pound than the piece with more fat.

* FIT SIZE AND QUALITY TO YOUR NEEDS.  You don’t need perfect canned
peach halves for a cobbler or whole canned tomatoes and whole mushrooms
for spaghetti.

A Frugal family Fourth

Posted by admin June 30, 2008 at 6:06 pm

If you’re looking to a 4th of July holiday that won’t explode your budget, Louise Sacco of The Frugal Yankee has some ideas on how to make the holiday weekend an affordable family event.

Read more

Fresher, better, and *maybe* cheaper

Posted by admin June 20, 2008 at 1:04 pm

NECN’s Peter Howe covers a trend that may not actually be cheaper, but will likely give you more for your money. The number of farms offering Community Supported Agriculture shares, or CSA’s, is growing in New England. You pay up front for a share of the harvest - and get producefar fresher than what you’ll find in your store.

Barry Armstrong: 12 ways to trim the household budget

Posted by admin June 17, 2008 at 7:14 pm

(NECN) - The cost of living is rising in just about every measurable way these days. If you think things are getting to out of hand our next guest may be able to help.

Barry Armstrong, financial advisor for Securities America and host of Money Matters on WBIX shares some easy steps to take towards balancing your family budget.

12 Steps Towards A Balanced Family Budget

Everyone is always asking us, “How can I save money?” Here at Money Matters with Barry Armstrong our financial professionals have come up with some simple ways for you to save money just by adjusting some existing expenses you may already have.

It also doesn’t hurt to attempt to increase your income at the same time. We would recommend working overtime or maybe even getting a second job. For some that may mean doing something you enjoy, like officiating sporting events or freelance writing. You may also have the option of going back to school. Improving your education may be a catalyst for future success in business.

If those options aren’t for you, Barry Armstrong, host of Money Matters with Barry Armstrong, has created a 12 step program to dramatically cut costs and start saving immediately!

Money Saving Tip

Step 1: Reduce Your Cable Package

If what you desire is to save, you need not look further than your television set. We understand that it may be hard to part with that premium sports package but the truth is eliminating the movie channels and special packages could save you upwards of $125 a month. For example Comcast, a leading cable provider in the United States, offers an array of options for the couch potatoes delight but their Digital Starter Package ($29.99 a month) may be all you need.

Step 2: Examine Your Cell Phone and Home Phone Packages

When is the last time someone asked you for your home phone number? The fact is that cell phones are the easiest and best way to contact someone. If you’re already paying $70 or more a month on your cell phone bill, it may be best to eliminate your home landline. That alone could save you $30 dollars a month. If that’s not enough, consider restructuring your cell phone deal. There are many different packages to choose from and it may not be necessary to have 2000 text messages a month.

Step 3: Take Lunch with You

Just because all of your co-workers want to go out to lunch or get take out, doesn’t mean you have to. Just by packing your own lunch, you can save approximately $40 dollars a week

Step 4: Make Coffee at Home

If you stop every morning to get a coffee, do just that. Stop! Each stop at Dunkin Donuts will run you at least $2.00 a day. You can buy coffee beans at the grocery store and avoid the time restraints of waiting in line at your favorite coffee establishment. If you do this, expect to save $40 or more a month.

Step 5: Save Those Grocery Store Coupons

Don’t be afraid to cut out the coupons you see in advertisements. Standing in line at the grocery store just the other day, a woman compiled over $200 worth of groceries but saved $40 just on coupons alone. You can’t expect to save $40 dollars every visit, but you can expect to save at least $150 a month just by getting out a pair of scissors.

Step 6: Turn Down Your Thermostat

You hear it everyday, so start doing it. Go green! Just by lowering the temperature on your thermostat, you will save 5% off your energy bill for every degree.

Money Saving Tip

Step 7: Stop Your Newspaper Subscription

The majority of people get their news everyday from the website of their favorite newspaper. On nearly every major newspaper in the United States, you can access the day’s stories for free. The newspaper industry is struggling right now and will most likely eventually go completely online. Start now and save at least $30 a month.

Step 8: Examine and Reduce Insurance Costs

As consumers we have many different options for insurance. Do your research and find an option that satisfies your needs and your wallet. Whatever type of insurance you are looking for, you have options and they are affordable.

Step 9: Refinance

With interest rates down, it is the perfect time to refinance. It will allow you more time to pay off debts and give you more time to make the payments.

Step 10: Enroll in State Universities

If you or your children are in college, look at state universities. You will save a lot of money without compromising a great education. Tuition at the University of Boston costs $4,428.50 for a Massachusetts resident per semester. Compare that with a school like Tufts University, which runs a cool $17,921 per semester. That’s a savings of more than $26,000 a year. Convincing enough?

Step 11: Eat In

The restaurant industry predicts that in 2008 Americans will spend more than $367 million eating out. If you simply chose to stay in and make dinner, the average America would save more than $200 a month.

Step 12: Use Your Credit Card

Some may argue not to put expenses on credit cards but if your credit card company has a cash back or points rewards program, we argue yes. Just make sure that you are able to make the payments in their entirety every month.

Total Estimated Savings Per Month: $885+

Eating well (and cheaply) on the road

Posted by admin June 17, 2008 at 7:12 pm

(NECN) - We mark the second day of our Cut Your Costs campaign here on Good Morning Live.

All week long we’ll be bringing you tricks and tips to cut down on your expenses throughout the year.

Joining us now with some tips to save on food during the summer vacation season is Annie Copps, senior food editor of Yankee Magazine.

SAVING MONEY ON FOOD WHILE ON VACATION

1. Bring a cooler with you and pack snacks & beverages

2. Eat your big meal at lunch.

3. Eat seasonal foods.

4.Ask the locals (or cab drivers) and avoid the tourist traps

5. Get the local paper and look for

a. food festivals (chowder fest)

b. pancake breakfast fund-raisers

c. coupons

d. early bird specials

e. senior and “under 5″ discounts

6. Eat at the grocery store (soup and salad bars)

7. Avoid the mini bar (bring your own)

8. Happy hour — they’re not just for cocktails, there is always food, too (tip well)

9. Appetizers — 2 appetizers and a salad rather than an appetizer and entree

10. Drink filtered water rather than bottled at restaurants

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