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Details

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KUTV TV segment: "How much should I pay for _?" Babysitting. Groceries. Haircuts. Gifts...the standard is finally set! Plus, how to save money on all those things.

Welcome to all of you who are new to this site, via seeing me on Fresh Living this morning! 

I'm happy to have you here :) When you get a second, feel free to take a look around. The tabs at the top of my site are a great place to start, as well as my "Top posts of 2011" page. Be sure to sign up for our first annual Frugality Boot Camp, and enter up for our giveaway where you can win a FREE ticket to that boot camp, email me with questions, and have a great day!

Today I was asked to do a fun segment for Channel 2 here in Utah, called 

"How much should I pay for ___?"

Why is this segment important?

• More often then not, people are absolutely tight-lipped about spending money. 

We will talk about giving birth in explicit detail, but won't mention how much they pay for groceries each month. We will talk about and compare stretch marks and love handles, but won't discuss how much we pay for Christmas for our kids. It's about time someone set the record straight and declared a standard for all of us to aim for!

A few things to note:

• I understand that you may or may not agree with the standards I am setting...but hear me out!

First off, everyone is different! You might have only 1 child, and someone else may have 7 children. You may live in upstate New York where cost of living is much higher than in the Utah suburbs. You may choose to pay more for some things, and pay less elsewhere. That's all ok!! Please know that I completely understand that everyone is different, and every situation (living, financial, and family) is different. Try to take these tips and standards with a grain of salt and use the philosophies to set your OWN standards and try to save money wherever you can. 

But, more than anything, just know that with a little effort, you CAN cut most of your spending in half. Yes, half. Don't know how? Come to my boot camp and I'll teach you :)

• These standards are set based on research.

Not only my personal research (trial and error in my own life), but my research and experience as a frugality expert. I conducted a survey on my site recently and got hundreds of responses that solidified these standards. 

Ok, that being said...HERE IT IS! Enjoy!

(video will be added as soon as it becomes available)

(Click HERE to watch the video online)

Let's break it down, now:

How much should I pay for...BABYSITTING?

Hands down, this is THE #1 question that, when I ask, people have no idea what to answer. There is never a confident answer! 

Why? 

• Because it's situational.

It depends on where you live, the number of kids you have, how old your babysitter is, etc. Here is a standard for you to start from to - hopefully - set the record straight once and for all.

• Because we don't want to feel cheap.

If you're anything like me, you value a good babysitter (and won't settle for anything less), but don't want to (or simply can't!) pay a lot for child care. We feel tentative in our answer because we don't want to sound like tight-wads or cheapskates that promote slave labor in babysitters. Trust me, that's not the case!

Here is a base pricing standard to follow:

**NOTE: Utah does have really affordable babysitting because there is a plethora of capable 12, 13, 14 year olds who are willing to babysit for cheap. Pricing might be higher depending on where you live. Even at the most, I would never recommend paying more than $10/hr. Use minimum wage as a guide and go from there.

Oh, and just for the record, if your babysitter is sitting over breakfast, lunch, or dinner time, make sure you have food for them too. I hated starving when babysitting...

Now that you have the base standard, here are a few things to note:

ROUND UP ("tip") if...

• Your kids are awake most of the time, as apposed to sleeping.
• You have young kids that require more work, like babies and toddlers, as apposed to older kids that can basically fend for themselves.
• Your babysitter leaves your house better than how you left it.

For example...

Let's say you have 2 kids, and you're gone for 3 hours, you owe $12. If any of the above applies, round up to $15. If you have 4 kids and you owe $15, consider rounding up to $18 or even $20, depending on how awesome of a job they did. Whether you round to the nearest multiple of 5 or whether you simply add a few dollars, just round up. 

In the real world, we have to EARN what we MAKE. Don't feel guilty making your babysitter EARN their money! In the real world we aren't entitled to a certain amount whether we work hard or not...why should it be the same with babysitting? Consider it a base + commission-type structure, or base + tip structure. This will motivate them to do a great job when babysitting, and will show that you are appreciative of their work. 

PAY MORE if...

• Your babysitter drives herself to and from your house.
• Your babysitter is older, like a college-age student.
• You are late, or having them babysit at an inconvenient time like the middle of the night.
• They are doing extra-hard work like taking them to the zoo, or babysitting when their friends are over.
• If you have a regular caregiver like a nanny, you'll need to pay more. BUT...keep in mind that they should be doing more than just watching your kids! (Tidying the house, laundry, preparing their meals, etc.)

If you say you'll be home by 10 but you come home at 12:30, by all means, pay them $1 more per hour. If you prefer older, more experienced babysitters, you'll need to pay them more to stay competitive. Use minimum wage + "tip" (rounding up) as your base standard, or simply ask them what they charge.

STAY CONSISTENT!

Friends talk. If you shoot from the hip and pay Babysitter-A $15, but pay Babysitter-B $20 for the same amount of work simply because that's what you had in your wallet, they. will. talk. 

Chances are, Babysitter-A won't be inclined to babysit for you again. No bueno. Be consistent!

DON'T OVER PAY.

Once again, your babysitters need to EARN what they make, just like we all do. Don't over pay on the first day, because you have nowhere to go! There is no bonus or extra that your babysitter can earn (without sending you to the poor house...). Plus, no one likes pricing inflation ;) I remember as a babysitter being happy getting ANY amount of money. We are the ones that set the standards and are hard on ourselves, not the 13 year old who is happy to get any cash at all.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT SITTER.

Be picky. My oldest is only 2.5 yrs old, and I've already had some horrific babysitting experiences. I've learned that I need to be choosy. Give them a trial run BEFORE leaving them alone with your kids.

• Ask around. See if your neighbors use them and what they thought.
• Have them babysit while you're around. Have them watch the kids for an hour or two so you can get housework done. Sure, they will be on their best behavior while you're there, but at least you can get a general idea of how they are with kids.
• Test them. Be sneaky if you have to! Come home 30 minutes early. Unfortunately, you might catch them watching TV while your kids are playing in the back yard. Sneaky, yes. Worth it to know if your kids are being well cared for? Absolutely.

Once you find a sitter you like, do all you can to keep them happy!

Moving on...

How much should I pay for...GROCERIES?

Second to our mortgage payment, groceries tend to be the second highest cost we have each month. Yet, NO ONE talks about how much they pay! Why is that?

• Because we spend a lot on groceries, and we tend to stay tight-lipped on things we spend a lot on.

• Because we don't want to feel embarrassed if the other person spends differently than we do.

Love it or hate it, I take a "no holds barred" attitude toward frugality and am willing to talk about - quite literally - anything and everything. So here I am, ready to set a standard and declare to the world that it's OK to talk about how much you pay for groceries! We can all learn from each other, so there is nothing wrong with sharing personal experiences. 

So here's a base standard to follow:

As you can see, you should roughly be shooting for $100 per month, per member of your family. If you think about it, it really tends to even itself out:

Sure, babies don't eat much...but they have diapers that cost a lot. 

Sure, there may be 7 of you, but no need to pay more than $600 because as long as your cooking, adding another mouth shouldn't be that costly. 

Sure, 8+ people in your family is a lot. But there are TONS of ways to cut costs and keep it under $800 (Grow your own produce. Cook inexpensive meals. Buy bulk. More tips below.) If anything, big families should be trying to spend less than anyone else because you have so many other expenses! $800 is very reasonable, and I actually had a hard time writing it because I know you can keep it much below that. But I'm trying to offer some wiggle room, here :)

All I have to say to the nay-sayers and the "how in the world would I keep my grocery bill that low??"-ers is...

IT. IS. POSSIBLE.

Not only is it possible, but it's easy.

And most importantly...

it's absolutely necessary.

No one should EVER overpay for groceries. It's too easy not to! The money we save (even if it's only a few dollars) is worth every amount of effort. Here are some of the top reasons people overpay for groceries:

• Convenience. Oh man, I am a BIG FAN of convenience!!!! With grocery shopping, this is typically the #1 reason we overpay. We shop at the store closest to us even if it's prices are more expensive, we don't want to shop at multiple stores because it takes too much time, or we simply don't care enough and want to do whatever is easiest (trust me, I hear ya!).

• Being picky or even trendy. Some of us choose to shop at expensive "boutique-type" grocery stores because it's trendy, some of us are picky about our food and want the best (no problem in that!), or we don't want to feel cheap shopping at a low-priced grocery store.

• Lack of knowledge. We simply don't know how to save money on groceries other than clipping coupons!

I promise you...there is an easier way. 

Here are simple ways to save money on grocery shopping:

• Deal-shop. Look through the ads and find the best deals for the week. Each week stores typically have loss-leader items where they actually lose money on the deal to get you into the store. Stock up on the deals and plan your meals around them. It's that easy!

• Price-match. I use www.dealstomeals.com to find all the best deals for me (so I don't have to look through the ads. I'm all about convenience, remember??), I print off the list of good deals from the stores near me, I take the printed list to Walmart and price-match. That way I only have to shop at one store but can take advantage of all the best prices. 

For a VERY detailed explanation on how I grocery shop, click HERE.

• Buy bulk. The more you buy, the more you save. Genius! Click HERE for what I buy in bulk and why.

• Don't waste. ANYTHING. EVER. Use every scrap of leftovers. Eat it for lunch. Use it in another meal. Freeze it. (Don't know what you can and can't freeze? Try it! If it doesn't work, you'll now know for the future.) Put wilting produce into a smoothie. Plan your meals around what you have in your fridge before buying new groceries. USE. WHAT. YOU. HAVE.

• Cook, and plan your meals in advance. This is this biggest money-saving advice I can give you. When 5:00 rolls around and you're exhausted from a long day, the last thing you want to do is come up with what to make from dinner from the top of your head. That's typically when you open an expensive bag of frozen fish sticks, or call your nearest Chinese restaurant. No, no, no my lovely people! Keep a list of go-to meals on your fridge, and try to plan your meals a few days in advance (a week or two in advance is best, but any advance planning is helpful!). You will be SHOCKED at how much you will save.

• Only buy what you need. Once you have your meals planned, make a list and stick with it! If you don't have a plan when shopping, you WILL overspend. By a lot. Make your week's meal list in advance and base it on what's on sale that week. That's it. SO EASY!

I found a neat article with 50 tips for saving when grocery shopping HERE.

Remember, it's the simple, sustainable things that you can do easily for the rest of your life that will save you money.

How much should I pay for...HAIRCUTS?

Ok...careful now, Jordan...

I know I'm stepping into dangerous territory because people, especially us women, tend to have personal, undying relationships with our stylists. 

Trust me, I hear you. 

It's cheap therapy, really.

HOWEVER...

Haircuts are a big money-waster if you're not careful!

YES, we should all care about how we look to an extent and take pride in our image. YES, there is such thing as a bad haircut. However...many of us are overpaying. 

Why?

• A cheap haircut = a bad haircut...right?
• I've never thought to shop around for a cheaper stylist, I just found one I liked and stuck with it.
• There's no way I could cut my kids' or husband's hair myself, so I'll pay anything for someone else to do it for me.

I hear you. BUT...you could be spending less on haircuts, and using that money for cooler (or more important) things. 

Here is a base standard for what you should be paying for haircuts:

You might be balking, especially at the cut/color price. But you can do it! I promise!

Here are some easy ways to keep your haircut prices down:

• Shop around.  Go to the web, they are EVERYWHERE! Dollar Cuts offers affordable cuts, and here in Utah Craigs Cuts offers $7 haircuts with $5 deal days. Can't beat that. 

• Look for a coupon. Remember my "10 most unused discounts" post? Never throw away your junk mail! If you look closely enough, you will get plenty of haircut coupons.

• Don't judge a book by it's cover. Just because a salon has a fancy name doesn't make it better than others. If a salon is in a small or old-looking building, that doesn't mean the stylist got any less schooling than a stylist in a ritzy salon. It's all about overhead and image! A salon that has lower overhead can offer lower prices. It's a numbers game.

• Keep in mind that a cheap haircut does NOT necessarily mean a bad haircut! Just for the record, I have had plenty of pricey haircuts that did not turn out as I would've hoped. Trust me...

the stylist is more important than the price tag.

• Ask your social network. All my stylists have come to be via word of mouth. Ask around. Post on facebook, "I'm looking for a good stylist in the Salt Lake area to give me a cut/color for around $70. Know of anyone?" Trust me...you'll get a response!

• Stylists that work from home will be cheaper. The last two stylists I've had have both done hair out of their house. Sure, shampooing my hair is tougher because it's in their kitchen sink, but at 1/2 the cost, it's worth it for me! PS...they have both been awesome. 

• Ask for discounts. My current stylist works in a salon. She offers a discount when you book your next appointment on the spot, bringing my price to around $75 for a cut/color, in a salon! Booya.

• Do it yourself. Cut your kids' hair and husband's hair at home! Honestly, I'm outright anti "get your kids' hair cut in a salon" to be honest. Why? They are kids! They don't shouldn't care! Their haircuts are simple (or should be anyway). My philosophy? Cut it at home. If they want a fancy style from a salon, tell them to save up their allowance and they can do whatever they want with their hair. That's what I did growing up, and I chose to spend my own money to get a cut and color in a salon in high school in between having my friends do it for me at home. It really taught me to manage my money and value every dollar I spent. 
• How? Go to Youtube.com, and search "how to cut hair at home" or something of the sort. Hundreds of videos will pop up. Buy yourself a set of clippers, and do it yourself for heaven's sake! It may take a few practice runs, but in the end, the savings will be worth it. And trust me, you get faster as you go. 
• One of my readers said: "I use John freida precision foam hair color...so easy! You lather like shampoo and rinse. Love, love it. Write to john freida and they send you a coupon for a free box. So i signed my in laws, parents, and myself up. :) As for hair cuts, we go to great clips for 7.99. They have coupons once a month in our savvy shoppers and junk mail. :)"

• Go to a beauty school. In college, my apartment was right by the Paul Mitchell school salon in Provo, UT. I would get a somewhat complicated cut, and FULL color + weave there every few months. To this day, it's the best my hair has ever looked. Ever. I miss my student stylist that I'd always go to and wish she moved here with me. A few beauty school salon tips:
• Know in advance that it takes a bit longer than an average salon. Plan ahead, and use that time to your advantage. Read a good book. Catch up on emails on your phone. Call your friend that you haven't spoken to in ages. Use that as "you time" and enjoy it, and it will work to your benefit.
• Go for a senior student, or "Phase 2" as it's called at Paul Mitchell. They are simply more experienced.
• The students are very closely monitored by their teachers, so NO, they will not make your hair lop-sided and bright pink unintentionally. Their every move is closely monitored, hence the fact that it takes a bit longer than an average cut.
• Beauty schools ALWAYS have deals and specials! Call them, look for coupons, or look online. They offer happy hour, coupons, specials, 2 for 1 deals, etc. 
• Beauty schools also offer great deals on pedicures, facials, and other services and sometimes offer discounts for getting multiple services at once.

How much do I tip?

This is a very personal thing. My husband and I tip 20% at a restaurant, but I, personally, tip less when I get my hair cut/colored. I don't have a specific percentage in mind, but I usually tip $5-$8. I tip closer to the $5 range if they work out of their home. How much do YOU tip?

How much should I pay for...GIFTS?

Now, before I begin this section, I certainly understand that there are variables in gift-giving. Is the gift for a husband? An uncle? An coworker? A boss? A best friend? A friend, friend? A child? A favorite child? (haha)

Gift-giving is very personal, I get that. BUT one thing I want to make very clear is...

Gifts do NOT have to cost a lot to be meaningful and wonderful.

I think gift-giving has gotten out of hand. 

Here are some base standards to try to aim for when giving gifts:

Reasonable, right?? Let me tell you, you can do A LOT with $20. That is P-L-E-N-T-Y of money to put together a fantastic gift. Christmas? If you can do a lot with $20, you can do even more with $100. $100 is absolutely more than enough to give someone a fantastic Christmas. 


Here's how to pull off affordable gift-giving:

• Get creative. You don't have to BUY a gift to make it awesome, and you certainly don't have to be handy, crafty, or overly creative to pull off (or come up with) a creative gift idea. Make things yourself. Get your mom's photo albums and put make them digital for her. Write a poem and frame it. Make a family recipe book for a shower gift. Trust me...the less you spend, the MORE thought, heart, and love you have to put into it...thus making it a killer gift.
• Need more ideas? Hit the web! Check out blogs! Google it! Look for tutorials on Youtube! Ask around! See my page HERE for ideas. Start noticing things that people do for others. 

• Buy off-season. Go after Christmas and stock up on gifts for the rest of the year. Buy baby clothes off-season and keep a stash on-hand for baby showers. I have a "gift stash" at my house. If I ever see a great clearance item I will buy it and save it so I always have a few go-to gifts.

• Plan ahead for big gifts. I, personally, would rather get one BIG gift (that I wouldn't or couldn't buy for myself otherwise) for than a bunch of small ones. If you want to get someone a big gift that doesn't fit within the price ranges above...

• Save up. If I want to buy my husband a bike for Christmas, I try not to spend much on his other gifts throughout the year. I will get more creative and make his other gifts, or buy them on sale, then use that extra money toward his big Christmas gift.

• Make it a group gift. My husband is great at this. He finds out what I want for Christmas (this year it was a Roomba automatic vacuum...my favorite gift EVER), then gets everyone else on-board. My mom, my in-laws, siblings, the whole gang. He sends out an email saying, "Jordan wants ___ for Christmas, do you guys want to go in on it with me?" 90% of the time everyone does. If not everyone does and he doesn't have enough, then I save the money and try again for my birthday, or I use it for a lesser - but still awesome - gift.

• Lighten up on gifts for your kids. I am guilty of wanting to buy my kids the world. They are just so dang adorable, I can't help myself! It's easy to do, but we really should NOT overindulge our kids like society tends to do. $30 for your child's birthday is PLENTY. If they have a birthday party, I would say it should be even less! One gift is great. If they want more, have them earn an allowance and buy whatever they want. It will teach them more in the long-run and will make your life a lot easier. 

• Buy used. Let's get real here, your kids don't have to have brand new everything, or state-of-the-art everything. Some of my kid's favorite toys I have bought from yard sales and thrift stores. My husband doesn't have to have a brand new mountain bike. He could actually get a nicer one that's used, than buying a new one in the price-point that I have a budget for!

Ultimately, the gifts you give should be about the meaning and love behind them, not about the price tag.

So there you go!

Now standards are set. Run free my little birds, and spread your frugal wings! Give these new price-points a try, and you will save your family tons.  Just remember that you need to PICK AND CHOOSE in the frugal world. You shouldn't spend full-price, top-dollar on everything, and you shouldn't stress, fret, and cut corners with everything. It's all about balance.



Want to learn more about living a balanced frugal lifestyle? Join me and 6 other amazing guest speakers at my first annual Frugality Boot Camp on June 23rd. More information HERE.


Keep me posted on how it goes, and good luck!

XOXO,

Babysitting photo source HERE
Two girls playing photo source HERE

Groceries photo source HERE

Grocery bag photo source HERE

Woman getting haircut photo source HERE

Woman with bangs photo source HERE
Passing the gift photo source HERE
Woman with gift photo source HERE

Great grocery shopping trip - 1/2 priced groceries! Great produce deals.

I did some grocery shopping the other night and thought I'd share some of my great price-matching deals that I took advantage of this week! 

(For an explanation on how I got these great deals, see HERE.)

I paid $77.45 for these groceries, when I regularly would have paid $145.38 

...without clipping any coupons...taking only 5-10 minutes to prepare for the trip. I LOVE THAT!

Let's break down my deals:

I got bananas for $0.33, regularly $0.52 

Yellow onions $0.25, regularly $0.88

Green onions, $0.25 each, regularly $1.24

Celery $0.33 ea, regularly $1.18

Whole carrots $0.33, regularly $0.58 

Cucumbers $0.16 each, regularly $0.72

Red leaf and romaine lettuce $0.89 ea, regularly $1.38 and $1.42

 Nectarines $0.50/lb, regularly $1.98/lb

Limes $0.10, regularly $0.28

Tomatoes $0.50/lb, regularly $1.34/lb

Cilantro $0.16 ea, regularly $0.48 ea

Fuji apples $0.69/lb, regularly $0.87/lb

I couldn't find Fuji apples, but these looked like them and were the only ones that had no marks or tags saying what kind they were. When I went to check out I asked, "are these Fuji apples?" she said no, so I said, "ok never mind, you can put them back. Sorry about that." But she said, "we're really laid back around here about price-matching so it's no problem, I'll still match them for you." so I got them anyway! Remember, each Walmart and even each checker is a little different, so be open and honest, and don't be afraid to ask about anything!

 Cottage cheese 16oz for $0.84, regularly $1.72

The ad was for 16oz container of cottage cheese, WF brand (western family). Walmart doesn't carry WF but they will match store-brand to store-brand...however, they didn't have 16oz containers of the GV (walmart brand) cottage cheese. So I said to the checker, "the ad-match price is for 16 oz but you don't have it. This is 24 oz, can I do this, or no?" She said, "yup, no problem!" so she counted each container as 1.5 price-matched containers.

Honeydew melons $1.50 ea, regularly $2.88

Dressing, 30oz for $1.98, regularly $3.32

The ad price was for 30oz but they only had 16oz containers. She said it was fine, so we just counted 2 containers = $1.98, so each bottle ended up being $0.99.

Mayo 30oz for $1.98, regularly $2.92

Geisha tuna 5oz for $0.59. They didn't have Geisha brand so I didn't actually buy this, but just wanted to illustrate the good deal. Even the GV brand is $1.28 so a name brand like Geisha at $0.59 is amazing!

Boneless skinless chicken breasts $1.29/lb, regularly $1.97

Boneless petite sirloin steaks $2.99/lb, regularly $4.88

I also got boneless country style ribs for $1.38/lb, regularly $2.58/lb but I didn't get a picture because the stocker guys were in the way :)

This trip I didn't have my regular purse with me, so I didn't have blank stickers to write the price-match price on so I could stick it on the items for easy check out. So what I do instead is circle the items I end up buying so at checkout I can find the price-match price easily.

So there you have it! Great deals, eh? P.s....no, my dog isn't dead, he's just a bit lazy :)

I got almost all produce, and didn't have to clip a single coupon. 

So there you go! Take advantage of this week's good deals while you can and enjoy lots of great food.

I know Walmart may not have the best food in the world, but for me, I've decided that I will buy most of my food there because it saves my family so much money that it's worth it. I buy my nice meats (like Christmas ham for example) from Costco, but for my every day groceries, Walmart does pretty well.

Happy shopping!

Jordan

Friend-Feature Friday: Reader questions and comments. Price-matching questions, how to get cheap Wicked tickets,

 Happy...er...Saturday? This post was SUPPOSED to go out yesterday (Friday) but I'm having a huge slumber party at my house with my husband's best friends and their families. It's an absolute blast, so I've been a bit distracted :)

BUT...amidst the chaos and fun I have a quiet second and had to feature a few of my favorite comments, tips, emails, and questions from this week. Thanks for the love, keep it all comin'!

From my "How I grocery shop" page:
Hi Jordan! First I have to say I love this post... I read it and have been price matching ever since and saving a little more each time. I do have a question that I was wondering if you could clarify for me... if you can't, that is fine too since I wasn't exactly sure what this manager was trying to say. Here's my scenario from my local WalMart last week: 
A local grocer had Miracle Whip 30 oz jars BOGO Free. In doing my other shopping, I decided to pick these up from WalMart instead of the local store. The ad specifically stated "save $4.99", which is in line with WM's ad match policy. My WM sells this product for $2.98 each. The customer service manager that was called over during my check-out said that I would get these as BOGO Free but would scan them at the price of the other store. When I asked for more clarification, this manager started mumbling and playing around with the computer and never did give me a good answer. I then just asked her to remove the items from my receipt and didn't purchase them. 

Do you know if this manager would have scanned one of these items up at $4.99 and the second would have been free... or would they have scanned both in at $2.98 then given me a discount of $4.99 off the total? Like I said, I never did understand what this manager was trying to say, so I'm not sure what their "correct" way of handling this would be. I plan to call my local store and ask for clarification so that I know how to handle this the next time I go in, but thought I would run it past you too. Thanks in advance if you are able to answer this at all. -Chriss


Chriss - First of all, I'm so happy that you've been price matching, I hope it's been saving you tons! As for your question...all I have to say is, EVERY WALMART IS DIFFERENT, and more importantly, every checker is different. I know that shouldn't be the case, but it is. There is a Neighborhood Walmart by me that is super super super laid back. They will let me price-match anything, and I mean anything. They say outright "we are really flexible here so it's no problem" when I ask them about something that I figure they won't match for whatever reason. That being said, there are likewise Walmarts that are much stricter and don't love price-matching as much, or simply do things differently. So if you end up having a weird experience then try again. Don't let one certain checker or store keep you from price-matching. It's their POLICY; it's a huge part of their business model. They make plenty of money from price-matching items, otherwise they wouldn't do it! Ok, now that that is out of the way...

In this case, it seems like the other store jacked up their price to $4.99/jar and was selling them BOGO, making them $2.50/jar, which is $0.48 less. They should've given you the jar for $2.50 each.
Here's another thing I've learned...
Price-matching takes some quick (and sometimes complicated) mental math...which some checkers are not comfortable doing. I know that I personally am TERRIBLE at mental math. Here's what I recommend: keep a calculator (you should have one on your phone) handy and do that math for them. Just say, "Smiths has these for BOGO at $4.99, so I did the math and it looks like it should be price-matched at 2 jars for $4.99 making them $2.50 each, does that sound right?"
Always ask them to verify, but do the math for them. You will have much more luck in getting correct price-matching. Also, buy some of those blank round garage sale stickers and stick the price-matched price to your items to keep things easier for you and the checker.

So, try again! Don't let that stop you, and yes, you should've been able to match that just fine. :)

From my "10 overlooked discounts" post:
Loved This!! Great interview Jordan and thanks for the tips. 2 other ones that are easy are Ebates.com, and swagbucks.com.... what do you think about those? xo, Shelese 

From my "What to buy from Costco" post:
Thanks a bunch for all of your suggestions. What I have found and LOVE doing with costco is sharing. I love the olive oil for instance but my house is not big or my budget to buy two of them. I split things like this with a neighbor. You can double the variety you can afford at costco without missing out on items. SO to that I say share with friends, neighbors, family whomever. Just cause the 32 oz. ketchup comes in three doesn't mean you need that many RIGHT NOW. Be smart and I totally agree, know your prices and I am a total believer in the coupons, if it doesn't have one I don't need it. -Jodi 


I think your post is spot on! I have avoided Costco other than to walk around, get samples, and for the occasional things that we can only get there. However, since couponing has not been as beneficial lately given the LACK of deals, I'm shopping at Costco more and more. A couple things that I always try to get there are graham crackers and Craisins. My kids LOVE these for snacks and they are so much cheaper than buying them in the stores. Of course, sometimes there are coupons so I'll buy a couple extra when they have that. It might also be beneficial for people to know that you can make your own cleaning supplies too at a FRACTION of what they cost to buy....that could save tons down the road. -Jenni

From my "FACTs of Saving" Page:
Jordan, these are great tips, thank you for sharing your money savvy ideas! While I did have concerns about your approach on when to take no for an answer at first, I'm glad you clarified. Some people like to think they are entitled to things and when they don't get their way they threaten to take their business elsewhere. Having worked in retail and currently in another position where I deal with this on a daily basis it's definitely frustrating, and people can be very, very rude. So I appreciate you making the point to be kind when asking so that some people don't go out thinking they can walk all over people to get what they want. After all, people are going to be MUCH more inclined to help you when you're nice than if you're rude. Also, as a tip for anyone else out there, I have learned personally not to rely on associates for helping you because generally it's the management that is going to ultimately have the power to decide what they can or cannot do for you (and it's not their fault, they just don't have the power to make certain decisions). But I have also been on the customer side, and been frustrated (with my phone carrier too for overcharges!) and I kindly demanded (yes, it's possible! lol) that they fix their mistake or we would switch carriers because we have been loyal customers for about 10 years, and they had made the mistake more than once. I think people should remember 3 things: 
1. Be realistic about the situation 
2. Ask with kindness, and don't be offended when you are told NO 
3. Most importantly, If they say YES to a discount or whatever you're asking for, ALWAYS show gratitude and appreciation! It's always good to use their name when thanking them. If they don't have a nametag, ask! When people go the extra mile for me and they aren't a manager, I always make it a point to let their supervisor know how they helped me and how much I appreciated their willingness to go the extra mile. It's a small thing for you to do that will have a huge impact for them, it also makes the manager feel good knowing their employees are making their customers happy.   -Lauren

Posted on my Facebook wall:

Ginger wrote: "Hi jordan, maybe you have already mentioned this tip, but I thought i would share in case not. Yesterday I saved $80 on two prescriptions by using coupons my doctors gave me with the prescription. So from now on, I'm asking the doc, "do you have any samples or coupons for this prescription?". I was totally amazed how much I saved!!"


           Becky wrote: "Working in a pharmacy, I always tell my patients that there is always a coupon available for name brand meds. You can look for them at www.internetdrugcoupons.com or just type in the name of the meds in a search browser along with the word coupon and there should be a lot of options."

Elizabeth wrote: "This is my all time favorite blog ever! Love... Funcheaporfree!!!!!! Any ideas on getting tickets to Wicked this summer?"


My response:
Um...first of all...BEST MUSICAL. EVER. I cried. Literally. Where are you wanting to see it? Are you in UT? There are ALWAYS ways to get a deal :) For one, enter every contest possible. Radio stations will be giving them away like crazy. Enter enough, and you might just win! Last minute tickets are also a great way to go. Call the box office directly, rather than going through a SmithTix type site. Ask them for any last-minute deals. If you're really gutsy, just show up and ask. My husband and I went to Wicked and found out that an hour before the show they were giving away 10 free tickets. You had to wait in line forever, but we tried. We didn't win and ended up having to pay for the ticket, but we just cut out date night for the rest of the month to make it work, and did free dates instead. And hey, it was worth a shot! On Broadway they sell discounted tickets at a booth outside the theater last-minute. Also, if they offer Matinee shows, you would probably get a cheaper price there. Does that help?

Thanks for all the tips and comments, keep them coming!

Exciting news...now introducing DARIN ADAMS from Studio 5 as a Frugality Boot Camp keynote speaker!

I have such exciting news! I officially introduce our newest Frugality Boot Camp keynote speaker...

Darin Adams: Co-Host of Studio 5, Utah's Top (and my favorite...) Morning Show

Holy cow, is this retreat going to be amazing! 

We have Darin along with 6 other amazing speakers that will all knock your socks off. Check them all out HERE. Here's a little more about Darin specifically:

Darin was born in Provo and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Broadcast Communications. After working as a feature reporter and weathercaster in markets across the country, he is excited to be returning home. Aside from Utah, Darin has lived and worked in California, Germany, Montana, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts and Kentucky. He is a multiple award winner of both the Idaho State Journal Favorite Weathercaster award and the Illinois State Broadcasters Association Best Weather award. He was also honored with a Regional Emmy nomination for Best Host while in Boston. Darin has done some interesting things on live TV. He's received medical procedures live, cooked with celebrity chefs Todd English and Ming Tsai, and has sampled chocolate chip cookies with grasshoppers baked into them. He has interviewed sports legends and countless celebrities such as Hall of Fame Pitcher Jim Palmer and Quarter Back Drew Bledsoe. He enjoys traveling, the Boston Red Sox, trying anything once, coaching youth sports, music, playing games, getting a great deal, entertaining, cooking and eating. His wife doesn't enjoy cleaning up after him. He and his wife Kristi are the parents of four children.

And just for the record...his is hilarious. Love this guy.

For those of you who don't know what the heck I'm talking about with this whole boot camp thing, let me enlighten you.

On June 23 here in Utah I am holding my first annual Frugality Boot Camp retreat. My tag-line I've decided as of 5 seconds ago?...

Making. Frugality. Sexy.

You heard me.  

It's going to be a blast. It's a full-day, high-energy retreat. We have 7 amazing guest speakers that will be covering everything from:

• Budgeting, paying off debt, and balancing saving vs spending, 
• Grocery shopping and meal planning,
• DIY, home decor and crafting,
• Health, beauty, and fashion,
• Involving the family in frugality,
• Fun/cheap/free family activity ideas,
• Easy tricks and tips for saving money, 
• and more.

We're feeding you awesome food all day, doing a lot of fun, interactive activities and break-out groups, and most importantly, teaching you basically everything you could ever need to know about saving money...for the rest of your life. 

Now that you got the jist...

Just a friendly reminder that there are only 3 weeks left until the magical day. So if you want to rub shoulders with Darin (and myself, because I'm just so awesome ;)) then you'd better hurry and sign up! 

Click HERE to register and for more info. See you there!

-Jordan

I need your help!

Ok, all you lovely readers, I need a quick favor! I'm preparing for my next TV appearance coming up THIS MONDAY (June 4th). Will you pretty pretty please fill out the quick survey below? Trust me, it looks long but it's NOT...there are just lots of options to choose from. It should only take you about 45-60 seconds, maybe even less.

Thank you all, I really appreciate the help!
Oh, and please note, this is 100% anonymous, I am simply gathering statistical data. Thanks!





Thanks everyone, you are the best!!
XOXO,

3 weeks until the Frugality Boot Camp! Better register while you can!

www.frugalitybootcamp.com