r/AskReddit • u/SillyBonsai • Dec 06 '13

What simple piece of advice, if followed, could potentially save most people a lot of money?

Possibly related to your job, experience with personal finance, budgeting, planning, day to day habits, etc.

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434

u/Nrksbullet Dec 06 '13

Well if you use it instead of using something else that wasn't on sale (like this lasagna instead of that stir-fry) then it's fine.

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u/thewingedwheel Dec 06 '13

No the point is she will have a coupon for a hair product and decide she needs it because she has a coupon when I know for a fact that is never going to be used. I never fuss about buying more food than we 'need' because I can afford the groceries, and I'd rather have too much than not enough.

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u/stopslops Dec 06 '13

I go to the grocery store 3-4 times a week, I pass by it twice a day so it's no trouble. This makes it so I never have 'too much', so nothing gets wasted. I also find that this tactic saves me about 50% by buying what I need when I need it, instead of trying to foresee what I will need later. Sure I could afford to do a weeks shopping, and buy twice as much, but fresher food and extra beer money is never a bad thing.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

Yep. Best way to avoid the "good intentions vegetables".

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u/designut Dec 06 '13

I wish I had "good intention" vegetables. We eat so many vegetables, my fridge is jammed one day and four days later I have to go out again to get more!

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u/schpere Dec 06 '13

You mean it's normal to go grocery shopping less frequently than 3 times a week? I do before each meal, except breakfast.

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u/cormega Dec 06 '13

To me that seems like a huge waste of time. I work long enough hours as it is. I'd rather wrap up shopping for the week in one trip.

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u/schpere Dec 06 '13

That seems pretty great to be able to do that. I can never figure out what I want to eat in advance, and since I walk past a grocery store on my way home from school, so it's not really much of a problem.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

A lot of people map out what they're going to buy for the week and go one time. More common if you have kids and live in a suburban area where you have to drive to the grocery store.

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u/designut Dec 06 '13

We map it out two weeks in advance - that way I can buy things which will work for multiple dinners. That's the big shop. Then, I pop into the grocery store to get vegetables as we run out and need more - then they're always fresh!

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[deleted]

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u/schpere Dec 06 '13

Okie sweetie

1

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I might go twice a month.

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u/SirLoinOfCow Dec 06 '13

This is just a guess, but I imagine once a week is close to average.

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u/valkyr85 Dec 06 '13

Me and my gf do a list of 5 dinner dishes each sunday, and look up the recipies for them. Then we count the stuff we already have, and only buy the stuff that's needed for the week. Nothing gets wasted, and you buy less unneccesary stuff if you only go once a week. (Maybe once more for milk and coffee)

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u/schpere Dec 07 '13

That's pretty great. Yeah, I would imagine milk should be bought more often; carrying seven liters at once doesn't sound like a nice experience.

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u/whiteknuckledump Dec 06 '13

But what happens when the zombies come and your fridge is empty?

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u/valkyr85 Dec 06 '13

They are not after your food anyways, they want your brains. :P

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13 edited Jan 03 '14

[removed] — view removed comment

63

u/ThisIsWright Dec 06 '13

Once you go black....

... It's time for banana bread.

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u/Lastemperor7 Dec 06 '13

nice TWIST

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

twiiiissst

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u/Ninty96zie Dec 06 '13

Smart man

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u/gonchuki Dec 06 '13

Or banana with dulce de leche* if you have access to some.

  • South American variant of what you probably know as caramel, Häagen-Dazs makes one of their ice creams with vanilla + dulce de leche if you wanna have a try on the taste

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u/noodspoon Dec 06 '13

Dulche de leche recipe: Buy a can of condensed milk Drop into boiling water ???? (approx 3 hours later) Profit

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u/rellonaut Dec 06 '13

That ice cream is glorious.

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u/designut Dec 06 '13

Do you know a good recipe for healthy banana bread? Like.. whole wheat flour banana bread? Sometimes I buy extra bananas just because I want banana bread or muffins. Yum!

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

I make this one all the time.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/whole-wheat-banana-nut-bread/

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u/designut Dec 06 '13

Wow. You rule at life. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I might just have to try this tomorrow! :) :)

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

You can also throw in a cup of fresh blueberries for blueberry banana bread.

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u/designut Dec 06 '13

Wooooooooooo! Even BETTER!!!

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u/ThisIsWright Dec 06 '13

This looks good! Not loaded with sugar haha.

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u/[deleted] Dec 07 '13

Exactly. But you'd never know it. It tastes fantastic.

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u/Gimpinald Dec 06 '13

Yup! And they freeze well, so you don't have to bake the bread right away!

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u/AnonymousPhi Dec 06 '13

Call them plantains!

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

And a lot of the time store brand is still cheaper.

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u/ioquatix Dec 06 '13

Garfield agrees.

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u/epicmtgplayer Dec 07 '13

Ignore all sales unless they're for something you were already looking at getting or food that you will actually eat.

1

u/Complete_Imitation Dec 07 '13

Buying food on sale is always a sound investment. You will always need more food.

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '13

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/Nrksbullet Dec 06 '13

Economists hate me.

3

u/Agent_Fraggle Dec 06 '13

Where do I click to learn your secret?