Explore your local independent fruit and vegetable vendors for great deals. Often these vendors offer very competitive prices on their produce compared to large grocery outlets. This holds true for organic produce as well. You will often find these independent vendors place extra deals on produce that is at its’ peak ripeness. This is where creativity can truly maximize your savings:

*purchase ripe discounted bananas – bananas contain the highest nutrients when fully ripe (slight appearance of brown spots is the ideal time to eat bananas). I buy over-ripe bananas in bulk gaining huge savings. I immediately peel and cut them up into large chunks. You can them lay them out on a baking sheet and freeze (only takes a couple hours). Once frozen, they can be stored in a freezer bag.

I then use these frozen bananas as base for daily fruit smoothies. The frozen texture creates a super thick, healthy drink. Quick note: avoid initially letting the bananas sit open too long in the freezer as they will go from frozen hard to soft and mushy on the baking tray. Eventually, the bananas will turn brown and soft in the freezer bag, but don’t frit, this ugly mush is great for muffins, loafs, and pancakes.

*look for those bags of slightly bruised apples and pears – again, more great savings by buying discounted apples and pears. Simply peel and cut out the bruised area. Great for pies and baking or making homemade apple/pear sauce. Homemade applesauce is one of the easiest treats to prepare – cut up your apples, throw them in a saucepan with a little water and slowly cook them on medium heat. In a short time, the apples soften and can be pureed. I make apple/pear sauce in large batches and then freeze into small portions.

Other simple tips:
*use ripe strawberries and other berries for making salad dressings and vinaigrettes
*use ripe fruits and vegetables for making chutneys, salsa, and stews
*use ripe fruits for making rich sauces for desserts or savory meat dishes
*explore making hearty soups with ripe vegetables

Get to know the owner/manager of these independent produce vendors. Find out when they gather their ripe produce for placing on special. You can even ask them to contact you when bulk discount bags of produce are available.

Some cautions when buying over-ripe product:
*avoid produce that is severely over-ripe – you may end up having to throw away a great portion resulting in less than expected savings
*avoid certain vegetables that have green discoloration like potatoes and carrots
*avoid produce that has signs of mold or breakage of the peel/skin
*do not use over-ripe fruit for jams as the fruit loses pectin

Keep in mind that the longer most produce sits, the less nutritional value it has. But as mentioned, some produce like bananas and pomegranates have more dietary value when properly ripened. Be creative with recipes and enjoy saving money as you savor healthy meals.

Coupons are one of the most effective methods to take a slice out of purchase prices. But are you taking full advantage and potential of coupon savings, and are they generating true savings benefits?

Get the Double Whammy!

Get the biggest punch out of your coupons by targeting their usage with sales, points/rewards programs, and customer appreciation days.

More coupon savvy tips:
*maintain an organized collection of coupons and watch their expiry dates.

*when combining coupons with sales, purchase in bulk when possible. Just be certain that you will be able to consume all of the purchase items and no waste will be generated by spoilage or lack of use.

*compare the savings you are making with your coupon versus another similar brand. Another brand or no-name brand may still offer better savings as brand names often have a large markup.

*carry a small calculator when shopping. Many grocers provide a breakdown of price per unit weight that helps you quickly compare product prices (don’t just go by price – know the price compared to the amount you are buying). However, this breakdown is often not listed on sale items. A calculator allows you to quickly and accurately determine how this new price per unit weight stacks up against the competitor brands and other volumes of similar products. You can also use your calculator to determine the new price per unit weight when applying coupons.

How to Calculate Cost per Unit Weight(C/UW):
C/UW = (product price – amount of coupon) / product weight

Note when calculating C/UW, you may need to convert units. For example, your item may be in kilograms, but the grocer offers C/UW in grams. With a little practice, your calculator can become a great savings tool.

*create a coupon network:
-bookmark favorite sites that offer steady, reliable coupons
-create a coupon exchange/social network with family and friends. Encourage others to collect and share extra coupons that they wont be able use
-register for online flyers so you can be notified of coupon postings and upcoming promotions (warning! Use a secondary email address with all opt-in online programs to help sift through spam and unwanted email from your work and personal email accounts.)

Savvy shoppers will recognize when and when not to use coupons. Be strategic in hammering down purchase prices with timing coupons with sales, customer appreciation days, and other promotions. A little organization goes along way in keeping more money in your pocket. Get your children and family involved-researching for coupons, clipping and organizing. With each shopping trip, take a look at the caption “YOU SAVED …” and feel how great it is to be money-wise.

The next time you swing by your local grocer, go by the customer service counter and ask if they offer regular customer appreciation days. Often, grocers and other shopping outlets hold monthly customer and senior appreciation days providing modest savings on purchases (sometimes up to 10% total purchase).

These appreciation days are often offered on low volume days like Tuesdays to help boost customer traffic and sales. Being in the middle of the week, the majority of the public misses these savings opportunities. By timing these customer appreciation days with discount specials and sales, you can really rack up significant savings. You may also find that your grocer offers free items on these appreciation days as well.

If your local grocer and shopping outlets don’t provide customer appreciation days, send the manager a letter or email suggesting they should start and note the marketing benefits that this program would generate. If you don’t ask, you won’t receive!

If your local grocer and shopping outlets only provide senior discount days and you haven’t reach the age limit to benefit from these specials, take a family member or friend who is in this age category. You can help an older family member or friend with the heavy task of getting groceries while also sharing your time socializing. Develop bonds while saving money.

Credit cards have been the great foe for the undisciplined consumer resulting in severe debt and painful interest payments. But for the wise consumer, credit cards can yield joyful savings and bonuses.

Many consumers pay by cash or use debit cards. The obsession of using cash and ATMs results in huge fees being lost every month from one’s pocket. Replacing cash and debit cards with credit cards can greatly reduce the gouging by financial institutions. By also using credit cards instead of debit or cash, one can acquire hundreds (if not thousands) of free program points and bonuses.

Shop around for credit cards and try to find cards that first provide points programs without any annual fees. Another great program that some cards offer is cash-back rewards where a percentage of your total annual purchases are returned to your credit card balance hence money back in your pocket.

Many of these programs offer enticing upgrades doubling points and other enhancements. Before you plunge into upgrades, weight out the cost benefits of paying for upgrades versus the gain in extra points. Take the time to actually calculate the monetary value of each point earned. Only pay more for your rewards programs if you are earning more value in points per year (or per month) than the cost of the upgrade fees.

Some simple tips in maximizing credit card benefits:

1) Know your spending limits. Each time you use a credit card, you should be able to transfer the same amount of cash funds into a high interest savings account. You will enjoy gaining interest savings for a few weeks until your credit card bill is due. If you are unable to pay the entire balance on your credit card statements, the benefits of using a reward programs are severely diminished. If financial discipline is an issue, only use credit cards for absolute necessities like groceries and utilities – nonessentials should then be paid with cash and debit cards.

2) Use your credit card rewards program with business expenses. Besides benefiting from the business tax-write offs, the required business spending generates additional reward points.

3) Most credit card companies provide multiple cards under the same the account. Get your spouse/partner on the same reward program to generate even more points. Just make sure they have the same disciplined approach to finances as you.

4) Keep an eye open for reward specials, contests, and surveys. Place your name on the email list of your rewards programs (use a secondary email address). Often you will get notification of extra rewards specials and surveys giving you large points bonuses for your participation.

Find the best ways in which credit cards can enhance your savings and rewards programs. Be disciplined in your usage and in the timing of paying off balances.