To all those penny pinchers and buck stretchers out there who are new to the art of saving ~ you can save money and have fun doing it! All it takes is a little time, effort, and practice. Nobody is born knowing how to save money ~ but over time, you will learn. Here are some of my tips I use to save even more, figure my savings and what percentage my savings were of my total purchase. I believe they will help you as well.
>> Regular Size or Buy in Bulk? <<
If you think a bulk or larger quantity buy may give you the best bang for your buck, do the math to find out the cost per unit and compare it to the cost per unit of the regular size.
To figure the cost per unit, use this example:
CPU {cost per unit} = price/volume {oz, lbs, etc}
Regular size 15 oz. canned green peas = 1.69; Bulk size canned green peas {28 oz.} = 3.29.
>> THE MATH <<
using the info above ^^
CPU = price/volume
CPU = 1.69/15
CPU = .1126 or 11.3 cents/oz {regular}
CPU = price/volume
CPU = 3.29/28
CPU = .1175 or 11.7 cents/oz {bulk}
We can see from this example that bigger is not always better. Be sure to check your CPU before purchasing the larger size - you may not be saving money.
In the example above, you would actually save money and have more volume if you purchased two of the 15 oz cans of peas compared to just one of the bulk cans.
CPU = .1126 or 11.3 cents/oz. Here's the math for this:
1.69 x 2 = 3.38
15 oz x 2 = 30 oz
CPU = 3.38/30
CPU = .1126 or 11.3 cents/ oz
>> Figuring Total Saved <<
To many, this would seem like a no-brainer, right? I can hear 'em now - "well duh, just add up your coupons, silly". Well yes...and no. We have to add up our coupons, but what if we got an item for free? We should add that into our total saved for that trip. Below is a small snippet from my latest Wal-Mart receipt.
// Coupons Used \\
FREE
Country Bob's Sauce {Savings = 2.64}
Country Bob's Sauce {Savings = 2.64}
BOGO
Glade Fabric Refresher {Savings = 3.48}
FREE WYB
FREE Secret Deodorant WYB Olay Body Bar or Body Wash {Savings = 2.34}
B2G1
Suave Body Wash {Savings = 2.00}
Regular
Olay Regenerist Cleanser {Savings = 3.00}
Dannon Activia Desserts {Savings = 1.00}
Dannon Activia Desserts {Savings = 1.00}
Dannon Activia Desserts {Savings = 1.00}
Dannon Activia Desserts {Savings = 1.00}
Dannon Activia Desserts {Savings = 1.00}
Dannon Activia Desserts {Savings = 1.00}
Minute Brown Rice {Savings = .50}
Minute Brown Rice {Savings = .50}
Fiber One Chewy Bars {Savings = .50}
Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste {Savings = 1.00}
Blistex Chapstick {Savings = .35}
Blistex Chapstick {Savings = .35}
Suave Shamp/Cond. {Savings = .50}
TOTAL SAVINGS: $25.80
**The Secret deodorant, one of the suave body washes, two bottles of Country Bob's all purpose sauce were all FREE, using coupons. Be sure to add in all your free items when you are calculating your total savings. There were a couple other coupons used as well, my total savings for this shopping trip was $27.80.
>> Figuring Percentage Saved <<
Although we see our savings in dollars and cents, it also helps to see the actual percentage we saved per shopping trip.
Here's an example:
Total Purchase: $110.00
Total Savings: $35.25
>> THE FORMULA <<
TSP = Total Savings on Purchase
TS = Total Savings
TP = Total Purchase
TSP = TS/TP
>> THE MATH <<
Using the example above ^^
TSP = 35.25/110.00
TSP = .3204 or 32%
{HINT: Always move the decimal point over two spaces to get your percentage}
Well, I hope this has helped you see how I figure my savings so I can see in black and white, just how much I am keeping in my wallet. I also hope the equation for figuring cost per unit is helpful - it's simple, but can save you a lot of money.
Oh...one more thing....my favorite equation of all:
1 Cross + 3 Nails = 4given
No comments:
Post a Comment