In another thread, Aunt Bea

[GeorgiaXplant]

referred to our approaching fall and winter as "the eating season." That's so appropriate!

Anyway, it reminded me of something I used to do way back in the way back so that not too much damage was done to my bank account when buying groceries for holiday meals.

As you have a few bucks to spare, buy gift cards for whichever supermarkets you use (just check first to make sure they don't expire!). You can get them for as little as, say, $10, then save them up to use for holiday shopping or heck, whenever there's an occasion that's going to run up the grocery bill.

 

[Marie5656]

WOW, never thought of that. I will have to consider that. I still remember one year, a friend of my husbands gave us about 6 garbage bags full of beer and pop cans as he never wanted to return them for the deposit. It was just before Thanksgiving. So, I went and turned them in. Here, we have those machine at the store that give you a slip with your refund amount at the end. I got $40 back and it paid for our Thanksgiving shopping.

 

[GeorgiaXplant]

$40 is a lotta lettuce. I hope you never told him how much you got for those cans...I bet if you did, he started turning them in himself. LOL Anyway, adding an extra $10 from time to time when you're shopping isn't a real big deal, especially when you get to use them at the checkout to cover a whopping total when $$ is scarce.

 

[Marie5656]

@GeorgiaXplant nope, never did tell him. Thing is, the reason my husband brought the bags home was the guy was going to just throw them away!!! Imagine throwing $40 into the garbage.
I am going shopping today for a couple things, may add a gift card to my trip.

 

[GeorgiaXplant]

I don't want to imagine throwing $40 away! Good idea about adding a gift card to your grocery list. Tell you what, when my son was having a hard time making ends "meat," having gift cards to help him out came in handy, and he really appreciated them.

 

[Ruth n Jersey]

We don't go out much to restaurants but the hubby likes to go to IHop once in awhile. We always buy a gift card there or at our favorite buffet.

 

[Aunt Bea]

That is a new idea for me, thanks!

I learned to start buying an item or two each time I went to the grocery store in the weeks leading up to a major holiday from my mother and grandmother.

I like the idea of keeping a couple of gift cards on hand as a way to help a friend or family member that has hit a rough patch.