Dollar store and closeout shopping

[Opti]

How do you make sure you limit yourself or don't overspend?

A store near me is essentially acting as a dollar store when it decides to get rid of items. Some are close to expiration dates, but others are not. Weeks ago I struggled on how much .99 cent chocolate it was safe to buy, given I am not great at limiting my chocolate consumption unless I limit what is in house.

What are your strategies?

[CCL]

If something is close to expiration, I probably wouldn't buy it at all. I'd have to opt for something else.

I typically only buy enough of something to make 2 servings (Me and hubby). We don't usually eat all that much of anything at once and I try to avoid waste. If I do end up with more than we will eat right away I freeze what I can for some other time.

I live in a suburban area and I have a good selection of grocery and other stores nearby, so that definitely makes shopping easy for me. It's no problem for me to stop at the grocery to pick up small amounts of just few things.

[Opti]

Cool stuff close to expiration dates I do buy if I know I will eat it before the date. Its the reason I only had one pkg of a flavored tuna by Safe Catch. Frozen items are easy, as in "do I have room in the freezer?" I find shelf stable stuff harder, especially when realistically I will not see these prices again.

So far I have picked up things like Once Again Almond Butter for .99 and California Olive Ranch Olive oil with a expiration date in late 2020.  (One was the everyday oil bottle of 25.4 oz for $4.99). Right now dates range from November 2019 to sometime in 2020 for others. There are several varieties for Safe Catch canned fish which often goes for $2.99 to $3.99 a can or higher. That's really what I'm trying to be reasonable about. The one offs are easy, one and done or maybe two if it turns out it tastes good and is still there.

I take that back, it might be 2021 for some of the Safe Catch cans. I just had the skinless and boneless salmon with no added salt. 
Safe Catch and some Tuna fillets in glass are priced at .99.

[countrygirl2]

In the city they often have the expensive organic milk marked down.  Last week a bunch of it expiring today was  $1.89 instead of $5.89, I bought 2 gallons and froze it.  Got a head of cabbage for $.79 too.

[resolution]

I decide what I want to buy and make a list before I go to the store. I plan my menu once a week and then list the items I need to make the food all week.

I rarely buy things that aren't on the list. When I impulse buy sale items, I spend more because even if it's a great deal, its still money that i wouldn't have otherwise spent. Also because I didn't pre-plan how and when I will use the impulse item, I am less likely to actually use it before it expires.

[Blonde Granny]

My Mom used to go through the Dollar store with her list. Like me and being a widow she only cooked for 1. Once her list items were purchased and if there was something left on the list she stopped by the grocery store to finish it off.

Nice to remember that, sounds like something I should do.

[Opti]

Oct 29, 2019 8:27:48 GMT -5 resolution said:

I decide what I want to buy and make a list before I go to the store. I plan my menu once a week and then list the items I need to make the food all week.

I rarely buy things that aren't on the list. When I impulse buy sale items, I spend more because even if it's a great deal, its still money that i wouldn't have otherwise spent. Also because I didn't pre-plan how and when I will use the impulse item, I am less likely to actually use it before it expires.

I do a list sometimes, but since its just me, I often save more money by not planning too much in advance. I do buy based on what I will use, but as a foodie I might overdo a little on impulse items when they are closeouts. 

Tonight I plan on making ground lamb with beans, celery and onion. I got it for $2.10( 1 lb.) as a grocery markdown and I have everything else at home. I agree on the spending thing. While I am now well stocked on canned fish and olive oil, I will need to remember to cut my grocery spending in the future if I want it to balance out.