I instituted the Slash Shopping System 4 years ago to save TIME and MONEY.
TIME: Last week we talked about the time savings of shopping at 3 Stores ONLY!
I limit my weekly/monthly shopping trips to a local grocer, Target and my preferred online household products company.
Not only do I save time with this method, I save money and cut back on fuel and packaging waste.
I used to shop at many different online stores for my makeup, pet treats, skin care, hair products, deodorant, sunscreen, insect repellant, shower and bath items, supplements, organic granola, tea, gluten free flour, toothpaste and cleaning products. Some of these stores included Amazon, Sephora, Beauty Counter and Thrive Market. Nothing against these retailers--I just love the economics and convenience of receiving all of my household items delivered to my door in ONE BOX from ONE COMPANY that I TRUST. The products I get from this company are safe! Which means I don't have to apply Filter 1 (see below). It's already applied.
The rewards with this company are beyond generous. I earn an average of $200 of free products every month, collect $150 in Rebate Points to spend later and save 25% off retail prices on products I am going to buy anyway. Today I bought Oolong Cacao Tea with my points! I'm a certified tea snob.
I used to feel bad when we received all the Amazon shipments and our garage stall was half-full of cardboard boxes--sometimes with only one bottle of supplements coming in a big box. Now our products come in ONE box. Amazon never matched the 25% off--even with Subscribe and Save. No mention of Rebate Points either from Amazon.
MONEY: The other part of the SLASH SHOPPING SYSTEM that matters is applying 2 Filters.
Filter 1 is your product belief system.
What factors influence your purchase decisions? This comes down to your non-negotiables. I will give you a few examples at our house:
- Tortilla chips--we no longer purchase tortilla chips that have been processed with canola oil. Canola oil has been proven harmful to endocrine glands like the thyroid. Since I'm currently dealing with thyroid issues, I am no longer buying products with canola oil. We also look for organic corn and non-GMO corn for the same reasons.
- Peanut butter--I look for peanut butter that is 100% peanuts on the label. There is no reason to add sugar or palm oil to peanut butter. It tastes more like peanuts and less like the inside of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup this way. If I want Reese's I just buy them.
- Produce--we also shy away from the Dirty Dozen and buy these fruits and veggies USDA Organic. If it's not on the Dirty Dozen list I buy non-organic. An example would be raspberries. They aren't on the Dirty Dozen list, so I buy them non-organic in both fresh and frozen variety. Here's a link to the Dirty Dozen list: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
- Body Care--we no longer purchase items that contain Fragrance on the label. This goes for laundry soap, hand soap, lotion, hair care, makeup, bar soap, body wash and deodorant. Anything with fragrance or parfum on the label gets the boot. Here is why: https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/12/ask-ewg-what-fragrance. If companies can't come clean about every single ingredient in their product, I don't vote for them with my hard-earned dollars.
Filter 2 is the /.
Yes, I am referring to that oblique stroke between dollars and ounces on most store shelf labels. Once I started utilizing the calculator on my phone and looking for the / I started saving serious money.
- Did you know that buying 2-12 count egg cartons is less money per egg than buying 1-18 count egg carton? Yep it is. Do the math next time.
- When was the last time you paid attention to the $/oz on tortilla chip bags? If you eat as many organic, non GMO corn chips as we do, you may start paying attention to that.
- How about peanut butter, jelly, applesauce, sparkling water, milk, yogurt? All of these liquids utilize the slash too.
- What scent of body lotion is my family going to like best? Since Filter 1 has already been applied for the products at my preferred online store, I apply Filter 2 and go with the cheapest price per oz before I place it in my online cart. Lavendar Body Lotion for the WIN! Everybody loves it.
Let's review this simple system:
1. Choose your items in contention for purchase based on Filter 1 (Belief System);
2. Then Apply Filter 2. The Lowest $/oz is the item that goes in your CART!
I truly hope this is helpful and saves you TIME and MONEY.
Next week, I am going to talk about how I am still refining this system. I will be on the hunt for a local butcher who sells grass-fed beef this week, as well as picking up my first Bountiful Basket in YEARS!
Who remembers Bountiful Baskets? Some of you are going to chuckle when you read this because you remember picking up baskets for me at 7 am on Saturday mornings. Check it out here: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/
For further reading check out my website at www.getoiling.com/jaceymesser/events.
Seek
Peace
Peace
& Pursue it.
Jacey
I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that. Click the link at the bottom of this blog and send me a message. You will also receive an email everytime a new blog is posted.
This week let's talk about saving money.
Here are a few ways
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