This weekend I went shopping to a small local grocery store with my mother. We looked in the sales paper before we went and knew that we wanted to get some Bigelow tea which was on sale. Only because we read the paper did we know that the tea was on sale – an extraordinary price –  4 boxes for $5 for black tea blends. The green tea varieties were 2 for $4, which is still a great price.

The tea was on the shelves and there were special displays for the green tea along with signs indicating the price of the green tea. There was no shelf tag for the regular black tea varieties. When we got to the register, the tea was on sale and scanned correctly but unless you read the sales paper you would not have had any clue that the black tea was on sale.

This isn’t the first time that this has happened. Another thing I have noticed in stores when an item is listed on sale, there may be some on a shelf, but you can’t see the item because they are either in the back, behind another similar non-sale item or against the back of the shelf wall so it can’t be seen unless you get down on the floor. Other times, items may not get restocked until the sale is over. Remember the two little words with great purchasing power – Rain Check. If an item that is listed on sale isn’t available and there isn’t a sign stating “no rain checks,” get one. Making it easy to buy something on sale is not what retailers want to do.

At non-grocery stores, the rain check may be a little more difficult to get, but it’s possible to get one. Advertised prices may not always jibe with the scanned price at the register, so pay attention to the price that is being scanned. This is especially true with fruits and vegetables that are not easily identifiable by the check out person or without a sticker on them. Don’t get home and find out that you were charged for Braeburn apples and you had the less expensive Red Delicious.

Europe is in a recession. The US is in a recession. Japan is experiencing money woes as well. What’s a bright side to this?

Americans are spending less on paper products, soap and accessories, conserving gas but are buying more Spam. 

Spam “seems to do well when hard times hit,” said Dan Bartel, business agent for the union local. “We’ll probably see Spam lines instead of soup lines.”

Even as consumers are cutting back on all sorts of goods, Spam is among a select group of thrifty grocery items that are selling steadily.

The Hormel company has increased their production of Spam because the inexpensive canned meat product has become popular once again. Inexpensive foods may not be chic but they are filling and will definitely serve a purpose.

Items that were once considered recession proof have not proven to be recession proof this time around. Gambling, cable and coffee drinks. Instead of spending extra on taking a day trip to the casino or watching a movie on cable, people are keeping the money in their pockets. Splurging once in a while to buy a coffee drink from Starbucks isn’t happening either. At the same time gas prices decreased, food prices didn’t budge. Also as the weather is getting cooler it is important to have some heat at home. Home heating may not face drastic increases but you still need some form of heat just to keep your pipes from freezing.

“Consumers are aggressively cutting back,” said Scott Hoyt, director of consumer economics with Moody ’s Economy.com. “They’re not even taking the savings from lower gas prices and spending it in stores.”

Recession? Depression?

Fears of an extended recession has made many people very anxious about their spending. We are not alone. A quick Google News search of recession yields recession talk from Italy, Hong Kong, Europe. Gas prices have taken their toll on wallets but now that gas is decreasing people aren’t reallocating those funds into different areas. Groceries are still expensive. Jobless claims are up but this only includes those who have received unemployment benefits, and only lists those who have been unemployed for the previous six months. If you didn’t receive benefits, or have been searching for employment for a while, then you probably aren’t included in the jobless rate.

If you have not been to a store, or better yet, if you have been to a store or a restaurant, you will truly understand the recent reporting that retail sales report a drop. For people who have been paring down their spending because of credit problems or unemployment then this should be no surprise.

The lack of spending is also taking its toll on charities. Since there are more people who need to use the services that some charities provide. People who need to feed their families, pay for heating bills and job seekers need help but these are more up front concerns. Programs like domestic violence, training programs, and family services have not gone away everyone is facing problems with money. Take a little and help out someone in need – even if you only donate a few coins this will really help people this year.

Don’t forgo fresh fruits and vegetables when shopping. Fresh is best and may cost more but in the long run, for health reasons, if you decide to skip fresh fruits and vegetables you will be doing a disservice to your diet and health. 

To maximize your budget:

• Buy only the fruits and vegetables that are on sale
• Shop at a fruit/vegetable market – often the quality and price are much better
• Look for fruits and vegetables that are slightly bruised, often they are packaged for quick sale
• If you buy packaged greens on the sell by date they are generally discounted, this is a great deal if you use them the same day
• Try different varieties of fruits (applies, oranges, plums) Some of the standard varietals have been overshadowed by newer ones – look at Red and Golden Delicious apples instead of Braeburn 

Competition is a great thing. A couple of years ago, the post office was not as competitive when shipping packages. Now, it may be time to reconsider the United States Postal Service. 

Planing to send packages to friends and family this Christmas? Before you buy boxes, check the Postal System site to see if they have any boxes that would suit your needs. The added benefit of these boxes is that they are shipped to your house for free. Also, if you prepay for domestic shipping online by using Click-N-Ship you get a discount.

That’s not all, you can also request a free pickup. Need mailing tubes, forms, or other packaging supplies for things you may want to sell on eBay or for your burgeoning cottage industry? Ship them through the USPS and you can even get package confirmation.

This holiday season, waiting in line at that post office doesn’t have to be a dreadful experience.

If you prepay for shipping, you can schedule a pickup and avoid the hassles of waiting in line.