We all know how agonising the first trip to the grocery store can be after coming back from a wonderful holiday. Often we don’t budget and the end of the month seems so far away when school supplies also need to be added to the list of necessary items.

Why not join a ‘grocery club’ or start you own with a few friends of family members?(don’t go bigger than 10 people)

All you need to do is:

• decide on an amount that you would contribute each month (eg. R150)
• get one person to offer to purchase the goods
• find a place to store the good (empty garage, spare room or even your storage facility)
• make a list of all the items and the amount of each you need (an easy way is to divide them into categories like detergents, sauces, cans, other non-perishables)
• the buyer needs to watch the papers and advertisements of supermarkets for the latest specials (the key is to only buy items on sale)
• each month as you give your money the buyer will purchase more and more goods (the better the prices the more items you’ll get)
• Should you start in February and end in November, then you will divide the groceries in December

You’ll walk away with such a large hamper that you won’t need to buy certain items for a while! It’s up to you and your group to decide how much you are want to contribute and what you want to buy. You could up your amount and even add luxuries like chips, sweets, biscuits, etc. This is a real saver and anyone can do it!

It’s easy to say ‘save’, but if no one is pushing you it’s also easy not too. Joining a savings club or creating your own is another way to have something extra when you need it.

Some people choose to contribute each month and allow each member of the club to decide when they’d like the money.

Another way to do this is to select a person (someone trustworthy) in your group that will act as the treasurer. Should you decide on saving R200, you will give your money to the treasurer each month. Do this for a round figure of ten months. By the end of November you would have saved R2000! This money can be used to purchase Christmas gifts, give your domestic a bonus or be your spending money while on holiday!

We can get carried away when we buy a gift, that’s why it’s important to know how much we are willing to spend way before we go out and buy something.

Divide a page into three columns. In the first column write down the names of everyone you intend on buying gifts. In the next column, next to each name write down the amount you are willing to spend (budgeted amount) and in the third column you write down the amount you actually spent on the gift.

Challenge yourself to come in under budget! Just because you have a budget of R5000 does not mean it all needs to be spent!

Another common way to save is playing secret Santa, when everyone draws a name a you only purchase one gift.

Buy you Christmas wrapping and decor after Christmas for the next year. All these items go on sale and you’ll save a lot! At a recent department store sale wrapping was selling for R3 a roll, the full price was R12.95! That’s a R10 saving per roll!
These are really simple, real ways that you can save money! Doing it with people you trust will make the experience worthwhile and it will force you to pay or save! This way you don’t need to stress about yearend gifts or the first trip to the supermarket in 2010!