The Kansas City Star, Mo., Cindy Hoedel column: Cindy's House: Cut back, be smart and save a buck

Oct 05, 2008 (The Kansas City Star - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- DLTR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- N o matter who wins the upcoming election, one thing is clear: Just like Congress, most American families are going to have to find ways to control spending.

Conspicuous consumption will surely return one day -- we are so good at it -- but not this year.

The trick to riding out meager times is figuring out how to live well on less. Like an over-restrictive diet, extreme, abrupt frugality can lead to binging later on.

A better strategy is to allow yourself the indulgences that add sparkle to your life, like that $4 cup of coffee that gets the day off to a civilized start or a happy hour cocktail in your favorite watering hole that winds it down in style. But look for savings where you won't notice them.

For example:

--Don't discount the discounters. When times are good, I'm willing to pay a premium for the convenience of buying all my groceries and household supplies at the closest stores to my home. Even when budget tightening is called for, you won't find me spending time poring over newspaper ads or hunting for coupons online. But you will find me dropping into discount stores to see what's in stock.

The key to saving money at places like that is to not have a list, but to quickly scan for things you normally use at low prices. The trick is to not be tempted into buying things you ordinarily don't use. A large bag of rosemary-orange scented potpourri for just $2.99? If you've gotten along this long without it, you don't need it.

For groceries, it's always worth running through Aldi (bring cash; they don't take credit cards or checks) to see what they've got. Sometimes I leave empty-handed, but recently I hit the jackpot with Deutsche Kueche brand imported food from Germany: whole grain bread, white asparagus in a jar and smoked bratwurst, all super-cheap and delicious.

At Dollar General, I've found name-brand potato chips and canned goods cheaper than at the grocery store, but the drugstore items seem to be the same prices as at drugstores.

At Dollar Tree and other everything-costs-a-dollar stores, name-brand toothpaste and generic brand sunscreen are good deals, but generic hand lotion and body lotions were watery, so not a good deal.

--Explore ethnic markets. If you cook with rice, buying it in 15- or 25-pound sacks at Asian markets saves a lot of money; just be sure to store it in an air-tight container in the basement or pantry so as not to attract critters. Or split a bag among friends if you don't want to store that much.

Other staples at rock-bottom prices at Asian markets include soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, tea, mangoes and bags of frozen edamame.

--Buy good meat, but in smaller quantities. Instead of one strip steak per person and salad for dinner, serve each person half a steak but with a large baked potato and two kinds of vegetables. It's just as filling and healthier.

--Order restaurant meals to go. When you're craving your favorite pizza, pad Thai or fish tacos, getting it to go rather than dining in costs significantly less since you're saving the cost of the drinks and a tip on the tab. But you should still leave a couple of bucks for the server who packs the meal up for you -- living within your means is no excuse for being cheap.

Reach Cindy Hoedel at choedel@kcstar .com. find more columns at KansasCity.com.

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