Little Bits of Savings in a Lot of Ways

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There are many ways to save money, just as there are many ways to save time.  How about saving space in your refrigerator or pantry; saving gas by not making as many trips to the grocery store? What about recycling, and being ‘green’?  And always….. How do we best save our good health?

I like to save money when I can on all my purchases. I try to buy items only when they are on sale stocking up on things I use frequently. Even though I like to stock up on sale items I also like to save space in my home. I also like to save time; I’m a busy person and like to have my time be as productive as possible.

I like to think I’m being green, and I don’t see how you can be green if you purchase things in all that plastic and packaging. Yes I know that the packaging can sometimes be recycled but think of the wasted energy and pollution to create that packaging in the first place, and then all the energy used and pollution created to recycle it.  I would just rather not have it in the first place.  I avoid packaging when I can; of course that’s not always easy and I don’t make a religion out of it. I do try to reduce it though with my purchases.

I want to explain to you how I try to accomplish savings in several of the above areas using apple juice as an example. Most people these days it seems to me, buy apple juice in those large plastic containers.  A lot of individual serving size packages (juice boxes) are also purchased; they work nicely in lunch boxes and for a quick cold drink for the kids. I do not buy apple juice this way. First, it’s in plastic! It takes up a lot of space in the pantry too because it’s big.  I don’t buy individual servings because unless you are a coupon guru you are paying premium prices for that convenience and making a mess of the earth with all that packaging!

Frozen apple juice is concentrated; the packaging is small and mostly biodegradable. The cost of frozen juice is almost half the cost per ounce of what juice in the big plastic jug is. Since the packaging of concentrated frozen apple juice is small, I can buy several on sale stocking up and don’t use up much storage space. Less trips to the store because I have extra in my freezer means gas savings and time savings too. Yes you have to mix the frozen kind up with water but it only takes a minute. If the juice is needed in individual servings then use reusable containers. It only takes a small effort for a big change that adds up after a while. Anything disposable is a money waster in general. Save money, save storage space, save time, and help save the environment.

On one trip to the grocery I checked prices to see how they compared. A top brand apple juice in the plastic gallon size container cost .077 per ounce; or about 62 cents for a small 8 oz juice glass.  The same brand of frozen apple juice cost .041 per ounce; 33 cents for a small 8 oz juice glass.  

But here is how I add it all up. I love to have a glass of cold apple juice and when I do buy juice, I buy frozen for sure. I don’t buy it very often though because we don’t really drink it. Why? I like to save calories too, so instead of drinking calories in juice, I just eat an apple and drink water. At $1.49 per pound, with 3 apples weighing 1.2 pounds, I can buy apples for about 60 cents each. Juice has 120 calories for an 8 oz serving; one apple has about 65 calories. No packaging, all natural, and lots of fiber. Yes the monetary cost is more, but I feel the benefits to my health by eating an apple that has less calories and more fiber is worth it instead of drinking the juice. See how that all works out for little areas of savings in a lot of good ways?

Update: I decided to include applesauce in this post. I purchased a popular brand 48 oz. jar of unsweetened applesauce for $2.79. A 4 oz. serving cost 23 cents with 50 calories, 8 oz. cost 46 cents with 100 calories. The cost is still less per serving than juice, less calories, with the added benefit of the fiber and a more satisfied tummy. It came in a glass jar, easier to recycle, and a more natural product of the earth.


I linked this post at Cornerstone Confessions.