In the last issue, I wrote about shopping thrift stores for fun and profit. If thrift stores are the Walmart of smart shopping, consignment stores are the Nordstroms and beyond. They often carry a surprising amount of higher-end merchandise. Designer handbags and wallets, well-made shoes, and name-brand clothing show up regularly. These are items people no longer need or want but are still in good condition. It’s common to see labels like Eileen Fisher, Vince, Ferragamo, Gucci, Free People, Burberry, and Cole Haan mixed in with other quality pieces.

The system itself is straightforward. Sellers bring in items that are still new or in excellent condition, and the store decides what to accept. Not everything is taken. Items the store accepts are inspected, steamed if needed, tagged, and placed neatly on the racks. When an item sells, the original owner receives a percentage of the sale, and the shop keeps the rest. The arrangement is clear from the start, and the terms are usually printed on the intake slip.

Most consignment shops focus on either women’s or children’s clothing. Women’s consignment stores often resemble small boutiques, with clean racks, coordinated displays, and a quiet pace. Items are not crowded together, so it’s easy to see what’s on the racks and in the display cases.

When the topic of shopping comes up in conversation and I tout my latest thrift store finds, my listeners sometimes grimace and say something like, “Oh, I would never go there.” This attitude may have been more common in the past, when buying new was a mark of our rise from impoverished immigrant origins. Today, however, thrift shopping is positively in vogue. In addition to those taking advantage of this rich source of quality goods at low, low prices, I often see well-heeled women in the thrift store, browsing for one-of-kind vintage pieces for their homes and wardrobes. There are also those who are concerned about the environment and want to recycle clothing to keep it out of the landfills – not to mention that thrift shopping is fun, an adventure in discovering the new (to us) and unexpected!

Meat has become one of the highest food costs on the grocery bill. Prices for chicken, beef, and deli have gone up in every store. Before filling your shopping cart with cutlets, roasts, and ready-to-eat sliced sandwich meat, it’s worth asking: Is all this meat really needed, or has it just become the go-to for most meals?

In many homes, meat is served at lunch and supper because that’s what people are used to cooking. Cutting back doesn’t mean meals become smaller or less filling. A few simple changes can lower the grocery bill without anyone noticing much of a difference.

Sweeping, mopping, dishes, bathrooms, trash – and nonstop laundry. Cleaning is an essential but never-ending chore. As soon as all the tasks are done, the cycle begins again. Couples often begin married life doing the cleaning by themselves – and many continue to do so – but under the pressures of jobs and children, there comes a time when cleaning help seems necessary.

But before hiring help or adding more cleaning help hours, it’s worth asking: Is your help really cleaning, or is she spending most of the time tidying piles, picking up toys, and moving clutter from room to room?

If the answer to the latter is yes, you may be paying for organizing, not actual cleaning. The reason a home looks “always messy” often has less to do with dirt and more to do with too much stuff. Once clutter is out of the way and the home has a bit of structure, cleaning takes less time. And the cost of help can go down as well.

You run into the store for a gallon of milk and somehow end up with a cart full of groceries. That’s no accident. Stores are designed to make you spend more. From the smell of fresh bread to the way milk is tucked in the back, you are forced to walk past everything else first, picking up “goodies” along the way. But when you understand how the store is designed, you can shop with confidence and keep your grocery bill under control.

Smart grocery shopping does not mean cutting out the foods your family enjoys. It means learning how the store works and making choices that benefit you instead of the marketing team. With simple strategies, you can bring home what you need, skip the extras, and save money.

Two Ways to Start

·         Shop the Outer Loop: The essentials – produce, dairy, bread, and meat – are almost always placed around the edges of the store. Filling most of your cart from these areas keeps you focused on fresh, real foods. It also limits the number of times you pass shelves of packaged snacks that tempt you to overspend.

·         Start with Sales: Instead of planning meals and paying full price for everything, look at what is discounted that week and build from there. If chicken thighs are half off, plan two dinners with them. If apples are on special, add them to snacks and desserts. Letting sales guide your menu automatically lowers your grocery bill.

As we progress through life, we accumulate many documents – forms, credit card statements, records, reports, legal agreements, authorizations, and more. What do you do with all the papers you receive? Knowing what to do with these papers is essential for maintaining an organized and secure financial life. Some documents should be stored forever in a safe place, with a copy in a different location. Some documents should be kept for a short time, others can be thrown away, and others should be shredded. Here are some practical guidelines tailored for individuals over 50 – but applicable at any age – to help you manage your records effectively.