On the phone, in the garden, on the town, in the poor house
Already shoppers can print coupons from the Internet, subscribe to e-mail lists, and participate in online promotion programs.
But as more people buy Web-enabled cell phones, and as technology for browsing the Web on the go improves, coupons via cell phone may be the next big thing.
Department stores such as Sears and fast food chains such as Hardee’s already send coupons via cell phone, and now Kroger has become the first major grocery chain to hop on board.
Its new program, begun in December, lets shoppers virtually clip coupons for products such as General Mills cereal and Palmolive using their cell phones. The virtual coupons are linked to their Kroger Plus loyalty cards, and the discount is automatically deducted when the shopper buys the qualifying item and scans a Kroger card at checkout.
The numbers are in for 2008 and they look good for the seed industry. They look even better for folks who want to grow vegetables from seed and save money in 2009.
By some estimates, garden seed, especially vegetable seed sales, were up by anywhere from 40 percent to well over 100 percent compared with recent years. In fact, some industry watchdog organizations suggest that seed companies in North America and much of Europe experienced their best year ever in 2008. We’re talking record seed sales … AND they project another record for 2009.
So, what is the fuss all about?
Easy, people are looking for a safer food supply, while adapting to a tighter economic outlook. If you have never grown a vegetable garden, or started your own garden plants, there’s still plenty of time to save money in 2009 by growing your vegetables from seed. If you are like me, you will be amazed, and thrilled, by all the different varieties of vegetable species from which to choose. If you are looking for that little early-maturing tomato called Bison from your youth, you can find seed and save money by growing your own in 2009.
If you want to lose those extra pounds and save money this year, put cooking at home at the top of your New Year’s resolutions list.
Some may say, “I don’t know how.” Others may say, “I don’t have time” or find the convenience of grabbing a hot, restaurant-made meal difficult to let go.
But starting small and cooking once or twice a week will be worth the effort for your wallet and waistline.
A recent article on msn.com cites frequently eating meals at restaurants as one of the biggest causes of obesity in the United States. Preparing more meals at home lets us control portion size and the amount of fat and calories we put into dishes, not to mention the absence of a tempting basket of bread sticks or chips and salsa.
Home cooking also helps keep cash in our pockets. Sometimes it is cheaper to run out and grab a quick bite for yourself, but if you have a family, friends or roommates to feed, it is definitely cheaper to stay in and cook, says cookbook author and cooking instructor Diane Phillips.
Seed seller W. Atlee Burpee & Co. conducted a cost analysis to point out how much money consumers save by growing some of their own vegetables in landscape beds, community gardens or large containers.
“A hundred dollars in seeds will produce $2,500 in groceries,” says George Ball, Burpee chairman. “That’s $2,400 a family can save in five months.”
This month the company introduces the Money Garden packet, which contains six seed packets of easy-to-grow vegetable varieties. The special $10 offer, available only online, is capable of producing $650 worth of groceries, says the company.
Family Dollar and Supervalu both reported quarterly results today and they seem to highlight the shift in where people are shopping.
Family Dollar saw an 8 percent increase in sales, driven in part by food. The company also raised its forecast for full-year earnings.
Meanwhile grocery store operator Supervalu had flat sales and cut its earnings forecast for the full year.
As the economy remains mired in a recession, people have been shopping places where they can save money. Wal-Mart has been the big winner, but Family Dollar says they are getting a share of that business, too.
“As more families face financial challenges in this environment, they are relying on Family Dollar for more of their everyday needs,” Chairman and CEO Howard Levine said in a statement.
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