Working with groups can save you money…..

If you are trying to purchase items and save money, group ordering is the way to go. Today we had a group order for frozen berries come in and we saved a bundle over grocery store prices. We got raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, pineapple, apple slices, blue berries, cherries, etc. They came individually quick frozen or you could purchase it straight pack or in a puree for making jams and jellies. We get these berries from Oregon and Washington State and they are the same berries that are used by the big name companies. I usually buy the IQF black berries and put them up in 1 quart freezer bags.

Right now our group is working on purchasing Hershey chocolates. They come in 25 lb. boxes and we sell them in 5 lb. increments. We get a pretty good price and more of a variety than you would find at the grocery store. We even get some wonderful dark European Cocoa that is great for baking.

Next on our list is herbs and spices which we do annually in the late fall. We purchase at this time of year so that we can get our holiday spices. Go check out the website at: http://www.sfherb.com/ . When we do this as a group, we save money on the spices and shipping. When we get an order for over $500.00, we get enough discounts to cover the shipping. How much are you paying at the grocery store for a tiny little bottle of Bay leaves? I’ll bet you are paying over $2.00 for a ½ ounce bottle. With SF Herb you can get 4 oz. for $ 1.37. How about ground Cinnamon? With San Francisco Herb you can get a whole pound for $ 2.50. I will order several pounds and use them for Cinnamon Ornaments. For the recipe for these awesome ornaments check out one of my previous posts here. You will find many items that you can’t find at the grocery store. Check it out.

Have you ever been in a grocery co-op? Here is how it works. Twelve people become members. They contribute $10.00 every two weeks to the co-op. Each member in the co-op takes a turn going down to the local farmers market. They buy lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, or whatever is on the weekly list. The shopper comes home and sorts out the produce and each member comes and picks it up at a certain time. You would be surprised at how much you can get for $10.00.

Do you want to save money on baby sitting? How about a baby sitting co-op? When my children were young I joined a neighborhood baby sitting co-op. When you joined, you paid a small fee and were given 20 tickets for 30 minutes of baby sitting. You were given a list of the members and you could choose who you would like to baby sit for your children. When I needed to go somewhere that I could not take my kids, I would call one of the members and arrange some baby sitting. If I was gone two hours, I would pay with four coupons. If someone needed my services, she would pay with her coupons. The small fee we paid when we joined was used for parties for the children throughout the year. We would have a Halloween party and a Christmas party and all the children and mothers would come and have fun and socialize. This can be a life saver for a young mother. If you would like to start a baby sitting co-op, get together with other mothers and come up with your own rules and have fun.

Ways that you can start a group co-op would be: 1) work with people in your neighborhood, 2) work with friends at church, 3) work with mothers in your child’s class at school. 4) If you work, get together with your fellow employees and start a group. Working in a group can be fun, you are meeting and getting to know new people and you are making new friends.

If you have any questions about starting a group, let me know and I will give you some pointers. Have a good day!