I’m not in much of a shopping mood today. I find myself unmoved even by deals on shoes, which is a sure sign that I need professional help. And probably more caffeine.
Regardless, today I’m thinking about my grocery bill. Just to be perfectly clear: I am not one of those ninja couponers. I don’t have the time, and I don’t buy many of the things you can usually buy with coupons (most of those items are usually things which—if we do use them—I can buy in bulk, at a significant savings, on Amazon). I think I do okay, though, by shopping the sales, buying in-season, and planning meals. But I would like to do better.
Time for a bit of grocery group therapy! I’ll start!
Best: My biggest budget “success” this past year, I’d say, was the switch to dried beans. I used to think dried beans were somehow scary and difficult to prepare. Because I was a moron. After making them in the crock pot (so easy!) I can freeze and pull out as needed. I haven’t bought a can of beans since I started doing that, which means I’m saving money and space. (Yes, we eat a lot of beans.)
Worst: I feel like I spend half our grocery money on milk/cheese/yogurt. Even on sale (and/or with coupons), the organic stuff is expensive. I’m drawing ever-closer to attempting to make my own yogurt. But until I figure out how to either make my own Muenster cheese or make my children stop inhaling it, I may be in trouble.
Your turn.
With 6 kids, I feel your pain! In this economy (and the predictions of what’s to come) I just wanna pick up and start my own farm! We already have a few chickens (great for the garden and the eggs are second to none!), but a few cows would solve alot of these problems, huh? And I agree super-couponing is not an option in this house either. Perhaps there are other places to skimp so that there’s enough for all the dairy & meat? But I feel like I already skimp on all the “other” stuff. If anybody solves this problem…let me know!
I have started to do beans in the crock pot also. They are wonderful! I have done black, red, pinto, and garbanzo beans that way and they all turn out well. Garbanzo beans are especially good when prepared this way. I make a red beans and rice recipe a couple times a year that calls for 9 (yes, 9!) cans of beans. I can cook 3 lbs of dry beans, make this recipe, still have left overs for salads and what not, and I’m saving some big bucks.
I have heard there are ways to make your own yogurt (and I have eaten it before when I went to the Middle East last year), but I have not tried to make it b/c the cost of milk has gone up so much it doesn’t seem worth while.
Not so much a grocery money saver, but it does save on time and utility bills. I like brown rice but the hour required to cook it limits how often I can use it. But cooked brown rice can be frozen, with little loss of taste or nutrients. So now I’ll cook two pounds at once, and freeze it into meal sized portions. Almost instant rice.
My biggest money saver is to stay away from processed and prepared foods. I have a freezer full of homecooked meals that can be pulled out when there isn’t time to cook. No expensive fast food needed.
Making your own yoghurt is actually really easy- let me know if you want to find out how and I will be happy to tell you how- and no you don’t need to buy any special equipment for it.
making yogurt is one of those things that sounds really scary but actually isn’t. at all. it does taste different tho, so be prepared for overdramatic kids. it takes a little getting used to, but if, like me, that’s what you grew up on, that’s what’s going to be your first love.
anyway. if you need yogurt hints, i can help. hint #1 of many – find someone you know who already makes their own yogurt and get the first bit of yogurt for culture from them. the culture gets better and better with time. if you break the link and have to start over for some reason, the yogurt is going to be a little weird for a while. do what you can to avoid having to use store bought yogurt for your own first batch, it’ll come out runny and bleh.
and i think you should do it! in GA, the weather will be perfect and warm enough, it’ll make it come out right with no extra effort. here in dc? i have to mess around with the preheat setting on the oven to try to keep it warm enough in the winter, and sometimes it gets too warm and i end up BAKING the yogurt as it’s making. ew. you tho? can just keep it on the counter. i’m jealous.
If you are making yogurt with organic milk, you probably won’t save money over buying the bulk containers at the grocery store, especially when factoring in your time. It isn’t hard to do or anything, but the heating process does require you to stand over the stove and pay attention so that it doesn’t get too hot. And then you have to watch it cool so that you can put it in the machine at just the right temp.
When you find a deal on cheese, stock up! It freezes wonderfully.
If we buy something we really like or dislike or the product was just not quality we think it should be, we visit the company’s website or call the 800# listed. We have discovered that most every company will send you coupons for free items or coupons for a good amount of savings on the item. This is very new to me but they companies seem to love getting comments on their products, good or bad.
For example, we recently tried Old El Paso cheesy mexican rice and went on the website and left them a glowing comment because the whole family really liked it. They sent two coupons for any item free.
@suz – wouldn’t making yogurt make it cheaper? especially if you make it with organic milk…. the organic quarts of yogurt are practically the same price as a gallon of organic milk. and at least now, you know exactly what’s gone into the stuff. no yogurt should ever be as firm and thick as the stuff in the containers. god knows what they do to it to get it that way.
It’s hard to come up with my best. I’ve had a long slacker period while we’ve been adjusting to our cross-country move and I’m just starting to get back into meal planning and freezing leftovers and other frugal stuff. I need to start a new price book too. My worst is that I have yet to develop a food budget for this new town where each item seems to cost at least 50 cents more.
Homemade yogurt seems to be most economical if you are already buying the organic stuff. A quart of organic yogurt runs about $4 in my former hometown. A half gallon of local whole milk also runs about $4. You can get a cup of live culture yogurt for under a buck and that can make many batches (you can freeze it). So I could make a quart of homemade for about $2.25 or less. For me it also helps to think about avoiding the non-recyclable plastic the yogurt comes in.
Finding the best prices on dairy substitutes (my daughter is allergic) can be really challenging in a small town.
You can buy dry yogurt starter from your local coop market or health food store. It costs a bit more but may yield better results. All my attempts with store bought have been runny but it doesn’t matter so much for smoothies. I have a box of dry starter but haven’t had a chance to use it yet.
And crock pot yogurt can be a little less hands on. There’s one method here (http://tinyurl.com/5jxo3q) at A Year of Crockpotting and the comments on that post have at least one other method.
I just discovered ground turkey. I know I’m behind the times, but I was surprised to discover that 1 lb of 93/7 ground turkey is more than $2 cheaper than the 1 lb of 96/4 ground beef I’ve been buying!
Best: A few weeks ago I took the time to take EVERY pantry item out of its cupboard and sort them on the kitchen table. Yes it was time consuming but it got me more organized and much more aware of what we actually have on hand. My husband and I are making a concerted effort to cut down on what we have on hand rather than using store sales to “stock up” when we really don’t need to. My grocery bill has definitely reflected this change and it has been a nice switch.
Worst: I feel like I spend most of my food budget on dairy items, and I am not a stickler for organic items. Its just hard to find good deals and then to be able to use them up in a timely manner. We’re getting better at it but it definitely takes time.
I’ve yet to find a grocery deal on Amazon for the packaged items we use (like cereal, for instance) that beats the price I can get by shopping sales and using coupons. Instead I’m using Amazon Grocery only for those items I can’t find locally, like those fantastic Kitchens of India curry pastes.
What I’m most proud of, when I consider my last 6 months or so of grocery shopping, is that I’ve really loosened the purse strings in the produce department. I’m buying a lot more fresh vegetables and fruit, and I’m using them. I used to limit my fresh produce purchases to those vegetables that are always relatively cheap, like carrots or cabbage, but my new attitude is that if we like it and we’ll eat it and it’s healthy (and the price isn’t astronomical) I’ll buy it. This is a much easier attitude to cultivate in Florida, where the produce is generally much fresher and less expensive than it is in our old home of DC.
Oddly, this has not resulted in an increase in our grocery bills. I think I must have cut back a bit on spending on other items, like cookies, canned soup and frozen foods… or maybe it is because wine is so inexpensive here. The reduced booze budget may have given me more wiggle room to buy asparagus and mangoes.
I’m with Lori S. I contact companies all the time, usually via email, and have received numerous coupons for free/discounted items. It pays to tactfully complain about items as well. Most businesses are usually willing to make things right.
I got loads of coupons from Horizon and Organic Valley recently. I think you do need to register on their site but I never get obnoxious emails — just the coupons. Oh, and if you come to my side of town you can load up on milk/cheese/yogurt at the DFM in Decatur!
I’m finally figuring out the couponing thing, too. I just let everyone else blog about what coupons to use with which sales. And I’m not clipping anymore — just filing away the inserts by date so I can grab exactly what I need after reading my fave coupon blogs. (Southern Savers is good for us dixie-area girls, and I like Deal-Seeking Mom as well.)
And Lord knows I love eating meat, but we’ve cut back on the red stuff a lot — share one steak for the 2 (or even 3) of us, and load up on simply-prepared veggie sides.
I’m only going to list my best because I’m feeling kind of self apprecited today and I’m going with it:
Consistently going with (or at least TRYING OUT) store brands. When we re realized the little packets of oatmeal (wasteful yes, baby steps) coming out of the Quaker box looked exactly like the little packets coming out of the store brand box, we knew we were onto something. Medicines are regulated so you are getting the exact same aceteminophen from the Target brand as you are from the Tylenol brand.
My biggest money-saver this year has been nothing out of a box. If I can make it, why buy it? Time is a large factor, so I’ve had to suck it up and spend Sunday afternoons prepping for the busy week ahead, and it’s paid off large!
I have switched from canned beans to dried and that has helped, and we have chicks coming in May. I also can my own tomatoes, green beans, applesauce, and salsa. I just ran out of salsa and was SO annoyed to have to buy it!
Em, I am totally with you- store brand is the way to go.
Some other stuff that helps- I buy milk at a warehouse store and freeze it (we go through 4 gallons a week with my three kids and husband!) and defrost as needed. It’s the cheapest price around and I have to run out for it less. Same goes for shredded cheese. I seperate a big warehouse sized bag into smaller portions and freeze those too.
I have found that my local Dollar Tree carries Nature’s Own bread- for a DOLLAR! I buy 5 loaves at a time and (you guessed it) freeze those for the week.
if you’re not into sing coupons, I highly recommend Aldi grocery stores if you have one in your area. They are bar none the least expensive place to shop, and the Aldi brand foods are delicious. They are a German company, so you can also find awesome cheeses and chocolate there (extra bonus!)
Claire More Thrifty Ideas
you could sing coupons too, but I meant “using”!
Hit a nerve with this one, Mir!
I JUST put on a pot of black beans – a crock pot! Great minds think alike, eh?
I threw-in onion and carrot, but one can of classic Rotel and nothing more is needed flavoring-wise. Very easy, too.
Just be sure to pre-cook for a few minutes and throw-off the water. To, uhm, decrease the negative digestive effects. You’re welcome!
I hear you on the organic dairy thing. One thing that I thought would end up being more expensive but turned out to be a money saver for me was signing up for a CSA. Not only do I get a box of yummy, locally grown organic veggies and fruits delivered to my door every week, but I end up using every bit — nothing goes to waste. And I have ended up saving money on organic veggies.
My toughest expense: organic, sustainably-raised meat. It’s so stupidly expensive that we end up eating vegetarian most of the time. If we had more freezer space I’d try getting some in bulk from a local farm, but alas, apartment living does not lend itself well to that solution.
Best: Smaller meat portions, overall. Consider meat the side instead of the main dish. We eat red meat only a few times a month. I just read it shortens lifespan anyway.
Like Sarah, I started buying a lot more veggies. I roast onions, garlic, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, fennel and potatoes all at once and then freeze for later use in pastas, soups, stews and pizza. Roasted veggies add incredible flavor.
Worst: I started buying only natural cleaners from manufacturers like Method. We moved into a house with a septic system, and the installer said the bacteria in the system would remain healthier without bleaches and detergents introduced daily. The natural products seem to work as well, but are sometimes twice as expensive. I’m comparing prices at Costco, Target and Amazon, and trying to find the best deals on cases.
Oh, and my brother, who is an industrial hygienist, told me to only give my child organic dairy products. Dairy is fat, and fat is where all the toxins ‘stick.’
I am a super couponer. I get 4 sunday papers for the coupons. Before I cut them out (if it is something I don’t normally buy) I say to myself – if I could get this item for 25 cents or for free, would I try it? If the answer is yes, I’ll cut it out. I don’t use the coupon unless I DO get it for 25 cents or free.
By combining coupons with store sales I often get $200 worth of groceries for less than $75 and I use it to make healthy meals.
I don’t have to buy shampoo, toothpaste or soap again for the rest of this year and I got nice brands too.
I haven’t been sold yet on the Amazon groceries, but I keep checking whenever you recommend something.
MomCat,
I have also decided to make the switch to just plain old vinegar and baking soda for cleaning and disinfecting. This is so much cheaper that I feel bad if I don’t at least give it a whirl. Real Simple Magazine has a whole article devoted to simple cleaning solutions, or you can read about it here
I know this might not be an option for everyone, but this year, I went with hunting with my dad and I now have a freezer FULL of venison and wild hog. Yes, it takes time to hunt, it takes time to process the meat, and it might be a bit “messy” for some people, but it is so worth it. My grocery bill used to be about $100/week (we do the outer shopping circuit – trying to shop mostly in the veges/fruit/dairy/meat departments and shying away from the processed foods on the aisles). Now that I have to only occasionally buy seafood to supplement the venison and pork, my bill is about $75/week. That is saving us over $1200 per year, including the cost of a hunting license. I hunt on my dad’s property (no lease fees) and I borrowed his rifle. Plus, I got to spend some one-on-one time with my dad, which I rarely get to do these days.
I’ve gone back to couponing…particularly at CVS when I need stuff (I know people who go nuts at CVS even when they don’t need the stuff; not me). I’m taking a page from my friend who will only buy something if it is on sale. (this excludes necessities like milk, fruit, etc). I am making my own bread once or twice a month, hoping to push that up to once a week soon. I am also making my own pasta sauce again, instead of relying on the jar. Saves big money.
And I’m trying to “stack” coupons (if the offer is 2/$3, I would ideally like to have 2 coupons…save more!).
I just recently created a coupon binder. No box or wallet to carry around. I have a binder, with page protectors, pockets sewn in (4 pockets per page)…I have 12 pages right now, each pocket holds coupons in the manner I like to sort them.
I’ve been proud of us for shopping mostly the perimeter of the grocery store for the last year or so. We venture into the middle for a few things: the baking aisle (for flour, sugar, oil, spices–not mixes), the canned beans and tomatoes aisle (I’ll have to get on the dried beans bandwagon soon!), the pasta aisle. Otherwise, we really don’t get anything else in there.
I agree with those who have said they’re buying veggies and fruits without much concern for cost–this has been a big thing for me, too. If we will eat it and it’s healthy, I buy it whether or not it’s on sale. I’ve found that because we’re not shopping the prepared foods in the middle of the store, our grocery bill has actually gone DOWN despite the extra produce! We’re healthier and our bill is lower–DOUBLE bonus!
There are still some things I want to get better about making at home–dried beans is one, as is sandwich bread. I also need to get better about using leftovers and not succumbing to “So tired, can’t cook”–that happens once or twice a week.
Fun post and comments!
Best: I actually have two.
1. I get my dairy stuff from our local creamery. Didn’t realize this was even an option until we moved here. I buy 4 gallons of milk at a time (Family of 6) They also have yogurt, cheese and butter. These are the same dairy products that go to the grocery store, I am just able to avoid the middleman mark up. (Might be worth the time to check you yellow pages for “creamery” or “dairy”
2. Amazon Grocery deals. This isn’t a reliable everyday sort of buying. I have them on my list of daily sites to check. I quickly scan through their sales and only search if the deal is on things I buy. It has saved me lots of $$$ in kids snacks (again, I have 4 kids, so we burn through snacks rather quickly)
Worst: Right now it is the produce prices that are killing us. I just can’t spend $2/lb for apples. Our stores seem to put the produce on sale when it is bruised or soon to expire. A month ago regular green seedless grapes were 7.99/lb – there is just no way we can afford that.
Best: I don’t shop with my children in tow. Silly, I know, but it’s taken me this long to realize that simply by being present, they increase my grocery bill by at least 25% — and this is with a great deal of “no”s and restraint on my part. Also, I’ve concluded that our kids don’t “need” packaged snacks. They are just as likely to eat carrot & celery sticks, nuts & dried fruits, or a piece of fresh fruit as they are to eat individually wrapped kid stuff like fruit bars, fruit leather, or granola bars. All ridiculously overpriced when you consider their nutritional value.
Worst: I can’t break the canned bean habit. And I tend to fall for things like…fresh mozzarella, olives & other marinated stuff from the barrels ($6.49 a lb!!!) and artisinal cheese. I just love these things…they’re splurges that make life worth living. They kill me at the register, though.
I am in the Atlanta area and I shop once a week at the Super H Mart only for fruits and vegetables. They are SO much cheaper than the grocery store (and in the summer I will have my own grown tomatos, peppers, green beans and herbs). for example, today the green onions were 7 for $1.00, a 5 lb. bag of potatoes was $1.99, small Figi apples perfectly kid-sized are $ .79/lb.
Oh, Michele, how I MISS Super H Mart in Virginia!!! We used to save SO much money on produce there, and we got to try out some cool new fruits/veggies.
I gave my best friend the book, French Women Don’t Get Fat, for Christmas and it inspired her to make her own yogurt, which she LOVES. She found a small maker on clearance at Target.
I can’t do the dried beans route because no one but me will eat them. 🙁
I read all the ads on Sunday and sometimes I can do really well at Walgreens using their coupons coupled with manufacturer’s coupons on items such as toilet paper, shampoo, and Blue Diamond almonds! I can often get milk and eggs cheaper there too.
I buy chicken breasts when they are on sale and then freeze 2-3 of them in a ziploc together. I can pull those out for defrosting and a meal for 3 (sometimes with leftovers). I really love leftovers and utilize them for my lunches. I find that having a freezer in our basement has helped me stock up on things and save money.
For the yogurt … if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, their organic yogurt is yummy and costs the same as the regular stuff at the grocery store ($2.75 a quart here in WI).
Worst: I buy bagged salad. I try to get it on clearance, but if I don’t buy it bagged, it just goes bad. If I prepare it all right away, it just goes bad.
Best: buying in bulk at Costco, pre-marinating or preparing and freezing: we don’t go out for teriyaki nearly as often, to the kids’ dismay.
Other best: baking my own bread, not for sliced sandwich bread, but the artisan loaves we all like. I’ve been able to find a good balance of white/whole wheat white flours that keeps everyone happy, and it’s fun.
Worst? Pizza out. We have a great pizza place, and we all love it. I can make a good pizza dough and sauce, but somehow… eating pizza out is such a treat!
Other worst: More picking and choosing on organic stuff. I make sure the dairy (mostly fat free) is all from rBST free milk, but I buy less organic than I did when the kids were littler and not inhaling fruit like hungry hippos Halloween pumpkins.
okay. this is what we need to do. In order to save money on yogurt, you need to fly me out so I can show you how to make it yourself in your crockpot.
yes.
this makes a lot of sense.
go tell Otto.
Best: Meal planning. I still spend a TON at the grocery, but I spend less if I go once a week than if I go three times. Plus there is rarely the “What’s for dinner?” blues.
Worst: Cookies from the bakery ($4.19 for 18! Highway robbery! And yet, still we buy them. Every week.) and frozen biscuit dough. I love that they go from freezer to oven to perfect in 30 minutes in the toaster oven.
MomCat- if you like Method products, you can sign up to be a Method “advocate” on their website. They send me coupons and free products all the time. I pink puffy heart them. Method is the best.
Junie Moon posted a down-loadable booklet of natural cleaning recipes you can make yourself:
http://junie-moon.blogspot.com/2008/04/natural-cleaning-recipes-booklet.html
1. soup stock (cheaper & lower in salt than commercial)
2. garden: grow your own!
3. freeze the yield from the garden, cook it fresh in winter
The best thing I did this year was to buy a pressure canner. I began canning my own homemade soup. I also can beans. I plan to can lots more in the summer when fresh vegetables are available at the market. We not only save a ton of money but we know exactly what’s in the things I can.
Making yogurt is too easy for words. Scald the milk (but don’t let it boil) cool it to 110 degrees, stir in a tablespoon of plain yogurt, put it in a warm place and let it cook for 8-24 hours. Shorter time means less tart, longer time means fewer carbs. Easy – the bacteria do all the work.
And don’t pass up Aldi for cheese – their provolone is quite good, although the brick and shredded ones haven’t been so tasty.
Best – becoming aware of the price differences between the military commissary, local grocery chains, and Costco/Sam’s. With the 5% surcharge at the commissary, a number of items are significantly higher in price than at H-E-B here in San Antonio. I discovered the 2-lb cheese block for $4-5 (depending on variety) at Costco several months ago and decided that I could go to the effort of shredding it myself as needed. My go-to bulk items at Sam’/Costco include spices (I gave up packaged taco mix, etc.), yeast (works fine for the bread machine), sugar, cocoa powder (not drink mix), 6-head packages of Romaine, grape tomatoes, and of course milk and eggs.
Oh, and the warehouse stores are the best source for non-prescription meds, in my opinion. Generic Claritin cost 3x as much at Wal-Mart as at Costco – I couldn’t believe it! I just bought a 750-tablet bottle of ibuprofen (200 mg) at Costco for $6.45.
As far as produce goes – I watch the sales and again, know my prices. Apples are much cheaper at the military commissary, but their bananas SUCK.
Worst – can you guess? I spend too much time at grocery stores! I’m trying to pare down the number of times I stop in each week.
Best: I have gotten very disciplined at meal planning, making a shopping list, and using up leftovers. We belong to a CSA and I am pretty good about keeping away from pricey, crappy processed foods.
Worst: we usually blow $20 per weekend day on fancy coffees and pastries from the local cafe. I have tried making my own stuff but it isn’t the same AT ALL. I comfort myself that the cafe sells all organic, fair trade and shade grown coffee and the pastries are artisan-style from a local bakery. Still. Money out the window! I am trying to alternate weekends that we go out with weekends that we eat in … but damn, do I miss that frou-frou coffee and gigantic cinnamon roll…
Two words: vegetable garden.
Okay, maybe a few more words, lol! This year I’m planting green beans, tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, eggplant, cabbage, carrots, watermelon, spinach, broccoli raab, lettuce, Swiss chard, and various herbs. We really do save money during the growing season by growing our own.
I know this post is old news now and that you’ve already gotten plenty of advice on yogurt, but here’s mine (which is *obviously* the best yogurt advice out there, right?).
I haven’t bought yogurt in ages. I buy raw milk from a local farm by the gallon, skim off the quart of cream, make a quart of yogurt, and half a gallon left, which is perfect for us. Sometimes we can’t get to the farm and buy grocery store milk (sometimes organic, sometimes not–all Maine milk is hormone free and from smallish farms compared to much of the country). I’ve gone back and forth between making yogurt with raw, organic, and conventional milk and it’s been fine. You don’t even need a yogurt maker or anything. I measure out a quart of milk in the mason jar the yogurt will go into. Heat it up to 180, cool to 110, mix in 1/2 cup plain yogurt, and put back in mason jar. Now here’s the easiest, best part: Put the jar in a cooler stuffed with blankets and forget about it for 12 hours or so. Then take it out, pour off the whey if you want, and stick the jar in the fridge.
About starter yogurt: I’ve experimented with a few and what it boils down to is you can use any yogurt that is made from only milk and bacteria. Some Greek yogurts work well (like Fage) and others that you would find in a co-op or natural foods store. But if all goes well, you will only have to buy that once! You save the last 1/2 cup from what you made to make the next batch.
And, I’ll keep rambling, because I have time on my hands and a lot to say on the subject–I recently discovered how easy it is to make cheese from the yogurt then! Just take a glob of it, put it in a cheesecloth-lined strainer in a big bowl in the fridge overnight, and viola! It’s just like cream cheese, and then you have whey that dripped out that you can cook with. Making this stuff at home is definitely cheaper than buying it. And it doesn’t have any crap fillers in it or anything!
There are awesome suggestions in these comments–I love it!
I came across this googling healthy foods for kids. But I have some tips for saving money on groceries. Of course make sure you are full when you go to the store because when your hungry you tend to splurge at the time. Plan your meals for the month or at least half the month on a peice of paper. Write out a couple lists one labeled neccesities these are the items that every-trip buys (for most people this includes milk,cheese,eggs, butter,suger etc..) then write another with the items you plan to use for meals. With the second list in hand and your meal plan sit down and see if anything on the meal plan can be changed to accomodate sales or what is already at home. Do you really need that T-Bone steak or can you just eat pork chops instead? if you have extra money buy extras of anything on sale that can be carried over to the next month. if something costs $5 and is on sale for $4 that is not really a good bargain. Now if it is $3 or $2 dollars buy it. alot of people think that the word sale means they are getting a good deal. If like me and you have 2 stores easily accesible one store carries better deals on boxed items and the other meats go to both places. Now if you do this dont travel to another store unless the bargains are worth the trip. Figure out how much money you will be saving by going to the store and if it doesnt equal your gas cost it isnt worth it.I probably wont reply to any comments on this but just a few suggestions.