Shop with a friend and save big!

Recession Mama: I love Costco. I LOVE Costco. A forty-eight pack of Kirkland toilet paper doesn't scare me a bit. I know that we will use it, and probably sooner than I think. It wasn't always this way. It used to be just me and my husband, and he would get visibly pale at the sight of a fifty-pound sack of couscous. The solution was shopping with a friend and splitting groceries.

Obviously, not everything lends itself to being split up in a supermarket parking lot, but multipacks of TP and toothpaste fit the bill. So do cases of wine. Buying by the case sometimes has an extra discount. Whole Foods markets offer an extra 10% off if you buy something by the case -- you just have to ask for it at the register. A lot of supermarkets have deals on two gallons of milk, which is too much for most people.

I recently spotted a buy-one-get-one-free offer on eighteen eggs. Thirty-six eggs would definitely be more than the average-sized family could handle! A lot of bulk items can be found at Target and local markets -- a Costco or Sam's Club membership isn't necessary.

Also, Smart & Final has warehouse-sized items without any membership fees to shop. So don't be afraid to buy big!

A former state deputy attorney general and current stay-at-home mom, Recession Mama Michele Ashamalla has three kids and ten years of experience stretching one salary to cover the necessities and more. She's all about saving money whenever you can, so you have it to spend on whatever you want!