March 03, 2011
Saving Money Series: How to Cut Back on Grocery Bills
With six people to feed, shopping for the whole clan can easily get out of hand, and with food prices constantly on the rise, it's important that we manage our budget and try to keep things under control so that we're not eating away our money every week.
Over the years, we've found that there are a few things that help us stay on track and not get lost when we're walking through the aisles at the store or browsing fresh produce at the farmers' market. Here are our tips and tricks.
- Browse the Weekly Ads Before You Leave Most major retailers and even smaller ones will post their weekly circular online, making it easy to browse beforehand. Checking it out before you head to the store can help you decide what you'll be purchasing and from where. When you already know the prices or deals throughout the whole store, it makes it much less of a draw to pick up the more expensive items on a whim.
- Combine Printable Coupons, Clipped Coupons and Specials for the Week Search online for printable coupons and deals. There are several websites dedicated to bringing you the very best deals. Search around and find a few you trust and find easy to navigate. Some of my favorites are Deal Seeking Mom, Kingdom First Mom and Saving Naturally.
- Make a Menu Plan Knowing what you have in your cupboards and fridge combined with advertised specials can help you plan meals without needing to purchase every item in the recipe. For example, if you have leftover pork loin and mushrooms in your fridge, try finding a recipe that could combine them into a casserole or a simple stir fry. By using what you already have in the pantry, keeping the pantry stocked and being smart about the specials, you will save money and waste less. You won't be as tempted by those unnecessary items when shopping either.
- Avoid Impulse Buying By checking out the weekly ads, planning a menu and knowing exactly what you're looking for when you're in the store, you'll cut down on those random purchases. You are also less likely to cave and fill your cart with snacks and treats when your stomach isn't growling. Do your grocery shopping right after lunch or dinner to keep the impulse purchases at bay.
- Buy in Bulk It's far more economical to purchase in bulk even though single-serving packages can seem convenient. However, you'll be paying more and wasting more. Invest in a few good containers and fill them up out of a large container instead.
- Talk to the supermarket employees Get an idea of when your supermarket marks down its meat or has set delivery days. These are great times to shop and grab the deals on price cut meats. Plan to shop then and fill your freezer.
- Shop at multiple stores Know where the best deals are for each store. If one store always has lower prices in the produce section and another in the dairy, try slitting your list and hitting up both for big grocery shopping runs. For competing businesses, sometimes they will take each others' coupons. Check with your store to see if they match advertised specials and coupons and save even more.
Those are our ways to save money at the store. I've heard some people plan and prepare meals a month in advance or only shop every other week to make sure they are wasting less, as well. What are your tricks and strategies for heading to the supermarket? Does your region have any great ways to save money, and how do you make sure you're using what you buy every week?
