Do you struggle with keeping your food budget under control? Between eating out and convenience foods, packaged snacks and late-night cravings, feeding a family can add up in a hurry. Here are ten ways to cut your grocery bill while still eating well.

1. Plan a menu.

Start by planning a menu. Not only will you spend less eating out, but you’ll be able to use what’s in your fridge, cupboards and pantry and build on it, making your shopping list smaller and cheaper.

2. Bulk buying.

Single-serve school snacks may seem convenient and easy, but a large box of crackers that you portion out over time in reusable containers is more economical, not to mention more environmentally friendly.

3. Browse the ads online.

Check your local stores weekly deals online before heading out. Use your knowledge of what’s on sale to help you plan your menu. Knowing what’s on sale will keep you from impulse buying because you already have your list mapped out for the store.

4.Combine Coupons and Specials

Check online coupon databases to see what coupons are available and combine them with the online ads to get the best deals on the items you need for your menu.

5. Avoid the urge to splurge.

With a menu, the circular and the coupons all planned out, you’ll already be avoiding the wary nary desire to throw this and that into the cart, but also make sure you’re going to the grocery store on a full belly. Standing in an aisle full of food with a growling stomach is sure to tempt you to grab a bag of cookies or a box of donuts at the store. Try shopping after a meal or eat a snack before you go to stave off any hunger-fueled purchases.

6. Don’t limit yourself to one store.

My family shops at three different stores for different products and for different reasons. If I were to shop at any one of the three, I wouldn’t be able to buy the amount of food as I do. It’s common for stores to give price breaks in one area and jack up prices in another to make profit. Knowing which stores have the lowest prices on your everyday items can save you money because you’ll know X, Y and Z are cheaper at Store A and avoid spending extra cash on them while you’re shopping at Store B.

7. Talk to employees.

By chatting with the guy behind the meat counter, you could find out which days meat is marked down. The produce employee may offer up what days they put their overripe bananas on a price-cut, making it a great time to stock up for smoothies. Take a minute to get to know the people in your store, even if it’s a large chain, to see what information they’re willing to share with you.

8. Shop every other week.

Rather than stocking up every week, trying extending your shopping to include the next week. This makes buying in bulk easier, and it also helps you not to waste what you have in your house that needs to be eaten sooner than the brand spanking new package of granola bars or yogurt-covered pretzels that you just bought.

9. Shop seasonally.

Eating food that is in season is always cheaper because it doesn’t have to travel halfway around the globe to get to you. Look for seasonal produce at your grocer or at the farmer’s market to purchase in season when prices are at the lowest.

10. Price match.

Find out your store’s policies on competitor pricing. If your store is willing to honor competitor printed ads, you could save quite a bundle by avoiding traveling to both stores and instead just shopping at one and getting the deals from multiple stores.

Tweet

0

Pin It

Go Back To Family Kitchen

0 Comments

Add your take:

Note: Babble is a supportive, diverse community. We encourage a range of opinions,
but any unduly hostile comments will be removed.