Save Money on Groceries to Survive a Tough Economy
The crunch is on! To survive, you must be able to save money on groceries so you have enough food to eat during the week! Our declining economy has forced many of us to live paycheck to paycheck. Who can save money in this economy?
There are bills to be paid, which keep increasing exponentially, and other unforseen bills that creep into our already decreased income. Get an unexpected bill every month and you can be forced into a crisis.
When I was growing up, my mom sure knew how to save money on the things we bought. We didn’t have a lot of money during those years but I never knew it. We still had plenty to eat! Here are some ideas on how to save money on food. If you want to get more out of your grocery trips, you’d better learn how to save money on groceries. They are only going up in price and there is no telling when or if, they will plateau again. The first tip to save money on groceries is to bend over a lot! The bottom shelf of every grocery store you go to, is a land mine of good savings! Never, never go shopping without stooping down to a lower level! Why are cheaper items on the bottom shelf? Because people overlook it the most! It's the cheapest place to place low cost items. Grocery stores also don't want you to buy these items, so they place them in a location that's not as easy to get to. Where are the higher priced items found? You guessed it! Right at eye level! Save Money on Groceries1) Buy on Sale - If you buy something every week and you find it on sale, buy several of the items on sale. You know they’ll get used! 2) Compare! - Compare name brands to generic brands but beware! Most of the time you’d naturally think that generic brands are the better sale however, because of the money crunch, even name brand manufacturers have to drop their prices. I recently found Hefty trash bags for less than the Sam’s Choice brand! I used to just pick up the generic items 'thinking' they naturally cost less! I got fooled a few times before I started checking prices and comparing! Save money on groceries by doing the math. 3) Make a List! Make a grocery list and stick to it. Figure out what you have at home and only buy what you absolutely must have. Sure it’s nice to splurge on stuff you want, but right now you must learn how to tighten your belt and only buy what you absolutely must have! 4) Hungry? Don’t go shopping! Statistics show, that you won't save money on groceries if you shop when you're famished. If you go to the grocery store hungry, you are more apt to buy more junk food or buy last minute items that weren’t on your list. Go food shopping with something on your stomach and you’ll save money on groceries by sticking to the items you have on your list! 5) Cut back on meat! - Cheese is still a good money saving protein. If you substitute cheese dishes for meat, you can stretch your budget. Make my cheese quesadillas or macaroni and cheese to help satisfy your family and save money at the same time. You can view my cheese quesadilla recipe here:
6) About Bread - The cost of flour has sky rocketed. If you’re used to buying two or more loaves a week, you are not only adding more weight to your waistline, you’ll be paying out the ying yang. I suggest that everyone buy ‘light’ versions of their favorite brands. Why? Because light bread typically has three times the fiber of ordinary bread and is lighter in texture and healthier for you. You'll also save calories and save money on groceries in the long run if you cut back on bread consumption too. American's especially consume far too much bread! 7) Use Coupons! Look for packages which offer coupons and clip coupons from online sources or newspapers. Don’t forget to take them with you to the store though. You won’t save money on groceries if you leave the coupons at home! 8) Cut out Non Essentials! - Do you really need certain items? Can your kids live without some of the things you buy regularly for them? 9) Make Your Own! - There are so many free recipes online for 'prepackaged items' you buy in the store. You're going to pay for the convenience! It may take a bit longer to make your own, but you’ll spend less and cut out the preservatives and additives that these products always contain.
13) Speaking of Beans! - Beans are a great source of protein and taste great if you cook them right. I just bought two bags of Great Northern beans at the grocery store. Each 16 ounce bag cost just $.88. Once I cook them, we’ll have beans leftover for a week or more! You can also freeze beans for up to 6 months without them going bad. 14) Shop for Dollars! - Its amazing to me how much money you can save by buying a few items at the dollar store. I recently ran out of sugar and ran to the dollar store which was much closer to me. I bought an off brand 4 pound bag of sugar for a dollar. Sugar is sugar is sugar! 15) Make Substitutions. Whenever you can, make substitutions for other things. Since tomatoes are not available as much, substitute red bell pepper or watermelon in your salads. When an item isn’t available, learn to like other foods! 16) Buy in Bulk? - You might think that buying your food in bulk will help you save money. This might be so if you live close to a Sam's Club, Costco, or other 'membership' stores where you can get discounts for buying in bulk. However, if you don't live close to one and have to drive 40 minutes to reach one, you will be burning up your savings on the gas you need to get there. Not really cost effective! A better idea is to just buy what you need week to week and look in the dollar stores for items you need to buy cheaply to afford. They may not have the name brands you're used to buying for some things, but the savings are there. 17) Use Your Freezer - Flour and cornmeal products (as well as nuts and other items) will last a long time if you put them in your freezer. Freeze anything you can buy now and put away to use later. Why? Last week I talked to the owner of a pizza place here in town. He told me that his flour costs had doubled in price in the last few months. If gas prices keep increasing, so will our food prices. 18) Shop the Perimeter - When you go to the grocery store, you'll find the best prices on items that are found in the perimeter of the store. (things like produce, meats, and dairy) Those products on display in the middle of the store, only entice you to spend more on stuff you didn't plan on buying. Most of them won't help you save money on groceries! 19) Take Cash - Whenever you can, get in the habit of taking cash to buy your groceries. No matter how much cash I take to the store, most of the time I spend within a few dollars of the cash I have in my purse. Not sure how that works exactly? Maybe it's unconscious decisions about how much I've got versus how much things cost. If you can't keep track of the products you pick up, see the next tip! 20) Take a Calculator - If you've only got a certain amount you can spend on groceries, take a calculator. It'll help you keep track of what you put in your cart. If you're infamous for spending more than you planned on, this can really help you save money on groceries! Beats the heck out of having to 'take away' after your groceries have already been checked out. Thats a bit embarrassing and ticks off people who are waiting in line behind you! 21) Observe - When you are out shopping, look at what other's around you are buying. When you get used to buying the same things each week, your vision can become narrowed because you're only looking for that one item. Fact is though, that stores are constantly adding new lower cost items to feed the market! Expand your savings, and your view, just by checking out what other people are reaching for. Many times, you may overlook a new or hidden money saving item, just because you’ve been accustomed to ‘grabbing’ your product. What is actually ‘a good deal’, changes constantly, so you’ve got to be prepared to ‘switch that brand’! This isn't a spy mission, but it is a suitable way to snoop out better deals and save money on groceries! 22) Local Produce - Take the farmer's market approach: Buy produce that's fresh, inexpensive and in season. With fewer middlemen involved, you get good buys and your family gets the freshest food. 23) Shop Early - Shop early in the day if possible. You will get through the store faster (with your list!) and tend to spend less money. 24) Shop Alone - Taking the kids shopping is a lot more fun (most of the time) but beware! Those little helpers can quickly boost your bill and beg the money right out of your pocket. Try to plan your shopping when you're alone instead! 25) In Store Coupons - Take advantage of in-store coupon displays and the machines that have them. Look at the expiration dates and grab a few more coupons if the date is extended. (If you use the item regularly, you will save money on groceries.) 26) Double Savings - Seek out supermarkets that will double, (some super stores even triple), the face value of manufacturers' coupons. 27) Avoid - Avoid purchasing non grocery items, such as shampoos, lotions, etc., at a grocery store. You will always pay more for these items in a grocery store! Buy these items only at superstores or dollar stores, and you will save money on groceries. 28) Pay Attention - Some retailers guarantee that if the item doesn't ring up at the correct price, you get it for free or at a discount. Pay attention to the details if you want to save money on groceries! 29) Check Receipts! - No matter how careful you or the store staff might be, mistakes happen, so get in the habit of checking your receipts before you leave the store. If you find out an item rang up incorrectly, it's better to go ahead and get your money back right then! 30) Spoiled Food - How often have you gotten home and then a week later gotten out something that has spoiled before it's expiration date. We've all grown accustomed to just throwing it away and buying it again the next time we shop! Now is not the time to do this! Take it back for an exchange or refund. If the expiration date is still good, they have to refund your money! To save money on groceries, you need to be thrifty and use common sense. Buy things that give you bargains and stay away from brands that cost more. We can teach the manufacturers to lower prices if we refuse to purchase those high end items!
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