Photo credit: BigBeaks
Learning to keep food costs under control is a necessity for every family, ours included. I am always on the lookout to find new ways to feed my family nourishing, tasty food without spending more than I have to. Do you have any special tricks that you use to save money on food? I’ve got a few that I thought I’d share with you.
Use a shopping list.
I’m a firm believer that you have to have a shopping list to keep your food expenses in check. Otherwise, I feel like I just wander the store aimlessly looking for foods that strike my fancy. I forget things I need; I buy things I don’t need. I have to have a list. The best way to make a shopping list is to check what you have on hand, and then scour the store sales flyer ahead of time to see what the best deals are. Once you make a menu for the week from those items, then compile your shopping list.
Combine Coupons with Store Sales
Using coupons combined with store sales is definitely one of my top ways to save money on groceries. I build up a stockpile of them items we regularly purchase when they are at their lowest price. To help you with this, each week I feature posts with store matchups including ones for Target, Walgreen’s, Rite-Aid, Publix, CVS. If I don’t have a store matchup you are looking for, drop me a note and I’ll see if I can get it for you. *(Note to Bloggers: If you are a deal blogger and would like to contribute weekly store matchups, let’s talk!)
Cook From Scratch
It’s just plain and simple…you do save money when you cook from scratch. I’m no great chef but I do know how to make simple meals that are healthy, nutritious, and inexpensive. I make all our bread, muffins, cakes, cupcakes, pizza crust, etc. using my Kitchenaid Mixer which saves us a ton of money – 4 kids eat a lot of food!
Put the internet to work
I always go to the store’s site to check their latest sales. Some stores even have internet only specials that are not shown in the paper ad. Don’t forget my recent tip to try Amazon for any organic staples you may be using. You may be pleasantly surprised with the savings.
Check out the final call section
Every grocery store has a section where they hold the products that need to be sold right away. Sometimes, they are seasonal items like Halloween candy or rubs for grilling meat. Other times, the products are close to their expiration dates. I always make a point to check out that section to see if there is anything that I can work into this week’s menu plan. After Thanksgiving a couple of years ago I score canned pumpkin for 20 cents per can! We had pumpkin muffins for a long time after that!
Avoid service-heavy departments
My favorite grocery store has a deli, a salad bar, a bakery, and even a “produce-plus” (they specialize in produce that has already been washed and cut) department. The foods out of each of these departments are wonderful, but they require a lot of labor. If you purchase foods from these departments, you will pay for that labor. Unless I really need the help in preparing our food (before a birthday party, perhaps) I prefer to do that work myself and save our money.
Do you have any other ways that you save? I’d love to hear your ideas!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
This is pretty hardcore but helpful….Every once in awhile, play ‘Old Mother Hubbard’ for a week. Don’t buy food, eat ONLY what you have on hand until you can’t. Cons: This may be an unhealthy week without a garden or stocked freezer of veggies. Pros: Clears space, provokes creativity, sends you back to the grocery store the following week with a frugal mindset. Hey, if you can live off of 1 lb of beef, two cups of rice, one onion, a cup of frozen corn, half a jar of spaghetti sauce, a can of beans, and you own blend of spices for 3-4 days (put in a pot with water for a few hours on low), imagine what you can do for $20!!
Great and practical tips. Internet is truly the best place to have information on best deals and grab them.
I check out the marked down meats as well and find good deals a lot. Great tips!
I’ll have to look for that “Check out the final call section” area in my grocery store! This makes sense!
Thanks for the well-rounded tips!