Don’t shop cheap; shop smart – by paying less for the foods on your list! With our handy tips, you can join the new wave of coupon clippers and money savers at the grocery store.
Make a list for budgeting
Make a list before you go to the grocery store, and stick to it. Impulse items add up in a big way. Bring coupons only for food items you actually need, and make fewer trips to the store. Not only will you save money on impulse items each time you go, but you’ll save on gas, too.
Clip those coupons
Maybe you haven’t clipped coupons for years. Maybe you never did. But economically challenging times call for extra measures, and coupons are just the way to keep your grocery budget in check. Truly, it’s like FREE MONEY! Check out online sources for coupons that you can use at your local grocery store in addition to coupons available in weekly newspaper circulars. Some people claim to consistently save more 10% to 20% or more on their weekly bill by budget shopping. That adds up big time! For a great headstart, see Pillsbury.com for coupons on products that can save you time as well as cash!
How to use easy recipes to have money
Seek recipes that have few ingredients, which generally translates to fewer dollars spent at the store.
Buy groceries in bulk
Even with a small family, you can buy in bulk if the product can be shelved, frozen or refrigerated for some duration. If not, combine your food purchases with another family. You can save hundreds of dollars a year on everything from toilet paper to coffee or baking sundries.
Use local discount coupon books or cards
We’ve all bought them from school kids in the neighborhood – you know, those school or community discount coupon books or plastic cards that offer everything from free car washes to two-for-one meals at local restaurants. Tape them to your dashboard, put them in the front pocket of your wallet, or do whatever you must to remember to use them to save money on groceries. Those booklets can pay for themselves with one or two uses, and after that – it’s pure profit in your pockets!
Make it at home
Dinners and lunches, yes of course – but it’s also true of that daily cup of coffee. Make a small pot for yourself in the morning and bring it along in a travel mug. You won’t believe how much you’ll save by skipping your morning stop at the espresso shop. One latte a day adds up to about $1,200 a year!
Save grocery money on meats
Resist the urge to buy expensive cuts of meat for casserole or soup recipes; instead, purchase the most economical selections available. For example:
- Purchase inexpensive ground beef, rather than the more expensive leaner packages. Brown the ground beef over the stove, drain it in a colander, then rinse
with hot water to dispel remaining fat. You’ll be left with very lean ground beef for your recipe, but at a great cost-savings to you!
- Use inexpensive stew meat in casseroles, soups and stews that call for cubed beef or pork, rather than more expensive lean cuts. The meat will have ample time to tenderize as it cooks, and it will become infused with the other flavors mingling in the dish with it.
- Cooked rotisserie chicken can save you grocery money and time. Many stores offer whole cooked rotisserie chickens at a loss-leader price; take one home and put it in the slow cooker with an inch of water for an hour or so. The meat will fall right off the bones for your casserole, soup or stew recipes.
Spend just a bit of time planning before your weekly grocery store trip, and the money saved may astonish you!