Welcome back!
In a previous post, I wrote about saving money by creating a simple weekly meal plan. Jotting down what your meals will look like over the next week will help you save money at the grocery store. Checking out special sale ads, keeping an accumulative grocery list during the week, and taking care not to impulse buy while at the store will help you stay within your food budget.
Today I would like to give you 7 quick tips for saving even more money on your groceries.
Make a grocery list and use those coupons. Utilize coupons from newspapers, magazines, and online. Plan your meals ahead of time so you know what you need during the week before you shop.
Buy in bulk where possible. Take advantage of sales, especially if your meal plan calls for the item. Canned goods keep especially well, although you can also freeze meat and fish if your freezer has a large enough capacity.
Keep leftovers in mind. As you plan your menu, compile your shopping list, and check out the bargains, keep leftovers in mind. You can make many tasty meals from the leftovers, especially if you plan ahead.
Beware of convenience foods. Packaged food has many more calories, higher salt content, and is not as healthy for you as preparing food yourself. Take the time to cook your own meals rather than throw a frozen meal into the microwave, or cook a boxed meal. Prepackaged meals are also much more expensive than buying the ingredients and preparing the meal yourself.
Buy fresh produce in season. Have fun planning your meals around fresh produce available at the grocery store or farmer’s market. To truly save money, make sure the produce does not spoil from lack of use.
Beware of checkout aisle temptations. Do not give in to those last minute impulse purchases that are crowding the checkout lane, or are stacked invitingly throughout the store.
Compare store prices. If you are able to shop at a grocery store that has lower prices than the store located closest to you, it might be more practical for you to drive a little further. Shopping at the larger big-box type stores can save you many dollars over the long run.
These tips will help you save money on your groceries. Costs are rising in many areas including health care, utilities, pharmaceuticals, and more. Helping to keep costs down where we do have some control will help us in the other areas that we cannot control.
I hope that these tips will help you eat healthy meals at less cost without sacrificing your culinary tastes. When you can make your shopping trip as much of a pleasure as possible, knowing that you will have healthy and tasty meals throughout the week, you have gained solid ground in living within your budget.
