Slash your grocery bills

The bad news is that food is one of the biggest expenses in most families’ budgets (along with housing and cars).  The good news is that food costs are the easiest category to slash. Most Americans, even those on a budget, spend way too much on their groceries.

Shopping on a budget can actually be fun and liberating, once you start seeing how much money you’re freeing up.  This article will give you all the ideas you need to start saving today.

First, get your local supermarket’s current sales flyer and plan out a weekly menu, based around their sale items.  Then, write out your shopping list based on this menu.  When you do this, not only are you ensuring that you’ll be saving money, you’ll also be making sure that you have enough food to feed your family for the coming week. (There’s more on cutting down visits to the supermarket later.)

Before you ever set foot in a store, create a budget.  Remember that if you don’t know how much you can spend, you’re spending too much!

Whenever you do shop, bring a shopping list.  Going without a list equates to throwing cash away.  As for shopping, keep to the list, and only the list.

Remember to always eat a good meal before you go shopping.  If you go shopping while you’re hungry you’ll be tempted by impulse buys—which are often expensive and unhealthy.

Also, try shopping online.  Tons of items (over 20,000 actually), are available for easy purchase at Amazon.com’s grocery section (that’s right, grocery section.)  The prices are ridiculously low, most items can ship for free, and the products are fresh and high-quality.

We certainly advocate eating as many fresh, nutritious fruits and veggies as possible.  However, frozen vegetables are a healthy and affordable alternative.

While we’re talking veggies, now’s a good time to mention it: cut down on the meat.  Pound for pound, meat is one of the most expensive foods you can buy.  Try having vegetarian meals a few times weekly: pasta, chili, potatoes, and rice dishes are great.  You’ll notice the difference in your budget, and perhaps your waistline, as well.  By cooking vegetarian, you’ll also have the chance to try ethnic meals—like Asian, Indian, or Mexican—and bring some new interesting new flavors to your family’s table.

Furthermore, you can also check your vanity at the supermarket door and try buying store brands.  Today’s store brands are way more than yesteryear’s generic no-label, black-and-white-labeled variety.  In fact, store brands often include the same exact ingredients as the big-name brands, at a steep discount; with the name brands, you’re paying for their advertising.

Perhaps the most important tip we can stress is cutting down on your “one-item” trips…because the truth is, there’s no such thing as a “one-item trip.”  You know the drill: once you get to the store, it’s tough not to pick up that soda you wanted, and then there’s that snack for the kids, and so on.  If you’re consistently going out for errands like these, you’ve probably neglected to place some important items on your weekly shopping list.

Also beware of supermarkets’ tricks.  Usually, you get discounts for buying larger items; however, this is not always the case at the supermarket, particularly with popular items.  For example, $1 for those “100 calorie” snacks that are all the rage now sounds like a deal—until you do the math and realize you’re paying over $10/lb. for junk food.

Speaking of junk food, try to buy as little of it as possible.  Junk food costs a lot relative to other foods, provides zero nutritional value, and could lead to weight gain and health issues.  Along with junk food, avoid frozen dinners and other prepared entrees—they cost too much and are usually not very nutritious.  Lastly, drink more water.  If you’re loading up on sodas or so-called diet or energy drinks you’re burning money.  Drinking water is better for you and cheaper—even if you opt for bottled water.

Now that you’ve read this, the next thing to do is get your local grocer’s flyer and start planning out all the delicious meals you’ll be cooking this week.