Following the rent or mortgage payment, food is the largest regular expense for families. It is the highest unfixed item in your budget where you can find hundreds of dollars in savings. The secret to saving money at the supermarket is not by clipping coupons but in creating a weekly menu and a shopping list. A little bit of planning will limit your trips to the store. And, the more you stay out of the stores, the less you spend. Following are ways to slim your grocery bills:
- Devote your time to shopping the perimeter of the store where you typically find the healthiest foods.
- Avoid the temptation to buy items your family doesn't need.
- Use coupons for sale items.
- Plan the weekly menu according to what's on sale in the supermarket fliers.
- Cut back on juice, soda and bottled water by refilling water bottles at home.
- Shop at dollar stores for household cleaners and paper products.
- Resist pre-cut vegetables and bag salads since slicing it yourself is less expensive.
- Avoid expensive prepackaged snacks and pack school snacks yourself in plastic bags.
- Buy generic products since they are often the same product at a lower price.
- Shop supermarket sales rather than buying brand names in bulk from a warehouse club since the per-unit price at warehouse stores can be more expensive than grocery stores.
Another key for saving money on groceries is to consider the ingredients when preparing recipes. Cutting some of the more expensive ingredients in half will reduce the cost of the meal. For instance, you may not really need a full pound of hamburger meat in a casserole. Try a half pound and save the other half for another meal.
Being frugal at the grocery store takes time and effort - these are just a few ideas to get you started. Combine these ideas with your own and save more money.
Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At http://www.myguidesusa.com, you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life's major events. Whether you're planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you'll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.
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