Save Money on Groceries
The key to saving money on groceries is to plan ahead. Start by taking
inventory of what ingredients are readily available in the
refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards.
Once you've determined what you have, what you are running low on,
and what you are out of, it's time to make a meal plan. You can plan
meals for the week, two weeks, month, or however long you feel
comfortable with. You can plan all meals or some meals. One woman
recently gained national attention for planning all her family's meals
for an entire year! Most people
make meal plans for dinners. Be sure when you make your meal plan to
leave some space for left-overs. Do you eat left-overs for lunch?
Will you have a surplus of left-overs? I like to leave one or two
evenings a week open for left-overs.
Now that you have your meal plan in place, it's a good idea if you are just starting out to write down all the ingredients in your meals- every single one. This way you will ensure you don't forget any ingredients while shopping.
Now match the grocery store ads with available coupons. Be sure to at least look at the ads from two or more different stores every week. You may be surprised to find one store has better deals than the other on certain items or certain weeks. Make a concise list including prices of items so you know exactly how much you are planning to spend. Consider stocking up on certain items if the items are easily stored and available for a good price with sales and coupons. For example, if you use a lot of butter when cooking and butter is on sale for a good price, butter can easily be stored in the freezer with no loss of quality when the butter is thawed out later.
Don't forget your coupons as you head out to the store! Also be sure to have a snack and a big cup of water before you leave so you are not shopping hungry. Happy saving!
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