Ten Ways to Slash your Grocery Bill LadyPens

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Ten Ways to Slash your Grocery Bill LadyPens
With the rising cost of food,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], everyone is looking for ways to save on their grocery bills without sacrificing nutrition. Here are ten money saving tips.
-Shop for the best priced items only. Create a price book with a list of your best ever prices on the things you buy. If you see something at a great price, buy ahead. If you can get a jar of peanut butter for only .50 and your family goes through 2 jars a month, then consider buying a year's worth. You know that next week,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the same jar will be back to $1.25/jar so why not stock up?
In the same sense,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], shop only for items at great prices each week. You'll be able to create a pantry filled with items that you've obtained at the absolute cheapest price and thus,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], each week you'll be able to menu plan from your pantry and shop only for the least expensive items to restock the pantry. If there is nothing on sale at a great price then don't shop. Conversely,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], if you have an unexpected expense that leaves you short of grocery money,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], then a well stocked pantry is like a savings account you can rely on.
-Find space in your home for a pantry or bulk storage. When you can find anything at a great price, you need room to store it. I hear people say, "I can't buy a case of peanut butter even if it is nearly free because I don't have enough cabinet space." I don't care where you store stuff; under a bed, under a table (those long table coverings can hide a lot of toilet paper under them!) or in any closet (do you wear ALL of those shoes?). Get creative about your living space and figure out where you can store those great food bargains. My pantry is actually my furnace room that my husband outfitted with shelving and I've got a flea market bookshelf in there as well.
-Learn how to freeze or can properly and safely. I'm personally not a canner,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], BUT I've learned how to blanch vegetables for proper freezing. A recent grocer trip netted me broccoli on clearance for only .29/lb! I spent 2.90 for 10 pounds and spent about 1.5 hours blanching and freezing the broccoli. One pound frozen bags of broccoli florets (not just broccoli pieces) generally runs about $1.79. I saved $1.50/lb doing it myself (that's a $15 savings which is nothing to laugh at!).
-Make more homemade things. I recently priced an 18 oz. bag of brand name chocolate cookies at $3.29! There are maybe two dozen cookies in that bag? Even buying all of the ingredients at full price,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], you can easily make 4-5 dozen of homemade chocolate cookies for much less and they'll probably taste better! Baked goods can be frozen too so don't hesitate to bake a double batch of cookies and then freeze them for later.
-Make sure to use up leftovers. Generally we eat leftovers for lunches (saves on buying lunches out). I also get creative and reinvent leftovers into other meals. We also have "buffet" night (somehow the kids find buffet night more fun than leftover night). If you don't want to finish up leftovers this week then throw them into the freezer for another week. Whatever you do,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], work hard at not having to throw away leftovers. You might as well be throwing money into the trash.
-Meat eater in the house. Meat is probably one of THE most expensive items on the grocery list. Don't hesitate to purchase marked down meats. DO be prepared to cook or freeze the meat within 24 hours. Oh and consider keeping an eye on just how much meat is eaten in the house. Americans typically eat far more protein than they need. Most of us only need 4-6 oz of protein per day (the size of your palm or deck of cards and a bit more). I've begun to encourage our family to eat more in the way of vegetables and grains at a meal versus more meat (this doesn't include other proteins like cheese,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], eggs and beans that we consume during other parts of the day,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], so it's easy to see how we eat more than we need).
-Vegetarian. Adding even one vegetarian or "less-meat" meal to the menu will save money. TVP (textured vegetable protein) can stretch a small amount of meat as well. Something as simple as replacing half a pound of hamburger with black beans in tacos will basically double the number of meals you can get out of one pound of hamburger. Remember,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], Americans in general eat far more protein than needed and there are so many wonderful vegetarian sources of protein if you're concerned that you might be missing out by eating more vegan meals.
-Buy local and buy seasonal. Gas prices are tacked onto everything we buy. The further away those strawberries have to come,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the more they cost. In addition,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], the cost of keeping those strawberries from freezing on the trip from California to Maine in the dead of winter is factored in as well. I can pick blueberries for about $1.27/lb (about 1 pint) and freeze them up for our winter enjoyment. Buying blueberries in winter will cost me about 3.99 for a pint! This is how learning to freeze can be money saving.
-Growing your own fruits and vegetables. Even if your garden is a big pot on your condo deck, think of how much money you can save on homegrown herbs, lettuce or tomatoes. I love passing by the 2.99/lb tomatoes at the grocer because I have several ready for picking on our few plants at home. If you don't have land to use,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], see if your community,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], apartment building, or condo complex has community plots where you and your neighbors can share plot of land for growing vegetables.
-Buying in bulk and purchasing with buying cooperatives. You CAN save money with purchasing clubs (Sam's, Costco and BJ's) but you should get a day pass to make sure that they have things you use regularly and that they're at the best possible price for you. Don't forget your price book. Buying cooperatives can be groups of people who have worked out better prices through warehouses and wholesalers because together they are buying enough to get a good deal. These people work together to obtain, sort and distribute the food. If you decide to become part of a buying cooperative,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], make sure you understand the rules and your responsibilities.
In addition,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], make sure you NEVER overlook other local and smaller stores. Within the past year,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], I've discovered a small kitchen store where I can order and buy bulk baking goods at fantastic prices. I also decided to check out an herb and spice shop that generally sells only to restaurants but has a small retail store. It's not big and it's not fancy,[link widoczny dla zalogowanych], but I can obtain high quality herbs and spices for only $3 for 3 oz (MUCH cheaper than those little red-capped spice containers at the grocery store!)
Cutting down on your grocery bill is easier than you think and it's well worth it. Spending a few hours each week finding the best bargains, baking and creating storage space could save you hundreds each month and when you divide your savings by the hours spent, you come up with a pretty good hourly rate of return!
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