How to Stretch a Grocery Budget
Prices on everything you purchase are climbing all the time. There's not much you can do about your car or mortgage payment, but you can do something about the food bill. Read on for tips to stretch a grocery budget and still eat well.
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Instructions
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Decide on the amount of money that will be spent on groceries out of each paycheck. Try to spend less than the amount set aside and treat the family to a pizza night at the end of the pay period.
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Count the number of meals between each paycheck and make a menu based on the number of meals you will be fixing. Make your grocery list from the menu and purchase only the items you will need for those meals. This practice will cut down on extras that you don't need.
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Shop the big box discount stores such as Costco and Sam's Club. You will be able to save money by buying in bulk and not have to make as many trips to the grocery store. When you are trying to stretch a grocery budget, the fewer visits to the store, the better.
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Plan to get more than one meal out of a meat purchase. Slow cook a beef or pork roast one day and use the leftovers for barbecue sandwiches a day or two later.
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Eat healthier meals by cutting back on red meats. You will also be stretching your grocery budget because red meats are one of the higher priced grocery items. Serve smaller portions of meat and serve two vegetables instead of one.
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Tips & Warnings
Shop on Monday and Tuesday. These are the least busy days in a grocery store and you can take your time to comparison shop without fighting crowds of people.
Grocery stores usually receive fresh produce shipments on Monday or Tuesday. Shop on these days for the best variety of fresh produce.
Don't buy pre-packaged, preservative-laden snack foods. They not only drive the grocery bill higher but also compromise the family's health by packing on unnecessary calories and fat.
