How to Shop for Groceries and Cook Frugally

Food, with home rent or mortgage payments and utilities, is one of the most expensive items on a family's budget. Yet, you have to eat and feeding growing kids can be a challenge without spending a fortune. Luckily, there are several things you can do to get the most from your grocery dollars.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Shopping Frugally

1. Use coupons. Coupons are like free money at the grocery store. Make sure to cut the coupons from the Sunday newspaper. Other coupon sources include Internet sites, such as CoolSavings.com, manufacturers' sites and even eBay. Shop at a grocery store that doubles or triples the value of coupons, if there is one in your area.

2. Read the grocery ads. Take a look at the grocery circular before you shop, either at home or in the front of the grocery store. Be aware, however, that not all specials are listed on the flyer. You'll usually find many "unadvertised" specials marked with tags in the aisles.

3. Make a plan. The biggest budget buster at the grocery store is impulse buying. Combat that challenge by arming yourself with a list and sticking with it. Organize your list by departments.

4. Stock up. Buy non-perishable items that you use regularly when they are on sale or when you have a coupon for them. This way you won't have to buy at full price when you run out; you can just get a new item from your pantry.

5. Buy locally-raised foods. Produce and meats locally-raised are generally less expensive because they don't have to be transported across the country, and are also often fresher than foods brought in from other parts of the country. Many groceries have a locally-grown section in the produce section. If not, look for farmers' markets in your area.

6. Skip packaged items. Refrain from buying foods that have a lot of packaging, such as individually-wrapped snack foods or drinks. You're likely paying more for the containers than for the food. Instead, buy in bulk.

Cooking Frugally

7. Cook ahead. Set aside one day a week to cook for the whole week. Making large batches of meals is more cost-effective than making many small dinners. Freeze the extra servings for later use.

8. Use fresh ingredients. Fresh ingredients are less expensive than packaged and preserved items. Get a better product and save paying for all that paper and plastic by buying produce in season and meat from the butcher's case.

9. Grow you own. Even a small vegetable garden can subtract hundreds of dollars from your annual grocery bill. Plan in January when the seed catalogs start arriving; plant as soon as the ground can be worked; reap the harvest in the late summer and fall; and preserve what you can't consume right away for use throughout the winter months.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't buy an item you won't use just because you have a coupon. Only clip coupons for items that you regularly buy.

Resources

• Find a variety of coupons at Cool Savings.

[momandpopoften]

on 6/3/2008 Great advice! I REGULARLY buy over $100 in groceries for less than $10. Take a look at my articles where I share how I do it: http://www.ehow.com/members/momandpopoften-articles.html