How to Lower Grocery Bills
With food prices on the rise, grocery bills are climbing. While it is not required that your meals consist of only bread and water, cutting back on small things will make a big difference at the checkout line. With a little time and these easy steps, you will be saving money in no time.
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Things You'll Need
- Pen
- Paper
- Sunday newspaper with grocery store and manufacturer ads
- Scissors
- Envelope
- Bonus card from grocery store
Instructions
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Make a list. If you go grocery shopping with a list, you are more likely to stick to it and less likely to overbuy. Write down all the necessities that you will need for the week.
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Refer to the newspaper and manufacturer ads to see if any of the items on your list have coupons or other savings offers. Scan the grocery store’s weekly flyer for special deals. Clip coupons that you need and put them in your envelope. Mark down any specials that apply, such as "buy two get one free" or half-off a certain item, so you'll remember when you go to the grocery store. You can even go one step further and organize your coupons into categories (such as dairy products, meat products and cereal).
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Compare items at different grocery stores in your area, if you have time. Sometimes there are drastic differences in price, and it might be worth the extra trip.
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Eat something before you go grocery shopping! It is amazing how much more you will buy if you go on an empty stomach.
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Buy ingredients rather than prepared foods. If you buy the basics (meats, vegetables, fruits, spices) and then cook your own meals rather than relying on frozen meals or prepared foods at the deli counter, you will save tremendous amounts.
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Consider buying store-brand items, which tend to be cheaper.
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Avoid buying anything displayed at the checkout counters—these goodies are placed there to tempt you while you wait! Don’t take the bait.
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Make sure you use a grocery-store bonus card. These make a significant difference in cost, and there is no reason to forego these savings. If you don’t have one, visit the store’s customer-service counter and take 30 seconds to fill out a form.
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