How to Save Money on Groceries 17 Ways

grocery shopping

Food is one of the few elements of a household budget over which you may maintain control. It is not a fixed expense — such as rent or a car payment. Instead, you may decide not only how much to spend on food but also how to spend that money. A person seeking to trim the amount spent on groceries has innumerable ways in which to do so. Here's a look at 17 of them.

Things You'll Need

• grocery budget
• grocery list
• determination to save money on food
• money to purchase food

Instructions

1. Establish a food budget and resolve to stick to it. Set a goal of reducing spending on groceries by 20 percent.

2. Make a detailed grocery list of all you need to buy before you leave home. Include all the items you normally buy, all the items you've run out of, and any items that you know you'll need soon.

3. Eat something before you go shopping. Studies have shown that grocery shoppers spend between 10 percent and 25 percent more on groceries when they shop while hungry.

4. Shop alone. Studies also show that you'll spend more when your young children are with you.

5. Clip coupons only for items you normally buy.

6. Join — or form — a food co-op with your friends, family, neighbors or co-workers, and purchase some of your food that way. You may save a lot by buying in bulk, and with a food co-op the expense is shared.

7. Pick a quiet, less-busy time of the week to do your grocery shopping. You'll be less stressed and have more time to search out bargains and compare prices.

8. Grow a garden. Use what you grow. Eat what you can freshly picked; can, dehydrate or freeze the rest.

9. Shop less frequently. This is an old trick, but it's a very effective one. You aren't spending money if you aren't in the grocery store. Shop twice a month, or once a week, or even once a month if you can manage it.

10. Bring only the exact amount of cash with you that you plan to spend on groceries for the given period. Leave your checkbook, credit cards and debit cards at home. You can't spend money you haven't brought with you.

11. Buy most, or all, of your personal care items and household cleaning supplies at a dollar store rather than a supermarket. It's much less expensive.

12. Buy bread at a bakery thrift store, and shop at a salvage grocery store for real bargains on food. Also check out ethnic grocery stores for bargains on produce and spices, as well as other foods. Dollar stores also offer some foods for much lower prices than you would pay elsewhere.

13. Cut down on or eliminate paper products, soda, and empty calorie foods, (especially chemically-laden and sugary breakfast cereals for children), as well as all prepared foods. Buy fresh food and make your own meals. Lower your consumption of meat, milk and other dairy products.

14. Buy generic b rands or house brands whenever possible.

15. Stock up on bulk foods. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat ethnic more often: These dishes are often inexpensive, healthier for you and delicious.

16. Avoid traps. Use the smaller size grocery cart when possible. The temptation to add items to the bigger carts can be huge. Grocery stores know this and are making their carts bigger all the time. Do not even glance at the "impulse items" located near the checkouts. Watch the register when your groceries are being scanned. Sale items often ring up incorrectly, as do items of produce. Examine your receipt for errors before leaving the store.

17. Use all of the foods you buy, and buy enough of foods that you use routinely to last until your next regularly scheduled shopping trip. An unplanned trip for a single ingredient in a recipe often results in the purchase of multiple items.

Tips & Warnings

• Planning and preparation are the key to grocery savings.

References

• EverydayHealth.com: Grocery Shopping on a Budget