Saving Money On Your Grocery Bill: My Top 10 Tips

(photo credit: http://moms-life.com/more-ways-to-save-money/)

Everyone wants to save money on their grocery bill. I know I sure do. Here is my tips on saving money that works for me. (Disclaimer: This may not work for everyone, I am just putting what I do out there in case anyone wants to try it). Try my Top 10 Tips and let me know how much you save! I can usually save between $50-70 per week.

1. Plan meals ahead. Make a list of what meals you want to fix during the week and stick to it! Make a plan A and plan B in case something you have planned each night is not what everyone wants to eat. I call it the Just In Case meal. Buy only the things you need for the meals, and maybe breakfast and lunch foods. You can make healthy snacks for the kids rather than buying everything packaged. My kids always want fruit, celery with peanut butter, or carrots for snacks; and they can be inexpensive if you find a good sale or go to Farmer's Market or a co-op.

2. If you can get away with it; DO NOT take the husband or the children with you. They tend to want things and try to sneak things into the cart that may not be on your list. Instead, ask them before you leave if there is anything they might want and try to accomodate them according to the list you have prepared.

3. Eat before you go into the store. You tend to buy more when you go hungry.

4. If you have a store that honors other store flyers, go there. Chances are if you do your homework and find out where everything you need is on sale, then you can save even more in one store when you bring all your flyers with you. Such as the case of Walmart, they honor other competing stores sale prices as long as you have your flyers with you.

5. Keep your eagle eyes out for coupons. If it is a coupon for things you always use, then by all means get that savings. There is no shame in clipping coupons despite what some folks think. (I have had other people roll their eyes at me at the store because I pull out all my coupons and flyers and take forever in line, but I do not care because that is money going back into my pocket).


(photo credit:http://freeprintablecoupons.blogspot.com/2006/10/counpons.html)

6. Get a membership to a food co-op. You pay a yearly fee and your produce is at just picked freshness and you pay alot less per pound.


(photo credit to www.gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org/calendar.cfm)

7. Frequent the Farmer's Market. Get to know your local growers on a personal level and sometimes they are willing to cut you deals since you are a regular customer.


(photo credit: www.boistfortvalleyfarm.com/markets.php)


This photo is actually our Farmer's Market here in Olympia. I love to shop here!

8. Learn how to can and preserve food. You buy in bulk in the summer/fall and preserve it, then you have that food all year long and do not have to buy it every week at the store. I do this with pears, peaches, beets, pickles, and other fruits and vegetables. Canning cookbooks will tell you what is cannable (don't know if that is a word, but it works for me) and what is not. Then you will know if you should buy it in bulk or not.

9. Invest in a food vacuum packer (otherwise called The Food Saver; that way you can buy family packs and repackage them to freeze.

10. Buy meat in bulk family packs; they are usually 10-20 cents cheaper per pound and then you just refer to #9 above about The Food Saver

I have more tips but those are my Top 10. If anyone would like anymore tips, leave me a comment and I will post some more!