How to save money on Groceries

[Shannon498]

It’s been said that the typical American spends at least $100 on groceries per week. That’s no less than $400 down the drain (literally) each month. If you have a big family with a lot of mouths to feed then I could see this being a reasonable amount to spend, but it’s only me and my boyfriend in this house and $100 per week just seems a little ridiculous. I’ve been trying to budget my grocery spending recently and I found several ways that really help save money when heading to the store.



- Plan your meal/shopping list around weekly or daily sales – Almost every grocery store has ads that are usually laying around for anyone to grab. Take one home and use it to your advantage. You can even go online and you should typically be able to find a printable version of the ad. Plan your meal and shopping list around items that are or will be on sale and clip out any coupons that the ad supplies.

- Go generic – Don’t be afraid of trying the generic brand opposed to the name brand. Most of the time you seriously won’t be able to tell. I buy generic all the time and don’t suffer in the least from it. There are a few things that I will only get name brand (like spaghetti sauce and coffee) but almost everything else I buy generic or store brand. The savings really do add up if you give it a shot.

- Store discount cards – Take advantage of discount cards that grocery stores offer like Albertsons and Tom Thumb (to name a few). All you have to do is get the card and give the store typical information about yourself and you are on your way to some great savings. Stores even sometimes mark up items higher then usual for non card holders so make sure you get yourself a card if they are being offered.

- Use coupons – You can get grocery coupons from many places like store ads, newspapers, and on the internet. Don’t be so quick to throw away coupons that come in the mail either. These can seriously save you some dough. For added savings, combine your coupons with items that are currently on sale.

- Don’t shop hungry – I use to do this all the time and then I would get home and kick myself for spending so much on food that I don’t need. If you shop hungry, you are likely to buy any thing that sounds good to you at the time. Try to avoid this by eating something before you shop. I’ve wasted so much money and let food go to waist when I went shopping on an empty stomach.

- Visit your local farmers market – Farmers markets are great places to buy high quality, healthy and wholesome food that is usually cheaper then your local Walmart. The reason they are cheaper is because everything is locally grown and they don’t have to pay for shipping or added preservatives. Plus farmers markets are just a fun atmosphere to be in.

- Plant your own garden – Gardening can be a lot of fun and also can save you a great deal of money. You can grow your own fresh herbs and/or vegetables right in your back yard. This can also save you unneeded trips to the grocery store. Even if you are like me and you currently rent, instead of having a garden in your back yard, just get a few herb plants for the kitchen. You can even have your own lemon or lime tree inside (near a window of course) that can also help decorate your place.

[Gary Barzel]

One of the most important things is to write a shopping list and stick to it. So many people end up spending so much more than they need to,, simply because they see things that they like or want and end up buying it. If you know you can only buy what's on your list, you will end up saving so much more.

[cheapskate]

I agree with Gary. It helps me to go when I don't have a ton of time, that way I HAVE to stick to my list. The more time I have, the more chances I have to think of one last thing I "need."

[marriedguy]

We're trying to grow some of our own stuff. Because we're health nuts we buy organic most of the time, which is more expensive. It's important to us so we don't see that extra expense as a waste. We make out a meal list ahead of time and buy for it rather than just going in the store and tossing what "looks good" in the buggy.