Five Easy ways to Save at the Grocery Store
By Rhonda Barfield
When you paid for your groceries this past week, did you feel a sense of satisfaction with the amount of food you bought for the money? Or are you like many Americans, frustrated with high costs at the supermarket? It's true that groceries can be expensive. But chances are, with a little planning and know-how, you can buy much more than you're buying right now without spending more. Follow these tips to make the most of your hard-earned food dollars.1) Take charge of your grocery shopping. Set a realistic limit on spending.
Could you get by with $90 a week rather than $115? If so, that's an extra $100 in your pocket every month. Go to the store rested and well fed, with a list and a general menu plan in mind. Don't let supermarket displays manipulate you into buying what you don't need.2) Shop the cheapest store in the area. I used to think I did so, until I compared prices. What an eye-opener to find a discount outlet with groceries for 50% less. Take a price notebook along as you shop a different store each week for four to six weeks. When the results are in, you can make an intelligent decision on where to purchase the most inexpensive food.
3) Buy mainly what's on sale. Wherever you shop, go for the bargains of the week. Plan your menus around these specials. Last week, I stocked up on half-price arm roast, brown rice, non-fat yogurt and cauliflower. Guess what we're having for dinner this week?
4) Simplify your eating— and buying— habits. Convenience food prices can quickly destroy a grocery budget. But you, as a smart shopper, can offer cheaper substitutions: oatmeal, whole wheat pancakes, muffins or scrambled eggs for breakfast, for example, instead of name-brand cereal. In the process you'll probably save at least a couple of dollars for one breakfast alone. That adds up over the course of a week.
5) Let the store help you. Store personnel are usually friendly and willing to help. Let them. The produce manager can tell you which fruits and vegetables are in season and cheapest. Ask about less-than-perfect fruit for sale, such as slightly brown bananas; many stores throw them away, but if enough customers ask, they're likely to sell such produce at discount. . . and you can make banana bread.
Meat managers might recommend good inexpensive cuts, and also suggest ways of tenderizing and cooking meat. One Christmas, I asked a store butcher's opinion on the best brand of whole hams. He actually recommended the cheaper variety; when several were sliced for customers, he said, this brand was consistently leaner. Even better, the store offered a $2.00 off coupon and the company, a $5.00 rebate on the ham. I took advantage of all this, of course. But I never would have known about it without the butcher's help.
There are dozens of ways to cut back on your food costs, and you can read about them in my book, Feed Your Family for $12 a Day. In the meantime, try these five simple ideas for saving at the grocery store. Enjoy an extra $10, $20, $30 or more in your pocket each week.The End
This Article was provided free of charge by The Bondingplace.com
This article is reprinted with permission of Money Matters, a newsletter published by Crown Financial Ministries, 601 Broad Street, S.E., Gainesville,
GA 30501.
Rhonda Barfield is the author of Real-Life Homeschooling: The Stories of 21 Families Who Teach Their Children at Home, Feed Your Family for $12 a Day both available by ordering through most bookstores nationwide or amazon.com), and 15-Minute Cooking (a self-published book). For more information, visit www.lilacpublishing.com, email Rhonda at barfield@aol.com, or send an SASE to Lilac Publishing, P.O. Box 665, St. Charles, MO 63302 for a free brochure.
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