How to reduce your grocery bill:
1. Never go grocery Shopping when you are hungry.
2. Jot down all the items you need and stick to the list.
3. Always have a budget in mind that you want to spend for every trip.
4. Buy those nutritious items you eat often in bulk size and freeze the excess.
5. Cook a little bit extra for dinner to pre-pack for the next day’s lunch.
6. Teach yourself to go food shopping once a week or once every two weeks.
7. Sign up for the Store’s discount card and watch your bill get reduced with every trip.
8. Have a veggie night where you only eat, whole wheat and veggies.(No Meat)
9. Once or twice a week buy Di’Giorno Pizza for your family instead of take out. (6 dollars/family=Savings)
10. Take 1 minute to compare prices with competitor’s prices. Could save up to .30 per item.
I hope you can take something away from this post and redirect some of the savings off your grocery bill to investments or savings accounts. Some of these might seem obvious or things you already do, but it doesn’t hurt or take away if you follow all ten steps. One of the biggest expenses for a family of four is food and we all could use some techniques to reduce our bill on a consistent basis. For step # eight you can take it a bit further and do two meatless nights or instead try a meat and veggie night while eliminating the rice/pasta/bread carbohydrate portion of your meal. The savings will add up and your body will thank you because you’re consuming less calories.
Do you have some cool grocery tips that I missed and you would like to share with Moneywatch101 readers? Do not hesitate to comment what cool and unique ideas you may have. Just another strategy to help reduce your expenses compared to your income, which is a proven way to financial freedom.
Watch your Money!
Great reminders! Not going food shopping when you're hungry is KEY!I've had success with short dated items. For instance, if you got to the food market in Target, you'll find that short dated meat (fresh in every respect, just timing out) is often discounted $2 or $3. In this instance, buying a smaller amount makes for greater savings. I got 93% lean ground beef on sale and used one package that evening and the other is in the freezer!My local fruit and veggie store (Garden Farm Market) has superior prices compared to the grocery store. Sometimes they have a bargain aisle where cut veggies and "use right now" produce may be found. I now get bananas for $1/bag (8 bananas in this last one) because to me a banana is a yellow fruit with brown spots. These bananas are move flavorful in my morning smoothie and a total bargain to boot!PS If you want to prevent fruit from ripening too quickly, separate it from one another in your kitchen or in the crisper drawer. Gases emitted as fruit ripens makes the fruit next to it ripen that much more quickly.
Good tips. 7 out of 10 I already do but I'll def try the other 3. Good job cuz !!!!
-@Studio Rase- Yes Target is an awesome option with meat being discounted, just have to be one of the lucky shoppers who can grab them before they are gone. Another option is a bag of apples they offer usually it is priced better than paying for each apple individually or by the pound. Yes I have heard of separating bananas to assist the shelf life but never for the other fruits. I wonder if that works the same for veggies. Thanks for the comment. -@Alexandra- Good work on achieving most of tips, def go to wisebread.com and check out some cool recipes you can use for your family. It's great to keep learning in life. I appreciate your comments. Thanks for the sharing.
Meal plans help a lot!
Yes they do, but not many people want to sit down and pre plan what they will buy. Thus they end up going over budget indulging on random junk food.
I definitely agree with rule #1, I have a better judgement food shopping after eating a great meal.
There are so many variables to a modern savings plan that is not taken into account by many online savings calculators that are based on the traditional mindset of saving a lump sum or monthly amounts.
@Onlinesavings- Good advice, savings calculators are sort of like a guiding/estimation tool and not fully accurate.