How to Save Money on Groceries

Wondering how to save money on your groceries?  Food prices are on the rise and you may think that paying less for the items that you need is nearly impossible.  However, there are quite a few things you can do to achieve this very possible goal.

Make a list of what you need.  Hitting your grocery store without a list is a sure way to pad up your bill with things you did not need.  Prior to going to the store, create a weekly meal plan.  From the meal menu, create a list of the grocery items you do not have in your pantry or refrigerator and need to purchase.  You may also want to add any other health and beauty items you may need.  You may have to prioritize your list if you find that you will be spending more money than your budget allows.

Combine sales with coupons.  The secret to huge savings on your grocery bill is by combining weekly store sales with coupons.  Sometimes, on their own, store sales or coupons don’t make for impressive savings, but by combining both of them you will see explosive results.  If you have a store that doubles coupons, savings are even greater. If you can’t find coupons for the food items that you regularly purchase, then it is even more important to make sure to buy those items when they are on sale only.  Just make sure to use coupons on the items that you can.  Coupons for household items and toiletries are very common, and you can trim your budget by using coupons on those items.

When you can’t find coupons for the items you use, another way to save is by buying the store brand.  For example, in my home, we buy cream cheese weekly.  I save every week by choosing to buy the store brand, instead of the more expensive ‘brand name’ product.

If there are items that you buy and consume often, my best advice is to consider buying in bulk.  For example, my children eat a LOT of apples.  I could choose to buy apples for $1.49/lb.  But instead I buy a five pound bag for $4.99 for a savings of 33%.  Most people think that you need a membership to a warehouse club to buy items in bulk.  Online stores like Amazon, can provide you the same savings on many bulk purchases, with the items delivered directly to your home.

Stock up at rock bottom prices.  When one of the products you often buy goes on sale, save money by investing money, and buy more than one item.  If, for example, lets say you consume a jar of peanut butter every two weeks.  You regularly buy it for $2.50 per jar, but this week it is on sale at the rock bottom price of 99 cents per jar.  Maybe you have noticed that this sale comes around every six to eight weeks.  So, how about buying four jars at this very low price?  That will hold you over until the next time the sale comes around and you can once again get it cheap.

As you can see, there are quite a few things you can do to save money on groceries.  This is just scratching the surface and providing you with some ideas to help you get started, now.