15 Simple Ways to Save Big on Groceries

1. Eat locally. Find a Farmer's Market near you. Farmers Markets are abundant with delicious, fresh fruits and veggies. Look for produce at the U-Pick farms and community gardens in your surrounding cities. Another idea is to join a CSA, Community Supported Agriculture. Basically, you make a deal with local farmers to purchase a "share" of their crop each week. You don't always know what you will receive each week, which makes it a good way to learn how to cook with new food.

2. Eat seasonally. When produce is in season, it is much more abundant and affordable. Learn what is in season in your neck of the woods and enjoy appropriately. If you are brave enough, attempt to grow your own produce.

3. Utilize your freezer. Try preparing make-ahead meals and storing them in your freezer so you always have a home-cooked meal available. Freeze the blueberries you get from your local U-Pick farm and use them in smoothies or jams. Most cookie dough freezes beautifully. Keep a batch in the freezer for when your sweet tooth strikes. It is much cheaper to enjoy fresh baked cookies at home than to go out for a sweet treat.

4. Plan your meals and save big. Not only will meal planning save you money but you will also save yourself a ton of time. When you plan your meals, you make it easy to create a grocery list and avoid multiple trips to the store. Planning your meals each week also alleviates the hassle of staring into the fridge every night deciding what to cook.

5. Build reserves. If you stop running out of things, you can purchase regularly used items at rock bottom prices. Match store sales with coupons to sweeten the deal. When you have stockpiles of staples in your panty, you can whip up a meal in a jiffy instead of dropping twenty bucks on pizza.

6. Use coupons. Of course, there can't be an article about saving money on groceries without mentioning coupons. Even though there is some elbow grease involved, using effective coupon methods can be extremely helpful to your pocketbook. I absolutely love coupons. They have saved me so much money it has turned me into an addict. It pains me when I have to buy something that I don't have a coupon for.

7. Eat those leftovers. Stop throwing money away. When you throw away food, you may as well toss a ten dollar bill in the trash. If your family has a hard time remembering eating leftovers, try the following tricks.

Label all leftovers with the item and date to be eaten by. Purchase a small, magnetic dry erase board to keep on the fridge. List all leftovers on the board along with the "expiration date."

If you find leftovers boring, doctor them up a bit. My favorite Food Network TV host, Rachael Ray is notorious for making new, delicious dishes from leftovers. For instance, if you have ham left over from dinner last night, you don't have to have it the same way again. Try ham and eggs or a ham and cheese omelet for breakfast the next morning. Or, add the ham to waffle batter along with some cheese and bake as usual. Enjoy a savory ham and cheese waffle for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

8. Watch where you look. When shopping at the grocery store, look up and down but try to avoid eye-level. Make most of your purchases from the perimeter of the store. Most of the pricey, processed food is located in the middle of the store. If at all possible, try to find a friend to watch the kiddos while you shop. The less distractions the better.

9. Be prepared. When you go shopping, bring a list and stick to it. Have your coupons and sales ad organized neatly and easily accessible. To be certain not to go over your budget, bring along a pocket calculator and keep track of your total.

10. Be an informed consumer. Become familiar with your store's coupon and return policy. Learn your way around your favorite grocery store. Pay attention to where the sale items are located. The less time you spend in the store the less money you'll spend too.

11. Check your receipt. Do this before you leave the store or as soon as you get in your car. Mistakes happen all the time. Don't leave the parking lot until you are sure you have all of your items and you were charged correctly.

12. Get carded. Sign up to receive your store's loyalty card and never leave home without it. Be sure to get it scanned every single time you shop. You are just wasting money if you don't use it.

13. Eat less meat. Let's face it, meat isn't cheap. Your wallet and your arteries will thank you if you eat less of it.

14. Eat less altogether. While you are eating less meat, go ahead and eat less of everything. If you are like most Americans, you consume more calories than you actually need. Give your digestive system a break and eat less.

15. Buy in bulk. Consider splitting the cost of a membership to a warehouse club with a friend or relative. You could also pitch in on the cost of meat and other food and split it.

Groceries can be costly but they don't cost a fortune. Practice these tips and you can lower your grocery bills significantly.