5 Simple Ways to Save Money on Groceries

Grocery costs continue to rise even as many of us loose our jobs or see our wages frozen. In today's economy, we need to pinch our pennies and save money in any way we can. This means we need to save money on groceries.

Groceries aren't a luxury like our daily cup of coffee. We can't give up food. However, we can save money on this necessity.

There are, of course, the basics. We should all be making a shopping list before purchasing groceries. We should all be planning our menu and clipping coupons from the Sunday paper. We should never enter a grocery store when our stomachs are growling louder than the music playing over the intercom.

Here are some easy tips that go beyond the basics of how to save money on groceries.

Tip #1 - Portion Sizes

This may seem obvious, but the more we consume, the more often we must buy. America is in the midst of both an economic crisis and an obesity epidemic. I've been guilty of eating half a package of Oreos in one evening. In reality, that package should have lasted at least a week.

Take a look at how much food you are eating. According to the USDA, a man between the ages of 19 and 30 should only eat 6 ½ ounces of meat. This would equal about 1 ½ cans of tuna per day.

Don't get out the food scale. Just keep in mind that a dinner plate should never be full or heaping. Make sure to eat a balanced, healthy diet with proper portion sizes and you will automatically save money.

When you eat proper portions, you will find you have left-overs from your meals. These can be put into the refrigerator or frozen for later use. Suddenly, the meal that originally cost $8.00 to prepare now costs a mere $4.00 per meal. It's free food!

Tip #2 - Freeze your breakfast for cheaper and quicker meals

My parents were constantly looking for ways to shrink our budget. They found creative ways to make those grocery dollars work harder. One thing they did was freeze homemade breakfast food.

Frozen pancakes and waffles are definitely convenient when you are rushing to get ready for work and the kids are starving. They can be popped into the microwave or toaster and you have a ready hot breakfast.

However, for a fraction of the cost, you can make pancakes, waffles, or even french toast ahead of time and freeze them in individual servings. It's the convenience of frozen food without all of the preservatives since you are making everything from scratch.

Mom and Dad would make french toast for dinner one night each month . They would just continue to make it until they had several servings for the freezer as well. Three slices at a time would be wrapped in plastic wrap or put them into sandwich bags. I would come down in the morning for breakfast and just warm them up. This was not only a great way to save money, but also a great way to save time in the morning.

This tactic did not only save money on groceries because expensive frozen french toast sticks weren't being purchased. We were also able to save money by using up stale bread as well as milk and eggs that were about to expire. Food that normally would have been thrown away became a quick and easy hot breakfast!

Tip #3 - Use the internet

There are many websites out there that you can visit and print free grocery coupons. One such site is SmartSource. However, that is not where your internet sleuthing should end.

Many grocery stores have websites. Here, customers can view the weekly grocery ad. Consumers can even comparison shop between stores from your computer. Look up all of the grocery stores in your area and compare their sale ads. Some stores even include coupons on their website.

If possible, use coupons for the items that are on sale already. This will net even more savings on your food bill. This is where the online sales ads come in handy. You can compare throughout your area to see which sales match up with your coupons. Make sure to make a grocery list for each store!

My local grocery store near also includes recipes on their website which are linked to the sales ad. This makes planning a menu around sales items even easier. I can even make out a shopping list online and print it out.

Some stores that have online sales ads include: Kroger, Glen's Markets, and Meijer. Don't forget to look for other features on their websites!

Tip #4 - Don't get too attached to your coupons

Although coupons are definitely a good way to save money, they can also be a pitfall. Often, the name brand item is more expensive than the generic brand, even when a coupon is used.

Manufacturers aren't altruistic. They aren't giving away coupons just to be nice. They want to entice consumers to try their product in the hopes that they will get hooked and continue to purchase the product at full price. It's just good business sense. However, consumers must be just a savvy as these businesses in order to save money on groceries.

If the coupon is for an item you use anyway, it can be a great way to save money. Just don't assume a coupon must be used because it's a good deal. Even an item that is free isn't a good deal if you have no need for it. All this does is take up valuable real estate in your pantry that could instead be used to stock up on a sale item that really is needed.

Tip #5 - If possible, leave the kids at home

There have been countless times my husband or I has come home with junk we didn't need (or want) just to avoid having our two year old throw the mother of all screaming fits in the middle of the grocery store. Sure, she should be taught she doesn't always get what she wants. However, after battling her all day and getting up with our infant all night, we're a little worn down.

Kids can get you to buy all sorts of things. Over-priced, sugary cereal is a favorite. How about individually packaged snacks? It would be much easier to shop alone. A large (and cheap) bag of pretzels could be purchased and then re-package at home into individual bags.

I am also rushed when I have my daughter with me. I don't take time to compare unit prices on items. I want to throw the groceries into the cart and race to the check-out as quickly as possible. Saving money isn't the primary concern on my mind when I just want to get home.

When the little bundle of energy is left at home, I am able to focus on finding the best deals in the store. I can compute unit prices more easily without a two year old whining, "Mommy, take my coat off!" "Mommy, put my coat on!" In order to save money on groceries, customers need to tune out distractions and tune in to the cost of their grocery purchases.

Saving money on groceries is just one of the many changes that needs to take place in most of our lives. Hopefully, the economy will soon rebound and we won't have to watch our nickels and dimes so much. Until then, consumers must be fiscally responsible with all purchases. It is our duty to save money where we can in order to avoid future economic hardships. Every penny we save on groceries means another penny that can go toward our mortgage, car payment, college fund, or retirement plan.

Sources:

United States Department of Agriculture, MyPyramid,gov