5 Tricks from a Stay at Home Mom to Save Money on Groceries

Being a stay at home mom (or stay at home dad) can be very rewarding, but it can also put a crimp on your budget. Here are five easy tricks to save money on groceries.

Trick 1- Seek out closeout/overstock grocery stores.

When manufacturers are discontinuing items or stores have overstock, closeout/overstock grocers buy their items. The selection tends to vary and you'll want to keep an eye on expiration dates, but you can often find some great deals. On a recent trip to my town's United Grocery Outlet, I found Kraft salad dressing for $1 a bottle, over 50% less than the price at the regular grocery store. With discounts like that, it's easy to save money on groceries. Check your local yellow pages under the grocery heading to find a store in your area.

Trick 2-Shop the Sale Papers

When the weekly sale papers come out, take a little time to sit down and go through them, comparing prices between stores. A lot of times, they will have the same items on sale, but one store may be offering a better deal. Make sure to note whether a store loyalty card is needed. These cards are usually free and you can get them by filling out an application in the store or online at the grocery store's website.

Trick 3-Coupons

You have a couple resources to gather coupons-your Sunday paper, online coupon sites that allow you to print your coupons, and the manufacturers themselves. If you plan to print your own coupons, make sure the grocery store will accept them. Some stores will not. To get coupons direct from the food manufacturers, you can either sign up for their newsletter or ask them for coupons. Check the label on items you buy the most to find a customer service number or address. Combine coupons with sale items if you can. To save even more, look for stores that double or triple your coupons. With a little work, it is possible to combine sales with coupons and stores that double or triple to get items for little to no cost at all.

Trick 4-Look Ahead to Leftovers

One of my favorite tricks to save money on groceries is looking for foods that will have leftovers I can use in more recipes. Depending on the size of your family, you may be able to get several meals from one whole chicken. In my family of three, one of which is a toddler, a whole chicken will stretch pretty far. Meal one is usually baked chicken with a side of mixed vegetables. Some of the chicken is combined with leftover vegetables and a crust for a hearty chicken pot pie. Shred some more of the leftover chicken for easy chicken tacos. If there's any chicken left at this point, I usually make chicken salad for sandwiches. To stretch the chicken one step further, I use the bones to make homemade chicken stock.

Trick 5-Buy in Bulk

If you have the space to store extra food, buying in bulk can be a great way to save money on groceries. If you find you buy a lot of a certain canned good, ask the store manager if they offer a discount on flats. Few stores advertise this option, but I've found several that offer discounts of 5-10% when buying a flat. Consider splitting the cost of a membership to Sams Club or Costco with a friend or family member. This will allow you both to reap the savings of buying in bulk. Buying meat in large chunks and cutting it yourself can save you as much as 50%. Make sure to wrap meat well and store in air-tight freezer bags to prevent freezer burn.

As you can see, it doesn't take a lot to save money on groceries. Once you implement these tricks and use them consistently, you will find your grocery bill shrinking.