How to Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons

Most people clip coupons to save money on groceries. However, if you stick to your usual grocery buying habits, you may find that you can't use very many of your coupons. So you start trying to change what you buy in order to take advantage of the coupons.

Congratulations. The food companies just gained control of your food choices.

If you're clipping and using coupons regularly, you may actually be spending more on groceries without realizing it. Even if you aren't, you are probably spending a lot of time and energy for a very small savings. The good news is, there are ways around this problem.

Using this method you can go for weeks without ever using a single coupon, and still save money.

First, make a list before you go to the store. Then, make a commitment to stick to it. You can add necessities to the list, if you've forgotten them. But the purpose of the list is to prevent you from buying impulse items. Impulse items will drive your bill up, even when you bought them with a coupon.

Also, if you can't do math in your head, you may want to take a portable calculator with you.

When you walk into the grocery store, you have to scan the shelves for prices. Look at everything with a critical eye. But don't stick anything in your cart just yet.

Buying a different version of the product you usually use is a great money-saving trick. For example, when I went in to Wal Mart the other day, they had several different versions of the soda we drink, which is 7UP Plus. There were cans and bottles. The cans were $3.33 for a case of 12, yet the 1 liter bottles were $.88. I have some use for the cans, so I bought two boxes. However, I also bought three bottles, for everyday use.

The canned product contained 144 ounces of soda, whereas the bottled product contained about 64 ounces of product. So I'd have to buy about two bottles to equal what was contained in the cans. Still, that comes out to about $1.76 for 128 ounces of soda, which is 1.3 cents per ounce. The cans were 2.3 cents per ounce. I saved a lot of money by buying the bottles.

I also needed to buy toothpaste for my kids. I scanned the kids' toothpaste section, and found a large range of prices, up to higher than three dollars. I scanned the shelves for the lowest price. I found that the Aquafresh Kids pump was the cheapest product at $1.57.

I also needed to buy vegetarian burgers for my family. I scanned the shelves and again found a wide range of prices. However, I found that the Boca Chik'n Patties and the Gardenburger Portabello Burgers were by far the best buy, at $2.18 and $2.38 respectively.

I use baking soda for all my cleaning. However, Arm and Hammer baking soda is $.50 at Wal-Mart. Great Value, Wal-Mart's in-house brand, cost only $.43. So simply by selecting the store brand product, I save an easy $.07 per box without scrounging for coupons.

My children eat cereal every morning. However, the name brand cereals can run as high as $3.50 or $4.00. I save money by purchasing strictly store brand cereal, which costs between $1.33 and $1.97 per box. I also refrain from buying sugary cereal, which tends to get gobbled up a lot faster. I

I also wanted to buy frozen fruit. There were two brands of frozen fruit; the store brand, and Dole. The Dole prices seemed low, until I realized that the packages only contained 12 ounces of product. For example, the 12 ounce size of Dole blueberries was $2.98. The Great Value brand frozen blueberries contained a full pound of product and cost only $2.88. I also bought a full pound of frozen strawberries for $1.97.

Instead of buying expensive individually packaged pre-prepared yogurts, I bought plain store brand yogurt for $1.57 for 24 ounces. Then I combined this with the frozen fruit and a little sugar for a dramatically superior product than the prepared yogurt sold on the shelves. It also doesn't disappear as quickly, because my kids can't whimsically grab this yogurt and eat it all in a couple of days. I save money both by getting the product for a lower price, and by cutting back on "impulse eating".

So when I make this yogurt from scratch, I will combine about five ounces of plain, nonfat yogurt with one ounce of frozen blueberries with a couple teaspoons of sugar. The cost of the yogurt is about $.07, the cost of the fruit is $.18, and the cost of the sugar is negligible. So the total cost of this six ounce serving of yogurt is about $.27. It's not only cheaper than the name brand, pre-packaged blueberry yogurt; it's also a superior product. It doesn't contain artificial colors, artificial flavors, exessive sugar, gums or fillers. It does contain whole, fresh, unprocessed fruit, which the pre-packaged product does not contain. I've saved time, money and energy by not having to shop at two different stores, shuffle coupons, and fight with the cashier over why he didn't triple my coupon.

I also save money by buying fresh fruit in the bag. When I looked at the per-pound options for apples, I found that prices were running as high as $1.40 per pound. However, three pound bags of apples were available for $3.72, which comes out to $1.24 per pound.

Oranges were priced at $4.78 for a four pound bag, which comes out to $1.20 per pound. This is much better than the per-item price, which was $.58 per orange. Depending on the size of the oranges, buying them per unit can really drive up the price. In fact, I saw an employee emptying the bags of oranges into the bin, which proves that it's exactly the same product. Unless you only need one orange, buying them per unit is like letting the grocery store pick your pocket.

Bananas also offer a major money savings in Wal-Mart; usually the price is around $.33 per pound. So whenever I go, I pick up more. When we have more bananas, we eat less of other, more expensive fruits.

I also save money by making things from scratch. Instead of buying expensive Campbell's tomato soup with a paltry coupon, I purchase tomato paste in a can and make homemade tomato soup. It costs me $.65 for the can of store brand tomato paste, and the price of filtered water, sugar and salt are negligible.

It really isn't any more difficult than the Campbell's product. In both cases, you must add water. My tomato soup, however, is dramatically cheaper, thicker and healthier than Campbell's. It contains far more of the healthful nutrients which come from the tomato, and is significantly lower in sugar.

Some More Tips on How to Save Money Without Coupons

Simply making some intelligent choices will help you to save money, even when you don't have any coupons to spend.

Shop at Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart has the lowest prices. It also has the most consistent prices. At Wal-Mart, you won't have to use a loyalty card just to get the advertised prices, or suffer wildly fluctuating prices. I've found that things are so much cheaper in Wal-Mart that on the rare occasion I do use coupons, I can use them at their face value and still end up with a lower price than at the store which doubles and triples coupons.

You can save money by taking advantage of Wal-Mart's price-matching offer. All you have to do is bring in a competitor's flyer, and show that the comparable product is cheaper at that store. They will match the price. The competitor's store brand is considered comparable to Wal-Mart's store brand, but the price-matching generally isn't good on produce. Out of courtesy to other shoppers, don't do this price-matching in the Express Lane or at high traffic times. Early morning around 6 or 7 am is best, since the store is so slow at that time.

Buy in Bulk

The bulk aisle at Whole Foods is a tremendous money-saving boon. I regularly pick up things like beans, lentils, falafel mix, whole wheat flour, sucanat, turbinado sugar, dried fruit and other goodies from the bulk aisle.

Buying spices in bulk at Whole Foods is a great way to save money. Don't let the per-pound price put you off. Remember, when you buy an ounce of spices in the fancy jar, you will often pay $3 to $5. If a spice is $11 per pound, then that's only $.69 per ounce. In many cases, the spices are organic. Don't even get me started about what you'll pay for the organic spices in the fancy jar.

Be sure to save all those glass spice jars that you have from previous spice purchases. Refill them using the spices you bought in bulk. Preferably the jar should already be labeled with the name of the spice. However, you can easily re-label spice jars with just a pen, some tape and piece of paper.

Don't Shop Hungry

Studies have shown that people who shop on an empty stomach buy more unnecessary impulse items than people who shop on a full stomach. You can save money by making sure you've had a healthy, satisfying meal or snack prior to going on your shopping trip.

Keep Cheap, Unprocessed Food on Hand

You can save money by eating foods which are naturally inexpensive. And no, I'm not talking about macaroni and cheese. I'm talking about potatoes, onions, bananas, canned tomatoes, dried beans, canned beans and whole grain pasta. If it costs less than a dollar per pound, you need to have it in your pantry or fridge. This will save you from having to reach for expensive, pre-prepared foods simply to get something to eat. Save time by loading a recipe in the crock pot in the early morning.

Avoid Expensive, Pre-Prepared Food

TV dinners, boxed food and convenience foods will cost you a small fortune. Simply switching to a different version of that same product can save you a lot of money. For example, instead of purchasing microwave popcorn in bags, I use a Presto Power Pop popcorn popper to pop loose popcorn. I can usually get a two pound bag of loose Great Value popcorn for around a dollar. I pop it dry, which makes the power cups last longer and requires no clean up. Then I drizzle it with canola oil and sprinkle a little salt. The result is a snack which costs so little, it's almost free. We rarely splurge on chips or microwave popcorn. Because of my popcorn popper, we never miss them.

So purchase pre-packaged, pre-prepared foods with caution. When shopping, consider whether or not there is a less expensive alternative to the pre-prepared product you're thinking of buying.

Go on a Pantry Challenge

Pantry challenge is a system in which one saves money by coming up with recipe ideas for what is already in the pantry. A pantry inventory is essential in order to do this system. You will also need a lot of recipes, which can be searched for on the web. There is also a Pantry Challenge support group on Yahoo Groups.

Freeze It!

Buying frozen food and freezing fresh food is a great way to save money. I buy pre-shredded cheese, and stick it in the freezer when I get it home. That way, I never have to worry about it going bad. I just reach in and grab some shreds when I need them, then shove the bag back in the freezer. If it sticks together, bang the bag on a counter to break the shreds apart.

Frozen food is generally cheaper than fresh food because there's so much less waste. Being less wasteful is better for the environment, too. You won't have to worry about eating down fresh food that's on the verge of spoiling. No more pulling out that expensive fresh asparagus and bell pepper only to find they've wilted or gone moldy after only five days. If you buy them frozen, you can pull them out a week, two weeks or a month later, and they'll still be as fresh as the day you bought them.

Stock Up

The grocery market is like the stock market. It goes up, and it goes down. The stock market principles of buy low, sell high apply in the grocery store. But instead, you will buy more low, buy less high. When prices are high, buy only what you need. If you don't need that item, just skip it and wait until the price goes down. When it does, stock way up on that item. You'll not only save money, you'll save trips to the store as well.

Check Your Local Outlet Store

You can save money by shopping at an outlet store which offers scratch and dent products. But be careful in these stores. Many times their prices are actually more expensive than the regular store. Sometimes the food is bad, and the store won't offer a refund. So shop with caution in outlet stores, but do check them out periodically.

There are also bread outlet stores which specialize in liquidating bread which is getting closer to its expiration date. Usually you can get this bread for about half the price you would pay at the store.

Invest in Equipment

Many people balk at buying kitchen equipment. However, having a kitchen with the proper appliances can really save you a a lot of money. A bread machine, a crock pot, an electric mixer, and a blender are all very useful to have in the kitchen.

Cook!

Cooking your own meals from scratch is one of the best money saving methods available. My grocery bill always plummets when I'm doing a lot of cooking. Even pre-prepared versions of inexpensive foods can be costly. For example, Progresso's lentil soup generally costs around $2.00 for a measly 19 ounce can. If you make your own lentil soup in the crock pot, you can get a full gallon of soup for around the same price.

I found an easy lentil soup recipe on Allrecipes.com. It took a little more than half an hour to assemble in the crock pot. My greatest expendature was a 28 ounce can of organic tomatoes, which cost me $1.67 on sale at Whole Foods. I also used organic lentils and organic oregano and basil. My product was cheaper, fresher and more nutritious than Progresso's pre-processed canned product.

Save time by creating your own homemade, pre-prepared mixes. For example, I came up with an easy whole grain pancake mix which can be mixed up in advance.

Consider Vegetarianism

Most people don't realize that meat is a luxury product. Instead, they've become accustomed to thinking of it as a staple. Meat is expensive, and can't be produced without causing suffering to a living being. Most people get too much protein and fat, yet don't get the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately many people associate the vegetarian diet with deprivation. Truthfully, it isn't depriving at all. Most vegetarians consume a wider range of foods than meat-eaters. Meat-eaters on the other hand, often fill up not only on meat but also on white flour and white sugar without realizing that their bodies are deprived. Jay Leno recently made the claim that he hadn't eaten a vegetable in decades. He said this, then admitted to eating tomatoes and potatoes regularly. Still, he probably doesn't get anywhere near the recommended ten serving of fruits and vegetables daily. He doesn't seem to think that he's deprived. I'm sure his body disagrees with him.

Vegetarianism is a no-brainer, super-easy money saving system. Never again will you have to worry about the cost of meat, or the unhealthful bacteria and fat that comes with it. You can buy vegetarian convenience products if you want to, but if you're short on cash, you can skip them with relative ease. Vegetarian foods don't spoil the way meat does, so you'll have less waste. Chances are, you'll save in the doctor's office, as well.

Plan Your Meals

If you know ahead of time what you're going to be eating, you can save money at the store more effectively. I used to rack my brains trying to come up with recipe ideas for dinner. Now, I have a system. Monday is burger night, Tuesday is soup night, Wednesday is pasta night. I used to make homemade pizza every Thursday, but it was difficult and got boring very quickly. So I switched to Chinese night every Thursday. On Fridays we go out to Taco Bell, so I don't have to worry about those days. Saturday and Sunday we just wing it.

So when I'm creating my shopping list, I can organize it according to this organizational system. After I've figured out what I need to buy for dinners, I make sure I've got what we need for breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Waste Not, Want Not

We are a culture of waste. We've forgotten the wisdom taught to us by our ancestors. We often try to find ways to save money on groceries without eliminating this waste, which makes things harder both on us and on the planet.

There are many ways to avoid waste. For example, when you use a food product, try to use as much of it as possible. Many people habitually throw away tremendous amounts of healthful, edible food. Things like apple peels, potato peels and the tops of celery stalks are healthful and nutritious. If you're not going to use them in one recipe, you can save them to use in another. Many of the vegetable peelings can be used to make stock. Or they can be composted and used to grow a garden.

If you have children, buying smaller food is essential. Children often take a few bites out of a gigantic apple, and then leave the rest to rot. People tend to turn up their noses at smaller produce. For that reason, it's often cheaper. It's the perfect thing to give to your kids as a snack, or put in their lunch boxes. So when you go to the store, look for smaller apples, oranges, bananas, pears, potatoes and other produce.

Don't Overeat

I'm not talking about going hungry. I'm talking about eating only what you need. Overeating is one of the most wasteful activities Americans participate in. It results in loss of money, both through the excess food eaten and through greater medical bills. It horrifies me when I see an obese person in front of me at the cash register, with a cart full of food. Are they buying their groceries for a full month? Or do they intend to eat all that in only one week? My cart, in comparison, looks nearly empty. My bill and my backside are also much smaller. Yet I still have everything I need.

You'll be surprised how much money you can save simply by eating reasonably sized meals. Suddenly, food lasts longer. An entree which was only good for one meal now suddenly is good for two or three. Food builds up in the pantry, fridge and freezer. You don't have to take as many trips to the store. You don't have to cook as often. Your time is freed to do other things.