Money Saving Food Tips

Are you concerned about the amount of money you are spending on food at the grocery store? Perhaps it's time you set a budget and stuck to it. Here are some tips for saving money at the grocery store, and cutting down on your food bill.

Meal Plan. Planning your meals ahead of time will not only save you time and money, but will get rid of the daily "What's for dinner?" hassle. Once a week (or monthly, or daily, whatever suits you) sit down with the ad for your local grocery store and plan your meals for the week. Take a look in your pantry and freezer to get an idea of what you have, and make a list of meals you will make based on items on hand, and the items on sale at your grocery store. If an item is an especially good deal, stock up and freeze the extra.

Cut Back on Junk. Don't spend your grocery dollars on junk items like, cookies, snack cakes, ice cream treats and candy. You don't need junk food, your kids don't need junk food. Why are you buying it? It is much cheaper to keep a few baking essentials on hand and make a treat or dessert at home once in a while. It may be hard at first to cut back on store bought treats, and you may get quite a bit of resistance from your family. Be prepared to provide delicious, healthful and less expensive snacks to sweeten the change.

Drink Water. Not buying soda or other expensive beverages is a very easy way to save money on your grocery bill. Water is free, it's healthy and it tastes great. You can also give your kids 100% fruit juice diluted with water. Once they are used to it, they'll love it.

Buy Generic. Don't be afraid of the store brand. Often it is the exact same product, just with a different label. Give it a try, and keep track of ones you like. You may find a few items where the generic just won't do, and that's ok. But for the most part, saving 10 cents to a dollar is worth trying the generic or store brand.

Set a Budget. Once you sit down and figure out how much you are spending on groceries each month, you may be quite surprised. It adds up very easily, even when you feel you are only buying the essentials. Set a budget and stick to it. If necessary, start with what you are currently spending and chip away at it every month until it is down to a reasonable amount. Be firm, even if you need to make do or do without at the end of the month.

Buy Essentials Only. Take a two week or one month period and only buy the absolute bare essentials at the grocery store. No extras, no stocking up, no impulse buys. Just what you need, in addition to what's in your cupboards, to make food for the week. Make a tight list and stick to it. You'll be surprised at how much you save. Once your time period is over, evaluate the amount you have spent relative to your usual spending and your budget. Use this amount to set a new, reasonable budget for your grocery shopping.

Make Do. So you've got your meal plan and you're at the grocery store, ready to buy your ingredients for the week. Then you realize how much some of the stuff on your list costs. Can you do without it? Learning how to substitute in recipes will be a big help here. One expensive item that you can probably do without is fresh herbs. Buy dried herbs that are less expensive and will last longer. Some expensive items can probably be left out of your recipe all together. Yes, your dish may not have quite the same nuances of flavor without the capers, but you're not exactly cooking for the Queen, are you? Don't be afraid to experiment and let go of some expensive ingredients. You may be surprised what little difference you and your family notice.