Money Saving Tips and Food Bargains

These days locating money saving tips is vital for stretching our dollars until the end of the month. For many people, being frugal is a chore. By changing the mindset and turning it into a game, being frugal can be fun. People who enjoy strategizing can further capitalize in the bargain-hunting challenge.

Fortunately, we have the Internet to help us locate money saving tips and comparison shopping. Groceries are one the larger monthly expenses. With a few good resources, consumers can slash their food bill in half or more. Reducing grocery expenses by 50-percent is an achievable goal, if you are willing to contribute thirty minutes to an hour of your time each week.

As food prices continue to rise, grocery coupons are becoming a necessity; particularly for families. There are hundreds of coupon websites online including the most popular, Coupons.com and Valpak.com.

Most food manufacturers offer money-saving coupons or rebates via their website. Many manufacturers include their web address on product packaging. Otherwise, use your favorite search engine to locate food purveyors.

Printed coupons are not allowed in some grocery chains, so check with your grocer before engaging in a coupon printing marathon. If grocery stores do not accept Internet coupons, invest in a Sunday paper. The money you save will more than cover the cost of the newspaper. Recycle the newspaper so you don't add to already overtaxed landfills.

Before becoming an empty-nester, I subscribed to The Grocery Game™. Once our children left, our grocery bill was pretty reasonable for the two of us, so I discontinued the service. However, I really enjoyed the strategies and saved a ton of money. I use the techniques provided to continue saving money today.

Founder, Teri Gault, understands marketing strategies used by grocery stores and shares that knowledge with subscribers. The Grocery Game is similar to a game of poker. Each week, subscribers receive shopping guides for sale items. Teri tells you when to hold coupons and when to throw them in.

Based on product cycling methods, The Grocery Game teaches subscribers how to fully capitalize on coupons and reduce grocery expenses by up to 60-percent. In my opinion, this is one of the best deals on the market for families. Take it for a 4-week test drive and see if it suits your needs.

You don't have to invest in a paid service to save money on groceries. Most grocers offer interactive websites; allowing customers to create and print shopping lists, recipes and view sale items. Subscribe to their services and have weekly flyers delivered to your inbox.

Use the sale advertisements to plan meals for the upcoming week based on available coupons and sale items. If you don't have a coupon for products on sale, search for one online. I generally spend less than an hour a week obtaining grocery coupons and comparing sale ads. On average, we save $100 or more per month. Personally, I think $100 for four hours or less of "play" is a pretty good deal!

Some people choose to visit two or more grocery stores to maximize savings. We have a two-person household, so I usually stick with the closest grocer. I do check competitors to determine which store offers the most bang for my buck each week. I'll drive a few extra miles if another store has better deals.

While you're at the grocery store, grab any coupons sticking off shelves. Grocery coupons usually have a two to three month expiration date. If you don't need the product save the coupon and use it at a later time.

Most grocers offer local magazines and merchant discount books at store exits. Grab complimentary publications for additional money saving coupons. You will often find coupons for restaurants, hair salons, automobile maintenance such as tires and oil changes, pet stores, retail outlets, movie theatres and more. Take advantage of coupon offers and support your local community.

Once you begin to see the savings pile up, the money saving game becomes more enjoyable. My goal is to one day have a zero-dollar grocery bill. The closest I have gotten is $27.19 on an $82.28 bill. I will not rest until I achieve my goal! What money saving goal will you set and what will you do with your savings?