Saving Money on Groceries

In today's tough economic times, it is becoming vital to be able to stretch your budget to meet your needs. The grocery bill consumes a large part of the family budget and it can get very expensive, really fast. As food prices have skyrocketed it makes sense to cut on food expenses without compromising the nutritional value you can get by eating on a budget. You can save money on groceries if generally you control impulsive buying and change your spending habits to avoid overspending, while choosing healthy and nutritional items.

Here are 10 useful tips on how to save money on groceries:

1. Plan your meals

If you plan your weekly meals you will be buying only the grocery you need for these meals. Create your weekly menu by trying to plan around the ingredients you already have at home so that you buy the least possible items from the grocery store. See what you have on your counter, in your freezer or in your pantry and plan your meals accordingly. This will help you use up food that you already have at home and spend less money on groceries. Overtime, you will be surprised on how much money you have saved by planning you weekly meals and sticking to nutritional staple items.

2. Make a grocery list

By making a grocery list before going to the grocery store you are more likely to buy the items you really need and avoid impulse buying. This will save you a lot of extra money that you would spend if you went to the store without a properly planned list. Besides, if your list is structured in order of aisles, you will avoid unnecessary wandering in the grocery store, but most importantly you will avoid aisles with excessive mark-up on products.

3. Make a budget

Estimate how much money you can spend on groceries and how much the items you need approximately cost. By preparing a budget before going to the grocery store, you bring with you only the required amount or a few more money to be safe. In doing so, you keep grocery shopping within your budget.

4. Use a calculator

By using a calculator you will be able to sum up the total cost of your purchases before getting to the cashier and make sure you are within your budget. Also, you can figure out the unit price by dividing the cost of the product by the quantity. This will help you estimate if it is worth buying specific products from your local grocery store or it's better to buy them from a discount store or a wholesale store.

5. Buy in bulk

Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money. In your local grocery store you can get a discount of 10% for buying in bulk. Alternatively, you can get free membership cards in Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club to buy in bulk items you regularly use and you are sure you will consume before the expiration date. If you consume lots of sweets and snacks in your family, you can try BulkFoods.com. You can also check out the food section of eBay, although it may not be so convenient because of shipping costs and expiration dates that you have to confirm. In any case, by buying in bulk on a regular basis and pay less you will eventually save a lot of money annually.

6. Keep leftovers

Supermarkets typically package items in packs of 3 or 4. You can take advantage of this policy by cooking all 3 or 4 items and save food for lunch for the next days. You can do that with all leftovers which can be frozen and reheated or recycled in another meal.

7. Use your freezer

You can buy fresh food on sales and use your freezer to keep it fresh and cook it at a later time. If you have on your weekly list food items that are offered on double quantities, you can stock up your freezer and use every day only the portions you need. In that way, not only you save money, but you also maintain the ingredients fresh and the nutritional value of food intact.

8. Stock up on non-perishable items

Stocking up non-perishable items can save you a lot of money. Paper products, laundry products, detergents, stain removers, bleach, fabric softeners, cleaning products, soaps, deodorants, shampoos, toothpastes, all are products that you need and you consume all year round. By stocking them up, not only you make sure that you won't run out, but you are very likely to get a good discount for buying them in large quantities.

9. Use coupons

Coupons are an efficient way to save money on groceries. You can clip grocery coupons from your Sunday paper or print free coupons from websites such as Smart Source, Coupons, Red Plum, and Coupon Mom. You can also join these websites to be notified every week for of the new coupons available. Also, check with your local grocery store to see if they offer coupons.

10. Join an incentive program

Loyalty gets rewarded. If you are regular to your local grocery store, see if they have any sort of incentive program that can offer you extra savings or bonus points on purchasing certain items. In that way, you save a few bucks per item, but in total you save a lot of money.

Overall, saving money on groceries is doable provided you have a plan. If you go to the grocery store with an empty stomach or you make last moment purchases without a list, you are extremely likely to spend more money that what you originally planned because you make purchases you did not intend on making. Also, you are very likely to buy junk food instead of healthy items with high nutritional value. Besides, keep in mind that the most expensive and enticing items, yet the unhealthiest ones, are strategically placed close to the cashiers so that you make impulse purchases while waiting for your turn to pay for your items. Therefore, be organized, have a grocery list, stick to it and do not deviate at all until you exit the grocery store