Saving Money on Grocery Shopping

With home foreclosures on every block, fuel costs rising and grocery bills increasing, some citizens are desperately trying to find ways to save money. In a struggling economy, sometimes a few dollars saved can mean the difference between losing the home and paying all the bills. Some bills such as car payments and rent are fixed and impossible to adjust but, with a little creativity, grocery expenses are one portion of the budget that can be lowered.

When money is tight, it's important to not waste anything. Look for creative ways to use those leftovers. Add them to soups, salads, or casseroles. Or freeze them in frozen dinner trays for snacking later. Pack lunches from leftovers rather than buying prepackaged meals or lunch meats.

Plant a garden and grow some of your own food. Fresh produce from the garden tastes better, is economical, and does not lose nutritional value during shipping. Gardening makes a great family activity and an added bonus is the fresh air and exercise you get while tending your vegetable garden.

If you don't have a green thumb or you're just not a gardening person, visit your local farmer's market. The produce you find there will be fresh, tasty, and cheaper.

Plan a daily menu and write your grocery list from it. Buy only what is on your list. The only exception is to stock up on nonperishable items when they go on sale.

A wise saying during the Depression years was, "Make do, do it yourself, or do without." A good way to do it yourself is to make your own breads and pastries and save money at the bakery. Baking can even be fun if it becomes family time with everyone pitching in.

Go veggie several days a week and get your protein from legumes instead of expensive meats. Not only will you help your budget, you'll be helping the environment, the animals, and your health.

Pass up the packaged meals and mixes and buy basic staples such as beans, flour, sugar, milk, and eggs. Pull out some old fashioned cookbooks and get creative. Some of Grandma's simpler recipes are the best! Beans, cornbread and some fresh veggies make a great meal and the cost is just dimes.

Buy in bulk and avoid packaged mixes, highly processed and fancy packaged foods. Sometimes this means a little more cooking time but the dollars saved will be well worth it.

Use coupons. Visit food company websites and print out coupons, look for coupons in the mail or newspaper, or join a coupon co-op where members exchange coupons. Coupons aren't always the cheaper way to go. Make sure to compare the price of a name brand and its coupon to the regular price of a store brand.

Compare prices at different stores but make sure gas expenditure does not offset your savings in groceries. If a store five miles away has milk 50 cents cheaper, the money spent on gas to get there may offset any money saved.