Slash Your Grocery Bills - Part Two

In Part One of "Slash Your Grocery Bill" I outline five strategies for saving on your family's food budget. Without further ado, I address six more ideas that can save you a bundle at the supermarket when applied consistently:

1) Be Wary of Convenience - You pay dearly for the convenience of prepared foods and individually packaged items - not to mention the extra trash they generate. Many of these items are no more convenient, in reality, than cheaper alternatives. For example, instant oatmeal in the individual packets is no quicker to prepare that Quick Oats cooked in the microwave. It is also loaded with sugar, so saving on convenience should save on your dental bill too!

2) Make It Yourself - When my kids felt that they couldn't live without Lunchables, we found a solution and made our own lunches with crackers and sliced cheese and pepperonis. We also make our own chocolate syrup, pancake syrup, and Pedialyte (which is nothing more than boiled water, salt, and sugar). I also have a recipe for handmade laundry detergent that is a whole lot cheaper than store bought.

3) Eat Less Meat - My husband hunts deer every year, so we always have a freezer full of venison. We probably eat four meatless dinner a week, and my kids prefer pancakes, spaghetti, and eggs and biscuits to steak. We also eat beans with rice and bean soup regularly. These meals are not only cheaper to prepare than the standard "meat and potatoes" fare, but they are healthier as well.

4) Use Coupons Strategically - Coupons are a lot of work to clip, organize, and file. You can nearly always buy the store brand for less than a name brand, even with a coupon. However, you can sometimes combine a coupon with an item on sale or a rebate, and get an item for free or nearly free.

5) Eat Out As a Treat, Not Regularly - Eating out is extremely expensive when compared to the cost of a home-cooked meal. If you think eating out is convenient, think again. It often takes more time to drive to the fast food joint, sit in the drive-thru line, and drive home than it does to zap something in the microwave. If you double batches when cooking and freeze half, then you will always have something in the freezer to whip out when you are too tire to cook.

6) Never Waste Food - Send last night's leftover to work with your spouse for lunch the next day. A rubber spatula will get three more sandwiches out of the mayonnaise jar when it looks empty.

In addition to the book I mentioned in the first half of my article, another worth investigating is called "Miserly Mom" by Jonni McCoy. This stay-at-home mom researched the actual cost of homemade recipes versus store-bought items and compared the two. She not only covers groceries, but also recipes for such kid friendly ideas as sidewalk chalk and homemade slime.

While many of these ideas may seem like common sense, they can make a huge impact on your family budget when applied consistently. And here's a handy tip - carry a cooler in the trunk of your car. After shopping, load in your frozen and refrigerated items. Then, you can run other errands on the way home (and save on gas) without worry - especially in the summer!