Saving money on groceries
We have to eat and so naturally we have to spend money on groceries. While there are many of us who work to lessen the sting of our grocery bills by growing our own produce or making things from scratch, such options are intimidating or even impossible for some. Saving money on groceries (or anything else for that matter) just may involve stepping outside of our comfort zones to try something new. Here are a few grocery money saving techniques worth trying:
Don't pay for packaging
Brand name food vendors charge more for their products not necessarily because they are better but more because the money for the fancy and colorful packaging as well as the advertisements that persuade you to buy the product has to be paid for by someone. Brand name products have also earned the coveted eye-level position at most grocery stores, meaning that the highest priced items are most likely going to be the ones that you see first. With this in mind, hopefully the next time you go to the grocery store, you will remember to look at the contents rather than the packaging and to realize the price differences between the eye-level products and the items at the bottom and top of the shelves.
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Coupon clipping still works
Not all of us get or want to look trough the coupon pages of our Sunday paper. If you are looking for more opportunities to find coupons that can help reduce your grocery bill, go to websites for coupons on popular products that you buy. Coupon clipping has gone high-tech and you can find the coupons you need with a simple click of the mouse. Excellent examples of websites and companies that are frequently offering coupons to customers free of charge include: GetLocalDeals, HotCoupons.com, and ValPak. Start by using a search engine to look up the websites for products that you use the most.
Make your own baby food
Baby food is one of those food categories that I know I always cringe at when I see the price they charge for what you actually get. If you have children you know that the cost of baby food can really put a strain on your budget. Many people buy baby food jars out of convenience. Some buy baby food jars because there is an assumption that they are of a higher quality. The truth is that the difference between jarred baby food and smashed fresh fruits and vegetables is small. Some dieticians argue that fresh produce is even better for your baby. Instead of paying upwards of 2 dollars for a pound of baby food, buy fresh fruits and veggies and use your food processor to smash them up yourself. All that you have to do is steam the produce so that it is soft enough to smash into the consistency that your baby can handle. It doesn't take a gourmet cook to make baby food. With a little effort, a food processor and a freezer for storage, you can get up to 10 times as much healthy food for your baby for the same amount of money when you make it yourself.
Buy bulk to save on monthly grocery budget
Warehouse shopping is very popular and for good reason. Places like Costco and Sam's Club offer bulk items for sale at a discount that ranges on average between 10%-25%. Warehouse type stores aren't the only places to find a good deal on bulk items. If there is an item that you buy a lot, and it can't be found at a warehouse, see if your usual supermarket will give you a discount for buying it by the case. Many supermarkets also have what they call case-lot sales. These sales usually occur in the summer months and you can find great deals. Buying bulk on a small scale offers equivalent economic values. Many stores have a bulk food section where smaller portions of lower cost items can be bagged by the consumer at a savings that is dollar-by-dollar comparable to buying by the case.
