Food is one of the biggest line items in a budget, usually behind only rent or a mortgage and maybe the utilities. It’s also a necessity so you can’t just give it up. Many people want to know how to cut their food budget yet still eat something other than Ramen noodles and Hamburger Helper every night. There are tons of ways to reduce your food b...
Thanks so much for you 50 ways to save money article.
Coupons are one of the best methods to save money in our fast paced culture. Traveling – even local – due to business and obligations means eating out, typically at fast food places.
Its tough on the diet – but with wise selections, you can lose weight. It is also expensive, but with coupons you can save money.
Coupons, BTW, are no longer just clip out. Whether eating at fast food places – or doing grocery store shopping – these days, coupons are codes and discounts available on your smart phone or other mobile devices.
A good followup article might be to look at these 50 ideas and see which one can be accessed with a mobile device, devoting all the article to these types of savings
A great comprehensive article. As Bill says, coupons are getting easier and easier to find and use. I like to save coupons to my store loyalty card with cellfire and savingstar, in addition to the online printable coupons and the coupons from the Sunday circulars. Another way I save is by going to more than one store. I live in a somewhat rural area and we don’t have any big warehouse stores, so I stock up at Walmart on everything I can…then I hit the grocery store for produce and those other items I can’t get at the superstore.
Savings are within everyone’s reach, and by spending 20 minutes a week on news papers or online websites, shoppers can save easily $1,000 annually.
I agree with these suggestions. I have found making my own snacks for the kids to be a big money saver. I can buy mixed nuts and raisins in bulk and make trail mix for a fraction of what it costs to buy the packaged trail-mix. We also bought a quarter cow this year instead of buying beef from the supermarket. We are trying to only eat grass fed beef so the cost of buying a quarter cow was significantly less than buying at the store.
I disagree about only using cash. You assume people will engage in the childish behavior of overspending. I get 1% back when I use a credit card for my food purchases, just like all my purchases, so they too go on my credit card. With sales, coupons, loyalty cards, checking the deeply discounted produce on the about to expire produce, my grocery bill is half what it could be, and I live in Canada where we do not get near the amount of coupons and loyalty programs you have in the USA.
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“Compare sizes” brings up a good point. Paying attention to marketing tactics can definitely help save money. That cheese that’s 75% the cost of the other brand? It’s 30% smaller! That box of cereal bars that’s on sale and dressed up with flashy sales tags? Look, there’s a box half the price and twice the quantity on the bottom shelf.
I like the “eat less” advice, too
I have never read any article about saving money at the grocery store as thorough as this. This was very helpful. I printed it out and hopefully pick up some skills.
Certainly not every tip will apply to everyone. The fact that you have found a great way to save is a bonus
Very happy that you found it helpful and hope that some of the suggestions are able to save you money down the road
Great article, thanks for a few new ideas. The first place I head for in a large grocery store is the area where they keep the reduced for sale fruit and veggies. This week I found a huge bag of green beans for $1.49. If you can’t use your finds right away they can be cooked and frozen for use later.
Comparing unit prices can be eye-opening, especially when the smaller size turns out to be a better value. There are apps that can help you (so you don’t have to carry a calculator or price book).
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I can add another suggestion…a small chicken farm in your backyard. I added a small coup and my little friends have fed me breakfast for some time now. They’re not that much of a hassle if you have time either.
I dumpster dive and also go to give away programs besides doing all of the above. There should be a law against all that food that gets thrown away. It is a sin, while many are going without what they need, and others have hardly any food or money.
Good points! I’m surprised to see nothing regarding freeze-dried foods. Don’t confuse it with dehydrated (yuck). FFDF retains all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes as fresh. All you do is add water and your food “comes to life” and smells and tastes just like it was picked yesterday.
With a shelf life up to 20 years… FFDF is an excellent way to build your own food storage and you can save money on not having to throw away unused produce. FFDF foods now offer fruits, veggies, meats, dairies, etc picked in their ripeness (not ripening on their way to the grocery store).
I have saved a ton of money using FFDF.
Great list, but I always hate it when people make the “shop the perimeter” argument. There are a lot of staples in the isles, such as flour, beans, and rice which make up a lot of my go-to’s for cooking.
Plus stores are going to put tempting items on end-cap displays around the perimeter to lure you in to buying items that you don’t need.
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Eat Less??? Is that you mean?? to reduce cost?
That’s kinda funny