Being a stay at home mom requires us to pinch pennies wherever we can, and most veteran CSAHM’s will tell you the easiest place to cut down on your budget is in the grocery bill.
Below are 5 tips to save on your grocery bill:
1. Buy in bulk. If you do not belong to Costco, Sam’s Club or BJs, now may be the time to join. You can save quite a bit of money on bulk groceries and over-the-counter drugs.
2. Check the Sunday newspapers for grocery pull-out ads with coupons. The circular denotes sales for that week, and you can buy in bulk by taking advantage of sale items.
3. Check online grocery coupons frequently. There are many websites where you can print out coupons for a variety of items.
4. Refrain from impulse buying. Make a grocery list and stick to it. Before you shop, have breakfast or lunch (grocery shopping on an empty stomach promotes excessive purchasing). Check your supermarket website to determine what’s on sale, and for paper goods, either buy generic brands or take a trip to the dollar store.
5. Purchase store brands where applicable. You can save money while not sacrificing taste. Pick up the store circular upon entering the supermarket. There may be in-store sales that were not advertised in the Sunday newspaper.
Finally, here are some additional tips:
Buy a freezer. Even a small one will help you make the most of great sales on meats and other perishables.
Stock up after Thanksgiving. There are more food coupons issued in November and December than in any other month. Combined with pre- and post-holiday sales, the end of the year is tops for food savings.
While shopping, scan the shelves above and below eye level. That’s where you’ll find the cheaper items. If it’s looking right at you, it’s more expensive.
Join frequent-shopper programs. Store-incentive programs can slice up to 10 percent off your total bill. Join them all!
Mix it yourself. You can pay up to 50 percent more for foods that come with sugar, spices, or sauces already mixed in. Pre-mixed juice costs a hefty 60 percent more than frozen concentrate.
Bigger isn’t always cheaper. Sometimes the unit price is the same whether you buy regular size or jumbo.
Pick up large bags of frozen vegetables instead of the boxes, which generally cost more per serving.
Don’t buy toiletries at the grocery store unless you a have coupon. The price can be 25 percent higher than what you’d pay at the drugstore.
Go with paper plates. Plastic usually costs twice as much.
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Great ideas. I’ve recently been turned on to using Aldi’s. At first I wasn’t so sure and there are some things I still have to get at the regular store, but I save a ton on fruits/vegs/eggs/milk and meats.
Joann, I LOVE Aldi’s! I like to buy canned veggies from there, it is such a good deal!
Thanks for sharing that tip – I totally forgot about it.