subject: Tips To Save Dollars On Groceries [print this page] Shopping online for grocery items is the best one you can do as you would get lot of discounts on many items and it is also convenient for you to order right from your home or office. It will also help prevent you from impulse buying. It is the cheaper alternative where you can get coupons to save money on grocery items. Food is one of the biggest expenses, along with housing and cars, in most people's budget. If you're looking for ways to cut back on your budget, your food category should be one thing you look at closely there's almost always ways to reduce your spending here. First, eat out less and cook your own food more this will save tons of money right off the bat. But frugal grocery shopping can be an art and with a little planning, can also be a lot of fun. Here are several tips to save you some big bucks over the long term.
1. Always go with a list. If you go without a list, you may as well just throw your money away. Prepare a list of everything you need, making sure you have everything needed for your weekly menu (next tip) and checking to make sure you don't have it in your pantry, fridge or freezer. Make sure you're not forgetting anything. Now stick to that list don't buy anything not on the list.
2. Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to ensure that your list is complete, and that you have enough to serve your family dinner for the week. You can plan a weekly menu and then duplicate it for the next week this way you can shop for two weeks at once. Be sure to plan a leftovers night
3. Don't go when you're hungry. This is a common tip, but it's true when you're hungry, you want to buy all kinds of junk. You'll end up spending a lot more. Eat a good meal first, and you'll be more likely to stick to your list.
4. Have a budget. When you go to the store, know exactly how much you can spend. Then try your best to stick within that limit. If you don't know how much you can spend, you'll certainly spend too much. Keep a running tally as you shop to ensure that you're within your budget.
5. Make a pantry checklist. Make a checklist of everything you normally stock in your pantry. Keep it posted on the pantry. Put a slash next to each item for the number of items you have (if you have two cans of stewed tomatoes, put two slashes). Then, when you use something, turn the slash into an X. This makes it much easier when it comes time to make your list.
6. Keep your receipts, then enter into a spreadsheet. This will be your price list. Use it so you know when bulk or sale items are a good deal. It's also a great way to comparison shop between stores buy your baking goods in Store A but your fresh fruits in Store B. The spreadsheet can also serve as a checklist to use when you're compiling your shopping list.
7. Cook a lot, then freeze. Plan to cook a big amount of food a whole mess of spaghetti, for example and freeze it for multiple dinners. A great idea is to use one Sunday and cook a week's (or even a month's) worth of dinners. Plan 5-6 freezable dinners and cook them all at once.
8. Look for specials. Every store has specials. Be sure to look for them in the newspaper, or when you get to the store (they often have unadvertised specials look on the higher and lower shelves for deals). Don't buy them unless they're things you always use.
9. Don't waste leftovers. Have a list on your fridge of what leftovers are in there, so you don't forget about them. Plan a leftover night or two, so you're sure to eat them all. Pack them immediately for lunch, so they're ready to take the next morning.
10. Don't buy junk food (or buy as little as possible). Junk food not only costs a lot of money for about zero nutrition, but it makes you and your family fat and kills you slowly. Talk about a bad deal! Opt for fruits and veggies instead.
11. Use store savings cards. These can add up to big savings over the long run.
12. Avoid frozen dinners or prepared entrees. Again, these cost way more and are usually much less nutritious.
13. Drink water. If you regularly drink iced tea, Tang, Kool-aid, sodas or other types of drinks, cut those out completely and just drink water. It's much better for you, and much cheaper.
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