For some I’m sure grocery shopping has become quite a dreaded chore. With prices skyrocketing and quality of products being less than stellar, I can see why.
I don’t know about you but the thought of paying almost $4.00 for orange juice sort of makes me depressed. Luckily for my family and my wallet, I love grocery shopping and I love a good bargain.
Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks for not cringing every time you step foot in the grocery store.
1 Always check your local grocery store mailers. Check a variety of mailers. See who has the best sales on items you will be buying.
2 Track down Coupons. Every little bit helps. It’s worth buying a Sunday newspaper to get the book of coupons. But be sure to only cut coupons on things you would normally buy. If you don’t want to buy the newspaper look online, or ask coworkers if you can have their coupon books they are not using from the paper. Also, make sure your savings card has your correct address on it. Kroger, I know sends really great coupons for things your buy regularly using your savings card.
3 Buy in Bulk. For families of just 2-3 this can be hard. But buying dry goods, flour, oatmeal, rice, quinoa, couscous, nuts can be a great money saver. These products last for a long time when stored correctly. I usually store mine in ball jars. When I buy my flour I keep what I need out and store the rest in a ziplock bag and place in the freezer.
4 Make an easy meal plan. Don’t go crazy. Just plan out what you will have each day and make sure to add a left over night to your plan. This way you only go to the grocery store once a week, not everyday!
5 Have meatless meals. Not every meal needs to be steak and potatoes. Try a new vegetarian meal this week and see how your family takes it. I always say, if they don’t like there is always cereal for dinner. Most cases, they will love it. Then the next week you incorporate two vegetarian meals and so on. Until you are only buying 1-2 meats for the week. This will cut your bill down significantly.
6 Go alone. I promise this will save you at least $10.00, if not more. Whenever I take my daughter with me she always wants to add this or that. Most of the time it is healthy products so I can’t say no.
7 Cut back on milk and cheese. You don’t have to buy a gallon of milk every week. Cut your milk to half a gallon.
8 Buy different produce every week. I used to think I always needed salad in my fridge. I would buy it even when it was not on sale and looking rather drab, just so I had it in my fridge. Then I realized there are tons of veggies out there that I didn’t have to have ‘lettuce’ in my fridge regularly. If it’s on sale and looks great get it, it’s good to have for dinners and easy lunches. If not don’t panic, look around for veggies that are an sale that week and in fab shape!
9 Dollar Tree Finds. First off I would like to say….I don’t think the dollar tree is a great place to do your grocery shopping. But about a year ago I found they carry my favorite Natures Own breads! Which was really exciting to know because a loaf at my local grocery store is about $3!! So I save $2 by getting it at the Dollar Tree. For me it is worth stopping in there.
10 Avoid prepared meals. These meals that come in boxes and the freezer section are no good. They cost a lot. They don’t provide good nutrients. They are gross.
Here are some of my favorite low budget meals. They taste great and are super easy to make.
