PART ONE 

HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES

Paying attention and being aware of what is available is all part of saving money on our groceries. We want to trim the “fat” from our grocery bill. Cutting the grocery bill scares some people – they think it will be awful (eating "cheap" foods they don't like).  I am going to share with you the ways that I cut costs. Some of these ideas may seem “extreme” – And you may be right – But they will enable you to put a smile on your face as you put money back into your wallet instead of handing it over to the cashier.

It does take time to save money and it does require effort on your part. A fact of life is that typically we will get out of something what we put into it. There are many things that I do in order to save as much as I can. I will share the different things that I do – just find one (or more) that works for you. Each idea will save you money. Try one idea at a time and work your way up to doing more. No need to overwhelm yourself. You can simply find what works best for you in your situation. Save a little – save a lot – but do save!

Some of the ideas may sound familiar to you – you may already be doing them but you want to save even more. I’m with you! If anyone has ideas that aren’t mentioned here, please let me know because I want to continue learning more ways to do even better. There is always room for improvement!

Let me give you my disclaimer – I am not an expert on grocery shopping. I don’t know all the deals that are out there. Many times I miss deals. There is no way to know everything or do every deal that is offered. But, I am hoping that this will kick start you into the saving money mode – help you to be more aware of what is available. There is no “one” way to do it. Whatever works for you is the right one to use!

I must warn you that saving money on the grocery bill does take time – especially in the beginning. It is not a 5 minute plan that will save you hundreds of dollars. But, it is time well spent. Don’t get discouraged if things start out slowly for you. It will get better and you will see the fruits of your labors over time. Think of it like a mini part time job that you can do while in the comfort of your own home. By putting in the time you can save $50, $100 and even more off your grocery bill. In the beginning, it will take more time but, again, it is time well spent. I have found that it is worth my time to do this. And, to the best of my knowledge, the money we save isn’t taxable!

Let’s take the first step!

1) Do you have a grocery budget? Do you stick to it? First, we need to know how much to spend on groceries. If you don’t already have a budget in place, you will need to figure out an approximate amount. If you have saved your grocery receipts (or credit/debit card charges on your statement) – add up all the ones for the last month. Get an idea of what you are spending on groceries. Look at the bottom of the receipt to see what your savings were. This will give you a starting point and help you define what your goal is for the next month. In order to see how far you have come, you need to know where you have been.

2) Do you plan out your meals for the week? Having a plan is very important to reigning in the cost of groceries. You wouldn’t build a house without a plan, right? Start with a plan. Will you need breakfasts, lunches and dinners this week? Or just breakfast and dinner? How many dinners – one for every day of the week? Will you have time to make complete dinners from scratch or will you need some frozen dinners for those busy nights? Do you take lunch to work or school? Determine what you will need for the week ahead.

3) Do you make a grocery list? Check your cabinets or pantry and see what you have to work with. Go online and check out what’s on sale in your store (or stores that you shop in). Write down any ingredients that you will need to make whatever recipes you plan on using in the coming week. Don’t forget to check the staple items (things we use without thinking about it – sugar, flour, salt, etc.) and snacks. Don’t shop when you are hungry or you will throw any and everything into your cart!

“Clip” some coupons while online (save them to your account that you will create for that store). There are also websites where you can choose the coupons you want and print them out. Coupons.com is a good one. But, using a coupon doesn’t always save you money. If store brands don’t bother you, check the item’s price (minus the coupon) and compare that amount to the store brand or another brand. Which one is the better deal? Buy the better deal.

When you make your list, it helps to list the items in the same order that you will find it in the store. Get acquainted with the layout of your store – it will save you time when you don’t have to keep back-tracking to find what you need. I will typically go down each aisle in the supermarket – that’s how I find unadvertised specials. It will also remind me of something that I forgot to add to my list. But, if going down every aisle will cause you to overspend – then skip that part. Are there certain aisles that cause you to overspend? Avoid those aisles, if possible. Or, bring a friend to hold you accountable. If you can shop without the kids, that would be ideal. But, I know that isn’t always possible. Kids do have a way of adding things to the cart. If they are old enough, maybe they can help you look for the best price on the items you need – great training for them too!

You now have a plan – a place to start.

Stay tuned for Part Two!