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Cutting the Fat Out of Your Food Bill

You don't have to spend a lot of money to feed you and your family. Follow these helpful hints and you will save yourself a lot of money on your food bills.

Even if you are particular about your nourishment, there are ways you can save money on food without sacrificing good and healthy choices. For example, you might:

• Plan out your meals in advance, and coordinate them with sale items
• Newspapers regularly print grocery store sale items. The key is to plan your meals and shopping list using the sale items. You'll find your money goes a lot further that way.
• Shop only with a list
• Shopping with a list can keep you from making impulse buys that you don't need. This will also ensure you don't end up spending more money than planned.
• Buy generic brands
• Maybe you've always eaten a certain brand of cereal. Take a look at the price next time you go to the grocery store. Then compare the price to a similar store-brand cereal. The store-brand packaging may not be as fancy as your usual brand, but you'll probably find it costs much less. If the taste is good then start saving money right away, and switch over. Most stores carry nearly everything in generics. Try as many generic brands as you can of the products you use. Generally, you can't tell the difference, but your wallet can.
• Buy in bulk
• Take advantage of the bulk section of your grocery store where you can purchase items by the pound without paying for packaging. For example, you can often buy pet food, and cleaning items this way. If you have sufficient storage in your kitchen and pantry, you might want to shop at one of the warehouse stores where you can purchase even larger size items or quantities at a discounted price. Make sure you can use the amount you buy or it'll go to waste.
• Use coupons
• You can get coupons out of your local paper or you can search the Internet for coupons. The trick to using coupons is to only use the ones for items you normally buy. Don't pick up an item just because you have a coupon for it. You'll save even more money if you shop at grocery stores that offer double coupon days. Your $1 off coupon will be worth $2. Your friends probably clip coupons, too, and you may be able to trade coupons you don't use for coupons you do use.
• Don’t shop on an empty stomach
• If your tummy is grumbling, don’t go to the grocery store. Shopping when you are hungry leads to the purchasing of impulse items. Things that will satisfy a craving right now, but may not be realistic later in the week. After all, a 2 month supply of wasabi peas may not be a good idea.
• Take lunch to work
• Eating out costs much more than eating at home. If you have to eat out, plan for it in your budget, and do it sparingly. To help you stick to your plan, take a bag lunch to work. It'll be easier to say no thank you when your co-worker invites you to the fast food restaurant down the street.

You've probably already thought of other ways you can save money on food. Keep in mind, this is only one area where you can reduce spending. For further information about managing expenses, see related articles listed in our Library