Next to housing costs, food makes up a very significant portion of most budgets. In this article, I'll show you some ways to save money on your groceries.
1) To reduce the chances of impulse buying, shop with a list.
The first few times you try this, there will likely be things you'll forget. Don't get discouraged by this. Once you do this for awhile, it will keep you on track. Most chain stores have marketing down to a science, so you have to go into the store knowing that's why milk is always in the back, etc.
2) Gradually compare store brand and name brand products.
With some, you won't taste the difference. With others, you can stick with the name brand you like better. My husband and I did about 2-3 products a week until we figured out what we liked. Long-term, this can save you quite a bit of money.
3) Generally buying in bulk is better than buying smaller prepackaged items.
This isn't always the case however. I have a separate article on how to compare similar products by size that I've linked below.
4) I think coupons are great as long as you're not buying something purely because of the coupon.
Many grocery stores double and triple coupons, allowing you to get some products very inexpensively. They're somewhat of a hassle in the beginning, but the store cards also have a way of tracking what you're buying most often. Sometimes at the register, you'll get a coupon you'll actually use. I personally don't go overboard with organization and searching for coupons, but I do think it's worth spending some time.
5) Look for store sales as well. Sometimes you can get "Buy 1, Get 1 Free" deals that work out to a great price.
Many times it also works out well buying hamburgers and steaks the same day you plan to cook them due to the time limit stores have to sell the products.
Additional Tips:
- Don't have a lot of time to plan a list? Save a month or two of your grocery receipts. This will cut down a lot of the time it will take to make a list and be fairly accurate.
- Factor in your gas and time into shopping around for different items. If saving $2-3 is going to cost you more gas and another 30 minutes of your time, it's not worth it. It is worth trying to find the store in your area that generally has the best deals, but do that by trying a new store each major grocery trip until one stands out.
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