When you’re on a tight budget, going to the grocery store might bring about a sense of impending doom. Feeding yourself and your family can be quite expensive. But there are many ways to save money. Here are some tips that anyone can use to slash their food bill.
1. Plan your meals for the week before you go to the grocery store.
If you go in with no idea of what you will be eating, it’s hard to buy the right amount and types of food. You will either come out of the store with too much or not enough. Buying too much food means you’ll spend more than you should have, while not buying enough will make more trips to the store necessary. So write down what you will prepare for each meal, and make your list from that.
2. Add snacks to your list.
Make sure they are things that your family will actually eat, and realistically figure up how much of them you will need. If you fail to do this, you could end up buying a lot of unnecessary junk food.
3. Stick to what’s on your list.
This is a rule with few exceptions. If you get to the store and see a great unadvertised sale on something that you use frequently, go ahead and stock up. Otherwise, buy only what you’ve written down. If you’ve properly planned your weekly menu and based your list on it, you won’t need anything else. (On a related note, always eat before you go to the store. If you’re hungry, you’re more likely to buy things you don’t need.)
4. Cook in bulk, and use the leftovers to make different dishes.
For example, if you roast a chicken, you could use what’s left after dinner is over to make soup, chicken and rice, or some other dish. Alternatively, you could cook meals in large batches and freeze them in individual portions to eat later. Either of these techniques will yield several meals at a low cost.
5. Combine coupons with sales to get items you will use at very low prices. When you get your hands on a valuable coupon, scour the papers to see if any local store has the item on sale. As long as it has a long shelf life, it doesn’t matter if you’ll use it right away or not.
Simply shopping smarter can save you lots of money on food each week. So don’t go in the store with no list and no idea what you actually need. Plan ahead, and keep your budget in mind. By following these simple guidelines, you can spend your money on the right things and avoid ending up with a cart full of expensive junk.
