Do you spend too much money on groceries, but are uncertain how to trim the fat? We often justify high grocery bills, with our rationale being that we feed food to survive.
But since we eat on a daily basis, this is one of the most effective ways to reduce our expenditures.
You can save each week! As food for thought, here are some helpful tips to slash your grocery bills.
1.
Shop at specialty stores and shops.
Sure, you can find coupons for some of the items that you usually buy at grocery stores.
But you can greatly increase your savings by shopping at smaller stores and shops.
You can find sales on toothpaste at drugstores, sales on bread at bakeries, sales on meat at butcher shops, and so on.
The extra time needed to shop at multiple stores is definitely worthwhile.
2.
Clip coupons.
We often overlook or toss various coupons and flyers that we're handed at shopping malls, or spot in various newspapers and magazines.
After all, is saving a few cents worth the energy needed to cut out the coupon? Well, saving cents makes sense.
And those few cents here and there can really add up! Besides discounts on items, you can also find various specials, such as two-for-one deals.
3.
Make a grocery list.
As simple as this practice is, many grocery shoppers fail to do it.
Before heading out to the grocery store, take a physical inventory of your fridge and cupboards, listing down what you need.
The operative word here is "need".
Sure, it's OK to buy a few items that aren't on your list (and especially if they're on sale).
But making a grocery list will help to prevent you from buying stuff that you don't really need, and is probably unhealthy anyway.
4.
Buy in bulk.
While the initial cost will be higher, do the math to see how much you'll be saving in the long run.
For instance, a super-size canned food item will be cheaper than buying two smaller cans.
5.
Reduce or eliminate junk food.
A lot of "food" items that we buy are high in price, but low in nutrition.
This isn't to say that 100% of what you buy in the grocery store has to be healthy.
But when you buy tons of junk food, there's not only the cost of the food itself, but also the cost to your health.
Minimize or eliminate empty calorie foods from your grocery list, including processed snack foods, sodas, and so on.
6.
Cut out the middleman.
Prepackaged foods can be convenient yet costly.
Instead, debone your own meats.
Prepare your own salad ingredients.
Make your own sandwiches.
As long as you have the time and energy, why pay someone else to do what you can do at your own home-and at a lower cost? While we need food and drinks to live, there's no need to speed too much on those items.
Besides eating to live instead of living to eat, you should also eat without breaking the bank.