A lot of factors have gone into developing our strict budget, but grocery shopping is one category where I have learned a lot of tips and tricks to save money. The most important thing is where you shop. Don't just buy from the guy closest to you, and don't do all your shopping in one place. Find out which stores in your area have the cheapest diapers, the cheapest toiletries, the cheapest bread, the cheapest milk and only shop for those products there.
Ask if those stores have frequent shopper programs or cards. For groceries, get online and find out in there is an Aldi near you. They don't carry national brands, but their generic brands are at least 20% cheaper than generic brands anywhere else, including Wal-Mart.
Generic brands get a bad rap. Most times they taste the same, and sometimes they are even better. I would buy Aldi's spaghetti sauce even if the grocery store down the street was giving away jars of Ragu. Learn to cook. Don't waste your money on prepared foods. Learning to cook is so much cheaper, and a lot of the time they don't even save you much time.
There are 5 ingredients in pancakes, yet people buy pancake mix! It makes me want to scream when I see people buying pancake mix using prepared mix saves you about 7 seconds, but costs a lot more. Buying bagged popcorn is even worse. Did you know that an entire bag of kernels costs you about $1, and lasts forever? I think I have had the same bag for a few years and no end is in sight yet.
Make weekly menus for dinner. Each week I make a dinner menu, then based on it I'll make a shopping list and only buy what we need for that week. That eliminates impulse buys, extra trips to the store, and ordering takeout because you don't know what to make for dinner that night.
When making my list I'll try to make meals that use a lot of the same ingredients, so we don't end up wasting half a bag of whatever. I'll also try to balance out a few more expensive meals with a few cheap meals every week. Make your best effort to use up anything in your fridge and not let anything, including leftovers, go to waste. You bought this stuff to eat it, not to throw it away.
Another note about shopping with a list really sit down and think of everything you'll need during the week when making your list. That includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Buy enough so that the adults in the home who work can bring a bag lunch to the office, and that you aren't running to the store for the kids snacks midweek.
Saving money is all about your mindset and being able to resist the urge to buy impulsively. Remember that buying something you didn't originally intend to buy is no bargain. That's why I hardly ever use coupons. If they aren't something I ordinarily use, I don't even bother clipping them. (And usually, the generic brand at regular price is still cheaper than buying a name brand with a coupon.)
If you nearly fall out from the shock of your grocery bill total right there at the check out counter, well, if you look around there are probably some other wobbly people standing at all the other counters too. The cost of groceries is getting ridiculous and for some people in really low paying jobs, it can cost half or more of their check each week just to feed their families. When you have three or more children, groceries can cost anywhere from one to three hundred dollars a week depending on how many family members there are.
It might be hard to admit, but a lot of women and men also, who do the grocery shopping for the week are going to have to wake up to the realization that some cutting corners is in order. Sometimes we get stuck in picking out the same brands of certain products just because of the commercials we see on television without paying as much attention to the fact that many of the nationally advertised brands can cost twice that of their generic competitors. Rich people do not usually get rich by spending their money foolishly and they always look for the best deal.
If you think it will be hard for you to change some of the food products you use, then you should start with non food items. Paper products can add up to a big part of your grocery bill if you are not careful. Try cheaper brands of toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and tissues. Try using less paper towels in your kitchen all together. Worn out towels make great kitchen rags for cleanup. Be smart.
Cleaning products can be really expensive if you have taken the time to notice. Sure there might be one or two products that perform well that you will want to keep, but at least try out some less expensive ones. The same goes for soaps, shampoos, razors, feminine products, mouthwashes, all the things that you buy over and over again. If you really want to save money you have to learn to make sacrifices somewhere. Name brand medicines that you buy over the counter are really expensive and it has already been proven that most generics are just as good for half the cost.
Once you have learned how to save on all of these items, you may find that changing certain food brands is not that difficult either. When buying food for your family, you should always make sure that what you buy is nutritionally sound because it is not a bargain if it is not good for the body. Start with food products like dog and cat foods, mustards, ketchups, sauces, pickles, and things that your family may not even notice the difference.
Both Chris Jensen & Rachel Yoshida are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Chris Jensen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Food And Drink and Flirting Tips. Chris Jensen is a contributing author and editor of Jetfly Blog. For more related articles and views visit now. Also, for th. Chris Jensen's top article generates over 450000 views. to your Favourites.
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