How much do you spend on groceries per month? $400, $500, more? Wouldn’t it be nice to chop that bill down to size and still enjoy all of the food that you love? You don’t have to be extreme; you don’t have to be obsessed. All you have to do is follow a few tips and watch the monthly savings add up.
Save $50
You can automatically save at least $50 off of your monthly grocery expenses when you make a grocery list. It is that simple! Planning your meals in advance, writing up a list of ingredients you need and sticking with that list will save your money. You will be far less tempted at the grocery store to pick up impulse items, things you don’t really need. Unplanned grocery purchases usually add up to an extra 20 percent of your bill!
Save $35
Good things come in large packages, at least when it comes to saving money on your grocery bill. All of those snack-sized containers and convenience items (think cut up vegetables) and bags of goldfish generally cost three times as much compared to snacks in a family pack. Invest in some reusable containers and divvy out the portions yourself. Even better? Purchase items in bulk packaging. You can always freeze or split with a friend to avoid waste.
Save $40
Switch up the way you pay, and you just may save an additional $40 per month on your groceries. How? Pay in cash not credit. Studies show that consumers spend up to 18 percent less money when they pay with cash. There is something about handing over that actual cash money that makes you think twice about whether or not something is worth the purchase. Using cash may also make you less likely to waste the food you did purchase, because it will seem to have more value to you. Step at the ATM, take out the cash, and then go grocery shopping.
Save $25
Reach for store brand products, and you can save at least $25. These products are generally manufactured in the same places as the name brands, just without the fancy labels. Sometimes generics are even better products. Don’t knock them until you try them. Just switching out a few name brand groceries for generically names groceries will save you a significant amount. Compare the pricing, and you will see why. Most of these products are priced 20 percent below their counterparts.
Save $30
Do you do all of our shopping at only one store? If so, you could be missing out on a monthly grocery savings of $30 or more. Research shows that people who shop for groceries in more than one store tend to save more than 15 percent, because they can take advantage of specific sales, reward programs, and general lower prices for specific items. This includes health and beauty products and other items that most of us tend to purchase at the grocery store.
Save $20
Clip those coupons. Yes, you can save more than $20–extreme couponers do it all of the time, but just spending a mere ten minutes a week flipping through your current coupon insert or at a coupon site online and finding coupons for items on your list will save you at least $20 on your monthly bill. That is a lot of savings for such a small amount of time.