Here in the Frugal Living Blog, we’ve shared a lot of ways to save money on the grocery budget. But I thought I would do a quick review of my grocery shopping techniques. This way, if you are new to frugal living and need an overview, you’ve got it. Also, sometimes it helps even us seasoned frugal folks to review what we might have stopped doing.
Even if you know nothing about coupons or combining deals, you can still save. Take a look at these basic tips about saving money on groceries.
Shop for basics first. The bulk of your grocery budget should go for basic foods that form the staple of your diet. Milk, bread, eggs, produce and a basic protein source such as beans or meat. These items can usually be found around the perimeter of the store.
Next, you want to stock up on filling foods, such as pasta and rice. You can purchase whole grain pasta and brown rice for a healthy diet.
For the bulk of the remainder of your grocery list, buy generic foods whenever you can. Today’s generic foods are tasty and of high quality.
Avoid the sweets and processed foods as much as possible. Not only are they not as healthy, but they are also very expensive. Make your own sweets to control the cost.
Use coupons only on items that you would purchase anyway, and for the least processed foods. Coupons can make you overspend if you aren’t careful.
If you arrive at the store to find that sales items are missing from the shelves, go to customer service and get some rain checks. Make sure to use them, though.
Reduce the number of times you go shopping. This can help you avoid extra purchases and find creative ways to use what you already have.
Create a grocery budget and stick to it. Better yet, challenge yourself to beat it by a little bit each trip.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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