When I share frugal living and saving money tips, people always want to know how they can start saving money right away at the grocery store without using coupons. People either love coupons or hate them, but that is another subject for a blog post. One of the first things I tell these eager to save folks is to stop or cut down on the prepared food items.
Bagged salad, dinner kits, individually wrapped snacks and other such items (even pancake mix) tend to cost a lot more and you get a lot less. The more natural or basic a food is, the less you will wind up spending for it. Why then does my refrigerator have bagged cut and peeled baby carrots and my pantry have a carton of juice pouches?
Well, sometimes these items can really come in handy and save you money when you might otherwise spend money on a snack or meal out. Although I try to practice my own advice, there are times when I purchase prepared food. When I do it though, I save big.
The clearance section
Our local grocery store has a hidden section in the back of the store where all of the clearance food is kept. These are products that are marked 50 percent off our more. The cost of the carton of juice pouches was less than the cost of one bottle of juice.
In bulk
Your local warehouse store often has good deals on bulk prepared food. Some of these stores actually take coupons, too. Combine the coupon with a special price, and you may find that prepared food is actually quite reasonable.
Seasonal
Many prepared food items come with seasonal packaging. This is especially true for snacks. Once the holiday is past, though, these same food items may be marked 75 to 90 percent off. Check seasonal packaging after a holiday for a great deal.
Comparing the cost
While prepared food is usually much more expensive, it still helps to compare the cost. recently a store brand package of individually wrapped fish shaped crackers actually cost less than a carton of the name brand ones. My kids didn’t notice a difference, although my budget did.
Food thrift stores
Some name brands that have fresh prepared foods also have thrift stores to sell off extra products that are overages or to get rid of new products that were overlooked by shoppers. Locate one of these stores near you and stock up on prepared foods, including some frozen items such as pot pies and deserts, that can go for 30, 0 or 75 percent off of the regular retail price.
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