6 Ways to Save Money on Groceries

With the current economic crisis, many people are feeling the pinch on their finances. One of the easier ways to save lots of money in your budget is groceries. Too many people spend too much on groceries and with the rise of prices of food, it’s just getting worse.

Easiest solutions

Here’s a list of just a few really quick and easy ways to save on groceries which requires little extra time or effort.

1. Eat before you shop

When you go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, you are more likely to purchase products you don’t really need. They sound good while your hungry but simply eating a small snack before grocery shopping will do wonders to your budget.

2. Shop in bulk

Buy any non-perishable foods at a place like Sam’s Club or Costco. Sure, you don’t need 5 pounds of rice for dinner, but you can reuse that bag frequently and you save a lot by buying in bulk. If you have an extra refrigerator or freezer, you can even purchase some of the perishable foods in bulk and freeze them.

Buying in bulk also reduces the number of times you need to go to the store for certain items which helps on your gas bill.

3. Don’t buy drinks

Seriously, you can live off of water. It’s actually better for you. All packaged beverages do is put some flavored sugar in water and charge you an extra dollar for it. Water is effectively free due to it’s minimal cost. A great side effect of this is that you will actually become healthier for it which should reduce health care costs in the future.

4. Buy generic

Always buy the store brand. Most of the time the store brand has the exact same ingredients as the much more expensive name brand. This is especially true with medicine as the FDA regulates them and requires the same amount of active ingredients to pass regulation. But the same principle applies to soda, shampoo, dog food, and a plethora of other things. Don’t fall for great marketing strategies. It costs too much.

Harder solutions

There’s a few good tips that are a bit harder or require more time to do but their savings can be incredible. If you are a couple where one person stays at home or only works part time, this may be for you. If all members of the household work full time, these tips will be a little harder to do.

5. Coupon clipping

If you get the paper, go through the coupons each week and buy things which are a great deal. There are several websites which can help with this process. My wife and I personally use Coupon Sense. They tell us which coupons are available and combine them with in store sales (however they are only directed towards the southwest region). We have often got items for free. If you have an extra refrigerator or freezer as stated above, you can buy free items in bulk and use them throughout the year. For instance, we still have a plethora of hot dogs which we purchased several months ago.

6. Study store cycles

This takes some time but you can study when certain produce is in season and out of season. You can study when certain products have coupons. Every store has it’s cycles. You just need to be aware of them and then you can position yourself to purchase certain items when you know you will be getting the best deal.

When not to save

There’s one area where I suggest you just spend the extra money: healthy food. Fresh produce and fresh meats will be much more beneficial to you in the long run than Lunchables and Cheez-its. You may pay a little more in the short run but in the long run, you will be spending less on health care and will be living a more fulfilling life.

And no, I don’t believe that vitamin supplements are adequate substitiutes for good eating habits. The only supplement I’ve ever found that even comes close is JuicePlus but that’s because it’s simply dried fruits and vegetables in a capsule. You need fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats such as fish or chicken to live a healthy life. Don’t skimp in this area. It’s not worth the cost.