Learning how to save money on groceries is important since food can be a large expense for a family. It is increasingly more challenging to stay within a budget with the cost of food constantly rising. So, use the following practical money saving tips to spend less on groceries.
Use Coupons
Start clipping and saving coupons as soon as possible.The easiest way to get coupons is with a subscription to your Sunday paper. You can also print manufacturer coupons online at sites such as Coupons.com and SmartSource.com. It will be easier to use coupons if you develop a filing system for them. So, keep coupons sorted in an envelope or a coupon box. Then, make sure to take your coupons with you on every grocery trip. To get the maximum savings, match manufacturer coupons with store coupons and or store sales.
Shop at More than One Store
If you purchase all of your groceries at one store then you are probably overspending on certain items. Look at the sales fliers for all stores in your area that sell groceries, including drug stores such as Walgreens and discount stores like Big Lots. Then make a grocery list for each store listing only the items that are the best deal. When you go shopping make sure to only buy the sale items that you have listed. Otherwise, you might negate your savings with purchases that are not a good value.
Better Yet, Price Match
Price matching saves time and money. You don't have to spend extra gas driving to different stores and you only have to stand in line once.So take advantage of stores that offer price matching - like Wal-Mart. Read sales fliers from other stores and circle the items that you want to purchase. Then take the fliers with you to Wal-Mart and buy those items. When you get to the register tell the cashier that you will be price matching. Give the clerk the flier so that she can verifiy the sale price. Then the cost of the item be adjusted to reflect the sale price from the other store.
Take Your Calculator With You
Calculate the lowest price per unit to find the true cost of items. Let's use boxes of cereal as an example. Cereal Box A has 20 ounces of cereal for a price of $4.00. Cereal Box B has 60 ounces for $8.00. By dividing the number of ounces into the cost of the box we find out that Box A costs $0.20 per ounce and Box B costs $0.13 per ounce. So although Box B costs more than Box A you will actually spend less per ounce on Box B. So Box B is the better deal.
Learning how to save money on groceries takes some work; and, using the money saving tips listed above will take some practice. However, you will see that the effort is well worth it when the savings on food starts to add up.
Practical Money Saving Tips
Practical money saving tips are helpful in all areas of our lives that involve spending. In this four part series you will learn how to save money on groceries, gas, the electric bill, and the water bill.