healthy family

20 ways to SAVE!

Tips for buying groceries on a budget

 Keep a list of your family’s favorite meals and develop your grocery list based on the ingredients you need to prepare them.  Plan meals around what’s on sale where you typically shop.  Don’t forget to account for leftovers, which can be used to make cost-effective lunches for work or school.  Before you head to the store, take an inventory of what you already have in your cupboards, fridge, and freezer so you don’t end up with duplicates.  If you forget something, don’t make another trip to the store— find a substitution or make do without it.  It’s best to shop by yourself— shopping with kids or a spouse can result in unplanned purchases.  Look at your last grocery receipt. Circle the ten items you buy the most and do a onetime price check at local stores to find the best deal on your family’s staples.  You can also see if you can find lower-cost alternatives—swap boneless chicken breasts for sirloin steak or consider cheaper store-brand versions.  Items on the top and bottom shelves may be cheaper than brand-name products, which tend to be placed at eye level.  Buying produce when it’s in season can be up to fifty percent cheaper. Stock up on seasonal favorites when they’re on sale and freeze them.  Consider buying berries in the freezer aisle. Frozen produce is picked when it’s ripe so it’s loaded with nutrients, and it’s typically cheaper than buying fresh in the off-season.  During the summer, stock up on picnic staples like condiments, meats for the grill, and paper goods.  Around Thanksgiving you’ll find sales on canned goods, stock, stuffing, and turkey, as well as ingredients for baking, like flour and sugar.  In the winter you’ll find discounts on soups and teas.  Many stores now have their own store-brand organic lines, which are usually priced lower than premium brands.  And it doesn’t always make sense to buy the organic version: If you’re going to peel it—think avocados and bananas—go conventional.  Save your organic dollars for produce that tends to have more pesticide residue like apples, strawberries, and spinach.  Buy a whole chicken and cut it up at home or buy in bulk and divide into smaller portions to store in the freezer  Skip the prepackaged deli meat and instead buy by the pound at the meat counter and have it sliced by the attendant.  Last, but not least: Resist impulse buys! ●