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The current economy has launched our society into a new awareness. We are taking a closer look at how we spend our money, where we spend it, and how to cut back on the weekly budget. Recent price increases, including the rising price of gas, has caused food prices to soar. But the good news is that there are some easy tricks to cutting back costs.

What You Buy

There are two things to think about when it comes to savvy shopping. First is to determine what the household staples are, and I'm not talking about the pop-tarts and takeout meals everyone requests. Convenience foods should be the first cut out of the budget. With some alternatives however, no one will mind!
Depending on your family, some necessary items might be milk, rice, pasta, potatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, frozen meat, and bread which are all good items to keep on hand. These items are often on sale or accompanied by coupons in the Sunday newspaper. If you haven't done it before, clip those coupons! Some items, such as bread, can be frozen if you happen to come across a great sale.

Stock up, but don't get stuck in a rut!
This brings us to the second point to keep in mind: Grocery items that you make yourself and use in more than one way. Comparatively, pre-made food items are more expensive than ones you make yourself. Even if you have to cook and freeze meals on the weekend that you can serve to the family during those hectic weekdays, the money you will save is going to be worth the extra effort. For example, if you roast a whole chicken, depending on the size of your family, the meat can turn into a wealth of food items. I've turned a single bird into a roasted chicken with vegetables and stuffing dinner, chicken chimichangas, soup, chicken pot pie, and chicken stir fry. The meat can even be frozen in individual servings for later use. Potatoes can be served mashed, fried, baked, or scalloped. They also enhance soups or make a hearty pot pie.

Where You Shop
Finally, some items can be purchased at bulk food stores, bakery outlets, or discount stores. Get to know the shopping options in your neighborhood. For example, I buy my soy milk at Wal-Mart, where it is a dollar less than at the grocery store. They also have weekly specials on fresh produce. The discount grocery store has inexpensive cereal, spices, bread, and canned goods. When shopping at bulk food stores, only buy the items you use in large quantities. If you don't eat tubs of peanut butter, it wouldn't make sense to have that much on hand and you would be wasting money in the long run.

Keeping your family healthy and well fed doesn't have to be costly. With a little thought and shopping savvy, you can be whipping up some great options for a fraction of the cost.

Learn more about this author, Lauren Von Lehe.
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