Inflation is on the rise and many food items have risen in price as a result. Unfortunately raise percentages in salaries don't always commensurate with the rise in the cost of living and people have to search out ways to save and make their money stretch further.
Food is typically one of the first costs people look to scale back on because it is one where you can exercise a bit of flexibility and control unlike electric, gas or housing payments which are set expenses.
Since the price of food has really jumped up over the last several months, your weekly grocery bill is probably a good reflection of these increases. In response are you seeking ways to cut back on food expenses?
You probably are, but the fact is everyone needs to eat. Food isn't one of those luxury items you can simply do without and eliminate from the household budget, because you need to eat in order to sustain.
While the price of food is rising, even though you're likely feeling a pinch in your budget, there are still a few tricks and tips you can use in order to reduce the costs of food.
Reducing this expenditure does take a bit of experimenting, and in many instances some extra time is involved, but the savings you'll receive in return are well worth the effort invested.
By establishing new ways to approach grocery shopping, hare a few tricks you can try:
Careful Shopping Habits
The best way to save (and to eat healthier too!) is to focus on the perimeters of the store and avoid the middle aisles where possible. The end aisles usually contain dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains and meats, all the basic food groups; the middle aisles are usually canned, processed, boxed and frozen foods which are more expensive. If you stick to the basics you can save a lot of money on your weekly grocery trip.
Avoiding impulse buys is also important when grocery shopping. Stores love to set up attractive displays at the ends of each aisle and at the checkout stand in order to sway customers to purchase these items. If you resist this temptation, you'll easily keep your grocery bill lower. It's also a good idea to go food shopping after you've eaten; if you are hungry the probability is higher you may give into temptation for those expensive impulse buys.
Another good tip is to get to know your local stores well. It is a known fact some grocers charge more than others and if you get to know the normal prices at your local shops you can better spot when an item is a good deal or not.
It's pretty common for stores to put up a grand looking display with "sale" prices which state "Buy 10 for $10". The thing is, when you do the math, these "sale" prices frequently comes out to more than what you'd pay normally for a single item; be careful of these marketing traps which are designed to try and convince you to spend.
Coupons
These clipped slips of paper are a traditional way to shave a few cents or dollars off of your grocery bill. While clipping coupons can sometimes be a pain, it is still a tried and true way of savings. There are a few techniques you can use to maximize the savings with coupons.
The first way is to check and see if your store offers double coupons; if so this means they will double the face value of your coupon to raise savings. Another thing you should do is only clip coupons for those products you will normally use anyway because anything else is extra money you wouldn't have spent, and in the end doesn't save you money.
Additionally, you can really maximize the value of a coupon if you can manage to use it during a week your grocery store is having a sale on that item. By really paying close attention to sales and keeping track of your coupons you can save a bundle.
Weekly Sales
All grocery stores typically offer weekly specials. This is a great time to shop and stock up on your favorite items at a more affordable price. If you have a large freezer, you can freeze many perishable items such as meats and some veggies, fruits or cheeses to use at a later time.
By monitoring your grocery stores circulars you can find items on sale which you might not have noticed by shopping in the store; you also might discover substitute items which cost lower than your normal brand or kind of food.
Bonus Cards
Most supermarkets these days have opted to take advantage of computer technology and offer bonus cards; these bar codes which are typically given to you in the form of a key chain or credit card format offer great savings when you scan them at purchase. Without these cards you'll be charged full price.
It is not uncommon to see several dollars or even tens of dollars reduced off your grocery bill if you shop according to what items are on bonus prices. There is a catch though, each time you use your card, your store is able to monitor what you buy and how often; some consider this a privacy violation, so it is up to you whether or not this trade-off is worth it. While you do give up a level of privacy, often those big savings are worth a peek into your grocery buying habits, but the choice is yours.
Another thing with bonus cards is, like the coupons, it's best to buy only the kinds of food items you would purchase anyway because if not, while you are getting a discount, you are still spending money you wouldn't have spent in the first place without the sale. Don't be swayed by attractive ads which highlight using your bonus card. If you buy wisely and only what you need, this is how you'll achieve the greatest savings.
Purchase in Bulk
Many warehouse operations have opened up in the US, such as Costco, BJ's, and Sam's Club. These stores sell only in bulk, and if you use a lot of specific food items, you can save significant amounts of savings.
How it works is you usually pay some sort of annual nominal fee, but then you can utilize the warehouse all year long as often as you want to buy items in bulk. The stores purchase in large quantity and then pass those savings onto you when you buy in volume.
If you opt to purchase in volume, only do this with products you know you are going to buy anyway and that you and your family can eat within a reasonable amount of time. Buying in large quantities is not the time to experiment with new products to try; if you don't like them, it's wasteful, and also if you don't eat them before they perish, it goes to waste.
Invest in a Freezer
This is an initial large expenditure, but over the long term can save you a lot of money. All of those items you buy on sale, with coupons or in bulk, you can freeze to use at a later time. This way when you need items at a time you cannot get them for a good price, all you have to do is go "shopping" in your freezer.
Make Meals from Scratch
Preparing and cooking your meals from "scratch" is another money saver. The prepared or premade meals are very costly because you are essentially paying for the time the store has invested in preparation.
Boxed, bagged, canned and frozen dinners also cost more because there is also preparation involved on the manufacturer's part and these expenses are passed onto the consumer. It is cheaper if you can make your own meals from the basic food groups and avoid any kind of convenient food.
The cost of food has definitely been going up on the rise, but if you try some of these tips and tricks, you'll begin to see your bill decrease each week. Shop smart, know your needs and your stores and you'll be in good shape to save some money.