by Margaret Shauers

Created on: March 27, 2009   Last Updated: April 12, 2009

Drastically Cut Grocery Prices Without Coupons

There are many ways to cut grocery bills without using coupons.

Personally I use coupons, but only when the item is free or cheaper than the store brand. There are few coupons for meat and not many for vegetables, so those I still shop for the way my mother did.

I grew up on a small working farm with parents who lived through the great depression.

My mother knew exactly what she had in the refrigerator and in the pantry. Today, first step takes time. Go through every area in your home that contains food. Use as much as you can of what you have; this can save an amazing amount. Other than milk, bread and fresh vegetables, I did not have to buy anything for two full weeks!

List what you have and then keep track. Never go to the store without checking your list. Plan at least a week's worth of meals and build your shopping list. If you don't...hey, you'll walk down an aisle and can't remember if you have beans. Worse yet, you can't remember if you have stew meat, and you've promised homemade stew sometime this week.

Comparison shop store ads for all groceries, but especially meat because it is so expensive.

Chop up and stew cheap roasts when they go on sale. Don't buy pre-cut anything, whether it's meat or vegetables. Buy cheaper chicken and pork if it isn't totally larded with fat. Fat makes up a lot of the weight you get charged so it's not economical. It also is unhealthy.

If you don't hate it, plan liver once every week or so. For some reason, this is one totally non-fatty meat that has not gone up astronomically in price. It's full of iron, too.

Buy ham only when it's on sale. Buy sale ham at few pounds larger than you need. After serving baked ham, chop the leftovers. Make a macaroni, ham and cheese casserole, ham croquettes or something else that uses small chunks of ham.

Then boil down the bone and scrape off the leftovers for ham and beans. Ham and beans is a truly cheap budget-stretcher. Never buy ham just for this, especially pre-cut. Pre-cut ham dhunks are the same bone scraps at ridiculous prices.

The same rule holds true when turkey is on sale. One turkey can provide mega meals. So can chickens and even pork roasts and chops. Just plan your meals so that one meat purchase gives you at least two meals. Sometimes you can get more.

If you family does not want to eat ham or turkey or chicken every week, freeze the leftover meat. Use at least one of your pre-cooked meats for next week's menu planning. Some foods like

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