by September Gray

Created on: June 25, 2010

Today's economy is forcing most of us to adhere to budgets more strictly than ever before, so saving money on groceries is a big concern for many people. However, it can be done by taking a few simple measures.

Ever wonder how food corporations can afford to offer so many coupons and rebates to the public? The answer is simple.  Such offers serve as great advertisement, but a large percentage of customers don’t bother using them when making their purchases. Surprisingly, recent studies show that higher income people, those earning $70,000 or more a year are more apt to use coupons than those of a lower income. People just don’t take the time to clip them or they tuck them away in a drawer and forget about them. There is no limit as to what percentage coupons and rebates can cut your grocery bill, so take the time to gather them before heading off to the supermarket.

Generic brands are another way of saving money. Even if each generic item is only a few cents less than name brands, the money saved will add up to be a significant amount overall. Read the labels and you will see that many generic brands are made with ingredients nearly identical to more costly brands.Often times, the only difference is in the price.

Sticking to a budget of any kind requires planning ahead. Before shopping, make a list and stick to it. Estimate what the total cost will be for your shopping expedition and don’t allow yourself to go over your limit. It’s much easier to resist the temptation of loading the cart with junk food when you have a list on which to focus your attention.

Another money saving strategy is to buy in bulk. Follow the sales week to week. When poultry is the featured sale item, buy a lot of poultry. The next week you might save money stocking up on beef. That’s what freezers are for, after all. Also, reach for the packages with the larger quantities. They will last longer and be less expensive in the long run.

Will power is the key to budgeting successfully, but with these few tips it is possible to save substantially on groceries. By putting these tips to use you can begin saving immediately.  To motivate yourself, it might help to keep track of the money you’ve saved by writing the total down each week. Over time, you will see the amount of your savings grow

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