by JT Till

Created on: January 07, 2011   Last Updated: January 11, 2011

In today’s economy, it’s not enough just to cut back on things like eating out, movies, and rolling back the thermostat. One of the largest expenses a family has is their weekly food bill. This is where the smart shopper can drastically cut the cost of feeding the family.

Here are some tips that if used, may cut your current food bill by 25 to 30 percent.

* Cut coupons - The trick here is to cut the coupons for your staple items like milk, eggs, bread, canned foods etc. Don’t be tempted to try and save on “everything”, otherwise you will actually wind up spending more.

* Shop at bulk stores - If you have a Sam’s Club, Aldis, or Costco store in your area shop there for great bulk deals. Meats, laundry products, and nonperishable items are at their lowest cost and are hard to find cheaper.

* The Dollar Store - Yes, that’s right, for baking needs such as spices, cake mixes, and potato chips it can’t be beat.

* Plan your weekly meals - By taking the time to plan your weekly meals, then buying the ingredients for just those meals, you will save a lot . It's when you don't plan, you usually end up buying more nonessential items thus spending more money.

* Don’t shop when you are hungry - This is one commonly heard saying that very few people will take heed. Research shows that if you shop when you are hungry, you will buy more novelty foods and wind up spending more money than you planned.. Have a bigger breakfast, or lunch before you shop and you should stay on  budget.

* Filter your own water - Buying bottled water has become almost an obsession over the last 10 years with every company boasting they have the best product. This is just a marketing ploy folks; study after study has shown that by filtering your own water, you eliminate just about all the impurities that companies do, and  produce the same taste as store bought water.

* Check the unit prices - Some companies fool the consumer by packaging their product in a larger container. By doing this, you may  think you are getting more of the product hence a cheaper price. This is not always true. By comparing unit prices, you may find that buying two or perhaps even three of the smaller packaged item may actually be cheaper.

* Buy the store brand - Yes, that’s right, usually you get the same quality product from the store brands but for less money. The store brands don’t have to pay advertisers to market their products so their prices are lower.

Using these as a guide, you should see a significant drop in your food budget. So, cut those coupons, check the unit prices, shop in bulk, and go save some money.

Source: Kylyssa, Stretch Your Grocery Budget, http://www.squidoo.com/stretch-your-grocery-budget

Source: eHOW, How to Stretch a Grocery Budget, http://www.ehow.com/how_2073450_stretch-grocery-budg et.html

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