10 Ways to Save Money
Thursday, April 8, 2010
If you are trying to reduce your
grocery bills, it can become harder to shop for a healthy and balanced diet.
You may be tempted to pick up
everything that’s on special from one supermarket to another, but there
are other ways to save money.
Here are 10 ways to reduce your
grocery bill but still eat healthy.
1. If you have a family of 3 or more, try can get an extras freezer if you only
have the one available in your kitchen. A lot of time, you can spot good deals
on meats and vegetables but because your freezer space is limited, you are
reduced to only buying what you need for a week or so.
2. Avoid buying on impulse. Plan
your meals a few days ahead, make a list before you go shopping and stick to
it. That way you don't buy what you don’t need or overspend.
3. Use manufacturer’s coupons. You
can find available coupons of major brands online such as coupons.com,
redplum.com or in the Sunday newspaper. Combining coupons and store specials
could reduce your grocery bill tremendously.
4. Look out for the buy-one-get-one-free offers on staples items, such as
pasta, rice and cereals (choose wholegrain options as they contain more
fiber).
5. Look up and down the shelves to find cheaper
products when you go to the supermarket. Shelves at eye level usually contain
the more expensive items.
6. Switch branded products for the supermarket’s own brand. Some local
supermarkets now have a tag or something similar that reads “switch and save”
below some products. This is a great way to spot savings.
7. Buy fruit and vegetables that are in season, they tend to be cheaper. Or consider frozen fruits & vegetables. To
find out what’s in season today, see Fruit & Veggies Matter website. Here
is the link to it http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/month/index.html.
8. Check sell-by dates on some products. Supermarkets reduce prices on products
that are close to their sell-by date. This can be a great way of picking up
bargains, especially on meats because you can freeze them.
9. Compare savings and deals by using various savings tracking websites or supermarket
comparison websites to see which grocery stores offer the best prices for the
products you want to buy.
10. Avoid ready meals, especially if you have a family of two or more people.
Ready meals are often high in salt, sugar or fat. Making your own meat lasagna
or apple pie is not only healthier, but works out much cheaper. And sometimes
you will even have leftovers that you can freeze and pull out on your busiest
days.
