Today I decided to write on how to save money on groceries. I decided to go on the hunt of ways to save money on groceries since I have 2 lovely growing that are always eating. Groceries for my little family of four would range anywhere from 1,000-1,200$ a month. I started noticing the bills decreasing when I started doing these few things. Many of these I discovered on my journey to be a healthier person and some of these I have found ( will post links to sites) that I am going to try.
Now the groceries for our household is about 800$-1000$ depending on the month. I will be saving my receipts to see how much I now spend on groceries to help me on my money saving journey.
Drink Water ( or more of it): That is right drink more water. Most of us don't drink a lot of water and I am sure if we started we would see a lot of benefits from it. When I started my weight lost journey I started drinking more water. How does this help with your grocery bill? It will save you money because you are going to drink less pop (soda), juices ( filled with sugar) and it will also help with your food cravings and eating habits ( being dehydrated causes the body to send us signals that we are hungry).
When you replace water for soft drinks and juices those are items you won't buy any more ( or less of). It will also help you curb your some of you hunger cues as the body often tells us that we are hungry when in fact we are thirsty. That means you will eat less ( and binge less) on unhealthy foods or foods you just don't need.
There is also a sleuth of other reasons that water is good for you which will help in the healthy maintenance of your body which can potentially save you a trip to the doctors ( more for the US as I live and Canada) and getting prescription drugs that may just be solved by a healthier diet and water is part of it.
Use a bottle and a filter: Now what I mean by use a bottle I mean by a re-usable one. Buying already bottled water will be more costly for you then a re-usable one. If your tap water isn't the greatest use a filter. You can get a jug with a filter or a bottle with a filter. I use a jug from Brita because that is what my husband had when we moved in together. Yes, the filters are a bit costly but you only have to change them every 3-6 months which is still better then going through several cases of water bottles. It is also better for the environment. You can also if you chose to buy glass water bottles ( I use plastic), this is one of the many sites I found that sells them.
Make a weekly meal plan: Now this is one that I read all the time and yet I can't seem to get my head around it. This is one that I will have to work on extra hard to do this year. It is supposed to be good because you can utilize your coupons and the specials that are on that week to make your meal around and you can use one or more ingredients on your list to make several meals.
Eat leftovers: Now to some of us it's one of those things where you say of course, why throw them out? but some people don't eat leftovers. I believe in eating them, it will save you a lot of money in the long run because you aren't throwing your money away. Even if there is only enough for one person to eat the leftover in your family it's still better then throwing the food out. Think about it you spent 20$ for your supper and you had left overs for a couple meals. Divide that 20$ into the amount of meals you ate and think about how much money you would of thrown out. ( example from this site)
Use what you have: This is another thing that I have started doing. You go to the store you buy a bunch of pantry staples or food that you can freeze you put it away and then you forget about it. That was my problem but now I look through my fridge, freezer and pantry to what kind of meal I can make. I used to buy things put them away and then forget that I had them and then odds are I had to throw them out later on because they expired month prior. Now at least once a week I look at what I have in my pantry and in the fridge/freezer and see what I can do with my ingredients. Also keeping your pantry and fridge/freezer well organized will save you money in the long by no longer letting food expire or go bad.
Make a list: Make a list and stick to it. Sticking to it is the key. I had a bad habit of making a list and then buying 20 things I didn't need ( that bug still gets me but I fight most times). Not having a list can cost you more money because you are more prone to buy things you don't need and forget the things you do need ( which will make you go back to the store).
Use those savings: Ok, by this I mean a lot of things. A) use coupons. I started collecting coupons ( not extreme but a few here and there) on things I knew I bought and it saved me a few dollars here and there, especially if I used the coupons on items that were on sale you get an even greater deal. B) use the loyalty card, all grocery stores now ( or most of them) have some sort of loyalty program. I only have two grocery stores in this town and the one I go to has the PC financial points program. I use this and it saves me at least 200$ a year. I plan on collecting them for a year to see just how much I can possibly save before using them. C) last but not least, look at the flyers to see what is on sale and use those sales to plan your meals around or to fll up your pantry.
Start a garden: I unfortunately don't have the room in my apartment to grow my own veggies or herbs but if you do why not start one. You can grow many herbs, vegetables and fruits indoors. This can save you a lot of money in the long run even if you just do it for the summer. Also shop the farmers market if there is any in your area odds are the produce will be just as fresh ( or fresher) and cheaper then what you get in store.
Eat then shop: I don't know the science behind this, but shopping on an empty stomach will make you buy more of the things you don't need. Eat before you go shopping or keep a snack with you if you can't eat a meal before shopping.
Bulk buys: If you can join a bulk store like Costco do. It does cost a little bit for a membership but you will save more then what you pay in membership. Also stick with the items you will use most often and that you know won't go to waste. Also, buy products that are on sale in bulk again only if you use them though.
Buy Generic: When you go to the grocery store try buying generic brands instead of name brands. Often time the generic brands are just as good as the brand name. I try and buy generic brands or the cheapest brand I can find on almost everything. There are some things I do go with the little more expensive options because of the taste. Also check out the top and bottom shelves because often times that is where you will find the cheaper options. Companies actually pay to have there products placed in the sight of the shopper.
Add to your meal: Add vegetables or fruit ( depending on you are making) to your meals.This will add bulk to your meal and help stretch a little further ( think add veggies to taco meat or hamburger helper). It will also add more nutrients to your food and make you healthier.
Stop being lazy: By this I mean stop buying pre-packaged, pre-wash and pre-cut foods. Sure these can save you a lot of time but they also charge more for it. Do your groceries and decide a time when you will be doing your own food preparations. It is more time consuming but you can make it family time and have them help by washing and packing the food away.
Portion Control: Many of us eat more then what we actually need which leaves us bloated and tired. A tip to this start with smaller portions on your plate and take the time to actually eat. It can take up to 30 minutes for your brain to catch the signals that your belly is sending. If yo are still hungry after eat a little bit more. It is better to go for seconds then it is to over eat or throw away food because you put to much on your plate.
Look at the reduced items: Looking for items that are reduced can save you money as well. You can buy meat that is reduce and freeze it or use it that day. If you like to make your own sauces and jams often you can buy large amounts of produce that you can salvage to make your recipe for half the cost.
I hope that these tips and tricks can help you save some of those precious dollars on your grocery bills.
Me
P.S. A lot of the tips that I am going to use in my blog will be either from my own knowledge or that I looked for. Some of knowledge I already have I will look for articles that you can read. Either way they will all be posted on the bottom of my blog.
Links that I used and that I think you should check out:
Water:
WebMD
Greatist
Grocery tips and tricks:
howitworks
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