Food is often where we spend the most money. With just a few ample tricks, you can cut costs drastically and change the way your family spends money.
Clip Coupons
Coupons are a great way to save money, but did you know that you can really increase their value by using them during sales or on double or triple coupon days? Most stores offer these specialty days, but if you don’t know about them, you’ll miss out on getting some of your groceries virtually for free!
Switch Brands
Chances are you stick to certain brands for most of your purchases, the same shampoo, the same cereals, etc. This could be a huge issue for your budget. Try using no-name or store-brand options instead. For most things, such as flour, sugar, and even cookies, you’ll never know the difference, but your wallet will stay fuller.
Grow Your Own
Anyone can grow a couple of herbs in a window box and you’ll save yourself a few dollars doing it. Now, what if you were to take that a step further and plant a “garden” box with some lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a cucumber plant? Since fresh fruit and veggies tend to be expensive, it is well worth looking into container gardening to save some money.
Compare Stores
If you’ve gotten used to shopping at the same supermarket all the time, you could be spending money that you don’t need to be spending. Take a look at the other stores in the area and do some price comparisons. You might be surprised to see that you can save quite a bit of cash simply by shopping somewhere else.
Buy Bulk
There are plenty of warehouse-type stores that allow you to purchase a membership and then get discounts on groceries. The trick here is to only buy things you will use up within 6 months to a year. Stocking up on 100 rolls of toilet paper is a great idea, for example. Five dozen cans of refried beans might be a little much, however.
Write a List
Lists can help you remember exactly what you came to the store for, which eliminates those last-minute trips to the convenience store. However, if you are going to use a list, you need to be sure that you stick to it. No purchasing last-minute candy or a box of cereal that catches your eye. That is how budgets end up broken, so make a conscious effort to stick to your list. Having something to eat before you go shopping will also help curb impulse food buys.
It is possible to cut back on your grocery spending without making any drastic changes. Your family probably won’t even realize that you have made the changes!