Family Resource Management
Living for Today — Planning for Tomorrow
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Ways To Save At The Grocery Store
Buying food can take a large amount from your budget. You may also find this is where you have the most control in your financial planning. With planning and shopping know-how, you can serve nutritious, economical meals.
If you are always leaving the store feeling that you spent more than you anticipated, then you need a good plan. Menu planning is the first step to nutritious eating on a budget. Find twelve to fifteen recipes that your family will enjoy. Write down the ingredients you will need and stock up so you will not have to go back to the store for a while.
Clip coupons only for the items you need and watch the grocery sale paper for weekly specials. Compare shop and make sure the item being purchased with a coupon is a better buy than the generic brand.
Keep a running tally of what’s in the refrigerator so you can make the best use of leftovers. Also keep a pad of paper close by to write down what you have run out of – it’ll keep you from having to make frequent trips to the store. Last minute trips usually result in spending unnecessarily.
Don’t grocery shop when you are hungry to avoid impulse buying and always shop with a list. Make it a habit not to buy anything not on your list. Also it is a good idea to list items in co ordinance with the store layout. This will keep you from having to back track.
The more expensive items are usually at eye level; so be sure to look above and below for bargains. Generic brand staple foods such as flour, sugar, tomato paste, etc. are usually just as good as any.
Use unit pricing to figure out which item is the best buy. Most stores display unit prices on the shelf label. The unit price is the price per pound, ounce, quart, or other unit.
Shop with cash. Allot so much for your shopping trip and then bring only that amount. Leave credit cards and check book at home. This will force you to stay within your budgeted amount.
Last, but certainly not least - stay out of the store as much as possible! The more you visit the store, the more you will be tempted to purchase unnecessary items.
