How To Save Money On Groceries

Hey Smart Pants...You might have noticed that it’s easier to get great deals on non-food items while the cost of groceries is “eating up” most of your monthly budget. The following are some tips to help you plan and make meals on-the-cheap.

Plan your meals around what’s on sale:
This sounds basic but make sure you are using your store’s weekly ad to plan your meals for that week. Even without using coupons, planning your family’s meals around only the items that are on sale will save you a bundle. You should never allow yourself to shop without knowing what’s on sale and what you really need. You will not only spend more money than you would have to for your ingredients, but will also be more likely to buy things you didn't intend to.

Shop from your stockpile before you shop at the store:
If you’re lucky enough to have any food items in your stockpile, try to find recipes that use those stockpile ingredients. There are several great recipe websites that allow you to input the ingredients you want to center your meal around. Some of my favorites are:
• Kraftfoods.com
• Allreceipes.com
• Supercook.com

Stock up when meat is on sale!
I found that while I usually had almost all of the ingredients I needed for a recipe in my stockpile that I still had to purchase meat…sometimes even at non-sale prices. GASP! I thought I was stocking up when there was a sale on meat but I usually underestimated how much meat my family consumes in one week. When meat is at its lowest price, make sure that you’re purchasing enough to sustain your family until meat is on sale again.

When you combine using your stockpile food items along with a store’s sale price and coupons, your meals will not only be delicious but inexpensive as well!


As always...shop like a Smarty Pants!