Does Your Grocery Cart Need to Go on a "Diet"?
Maybe you need to go on a diet, but the diet that I am talking about has to do with your food costs. I am not talking about cutting calories but actual grocery costs.
Some Easy Tips
- Cut Back on Meat Costs
Simply change your recipes to less meat or no meat at all. For those of you who are carnivores who insist you cannot cut meat out entirely - not even to save money - use half the amount of meat in your recipes from now on. Bring meat home and cut it in half and store the second half in a ziplock bag in your freezer for your next meal that will be "meat-reduced". If you can do just that, you have already cut your meat-related grocery expenses in half.
- Keep a Few Extras on Hand at All Times
By this, I mean keep your pantry and/or cupboards stocked with pastas and sauces that you found on sale. Buy two to three of these at a time, if you can afford to, so that when something comes up unexpectedly (you don't feel like eating what is on tonight's menu, for example), you will have something else that is on hand and won't be tempted to pick up the phone and call out for pizza. I also keep on hand generic frozen garlic bread. It is great for sprucing up just about anything from pizza to pasta. You can even put some regular tomato sauce on it and add some mozzarella cheese to it and bake it as "pizza" for a nice change.
- Stay Out of the Grocery Store as Much as Possible
Avoid going to the store too often, and definitely do not run out to the store for just an item or two. How many of us ever come back with just those items?
- Take the Time to Plan Menus
Sounds like even more work, right? Well, you would be amazed how much time you will save, and best of all, you will be able to go through the next two weeks and make your grocery list right from the calendar. You can also take that time to see what items are needed the first week that you plan and see if you can incorporate some of those same ingredient for the following week's menu so that you can purchase enough food for two weeks, rather than just one, and one trip to the grocery store in two weeks versus one trip per week not only saves on your grocery bill, but it also saves you time and gas! Now, who doesn't also want to save on gas these days?
- What About Produce, You Ask?
Please find a local farmer's market or produce stand, and visit it weekly or once every two weeks, if you can. I have found that the produce at these places are less expensive than the local grocery store and better quality. The better quality is not just reflected in taste but also in "shelf life". Good produce lasts longer - even in the fridge. That saves money over the long run as well.
- Location, Location, Location
Sounds like we're talking about real estate now, huh?! Well, location is a good thing to consider when shopping, too, because shopping the perimeter or outer edges of the store will save you money. The inside aisles are loaded with convenience and processed items that can add up pretty quickly if you are not careful.
