Saving Money of Groceries

1. Only buy on sale.
Start a stockpile and only buy items when they go on sale.

2. Plan your own meals around the sales and what is in your stockpile.
Enjoy cheap meals throughout the week by planning your menu around the weekly sales ad and items you already have on hand.

3. Buy ingredients instead of prepared meals.
Frozen dinners and boxed mixes may be convenient but they are also more costly. Get in the habit of buying the ingredients you need to prepare your own meals.

4. Shop Seasonally
Foods are cheapest when they are in season. Learn when your favorite foods are in season and buy them then.

5. Switch to generic.
Be flexible. Don't be brand specific. Switching to generic can save you a lot of money. You can get the same item for less money.

6. Loss Leaders
Stores tend to sell a few items below cost to entice people to come in and shop. Learn to spot these bargains and stock up on them.

7. Stack discounts
A sale is nice. A sale combined with a coupon and a rebate? That's even a better deal. Look for any and every opportunity to stack discounts. Remember you can usually stack manufacturer coupons with store coupons. Check your location to make sure.

8. Shop locally
Local produce stands, farmer's markets and u-pick farms can be a great source for low cost, high quality produce.

9. Grow your own food
Whether you have a large yard or live in a small apartment you can cut your grocery bill by growing some of your own food. Fill a few containers or a garden plot with the fruits, vegetables and herbs you use most.

10. Check your receipts for mistakes
Always check your receipts. Mis-rings are common. Make sure any mistakes are brought to your stores attention.

11. Never pay full price for meat
Something is always on sale in the meat department. Focus on those items and if it isn't on sale don't buy it. Chances are it will be on sale in a few weeks.

12. Plan more meatless meals
Meat can be the most costly part of your meal. Add more meatless meals to your menu or experiment with recipes that use less meat.

13. Shop once a week
I use to run to the store every time we ran out of a staple item like milk, bread or cheese. Now I have started shopping once a week. If we run out of something we just have to deal with it until it is shopping day. I am still working on this new rule but so far it is really showing a difference in my budget. Since running to the store for milk would usually also involve me picking up something else that looked good at the moment my $3 milk run would turn into a $25 trip. Now I am trying to avoid that by only shopping once a week.

14. Stick to your list
I must admit I am not always great at this. While I do think I am improving, there is some work to be done. It is hard to pass up a good deal!