Cutting corners on grocery costs!

I am using coupons and buying what is on sale. We use what we get for our meals that week.

I shop the lost leaders in the sales flyers... too bad we only have one grocery store and the walmart here so not much competition. I also think it best to shop the outside aisles - in other words fresh foods and whole foods - not prepackaged and processed foods. this is better for health though it can be a little more expensive at the checkout I fidn that the food is more satiating and in turn you eat less.

Personally we take advantage of a group buying program or a co-op. For twenty two dollars per month, plus volunteer time (which I would do anyway) I get four to five types of meat, enough to serve two, and then fruits and vegetables, like a head of cabbage, two grapefruit, four apples, four oranges, baby carrots, and often a dessert as well.Where my hubby works, he can eat while he is there. Mostly he does, unless it is something he just does not like at all. I hang out in the clearance sections at the store, you can get interesting bread at a price about forty percent off. Meat can have some deep discounts as well. If you are taking it home and cooking it immediately or freezing it you are safe to purchase it. I buy fresh or frozen fruits and veggies whenever possible. When farmer's market comes, I buy there, no transportation cost, and it is fresh and locally grown. I try to grow some of my own veggies as well.

Coupons, comparison pricing and less trips to stores. Coupons and price comparison are pretty self explainitory. However, less trips out is hard for some people to get right away. Pretty much, for me at least, the more I go out, the more likely I am to want to spend more or buy more things. If I avoid going out to stores where I know I'll end up seeing something I want to buy, then I'm not spending any of my money on something I probably do not need. Not to mention I'm saving gas money by not going out all the time.

Good question because I think there are people that think it's impossible to cut grocery cost but it can be done quite eazily. We are even if we don't like to admitt lazy. I have had to cut down on my grocery bill for these reasons. My husbands hours were cut at work to the point where we are now, He is unemployed. This is what I've done to cut cost. I quit buying paper towel and I use a cleaning rag when I have a spill. I buy my potatoes by the box, soup by the case and save that way. I don't buy anything that can be made from scratch. Example pancake mix, I make my own. Gravy and sauces I make from scratch. I buy family pkg. of meat then divide into portions. Those are just some of the things I've done. The hard thing for me will be this summer, I'm afraid I won't be able to see my daughter and the two kids as much as I want to because the news says we may be paying 140 per litre gas for summer months. OUCH

Lately I've been finding manager specials and markdowns at the stores. You know the just about to expire dates? I freeze the meat right away, use up the salad for supper that night. I don't always find these and have yet to figure out when they do this. I also am buying stuff with less packaging - which means cooking from scratch. I'm using less meat in everything - we don't need more than what is it, the size of your fist daily?

One thing I do is to only buy the fruits and veggies that are currently in season somewhere in the US. The shipping cost aren't as expensive an add-on as for those that come from overseas. Instead of buying fresh veggies, I've been getting the fresh frozen veggie packs. On sale I can usually get a stir fry mix for about 89 cents. I always wait for sales on different stuff and then get extra to store in the freezer or on the shelf. I figure the way I shop I don't pay full price for anything, unless it's a necessity and I have no choice or I planned ahead poorly. I shop for basics at a Save-A-Lot store, which has even cheaper prices than Wally's or Marc's, etc. I still peruse the sale papers to see who has the better deal on meat, etc, and I still use coupons when I can. Then too I get some grocery items at the Dollar store, depending what it is. I get the coffee filters there, same amount as at the grocery, but for only a dollar...why pay all that extra?! I consolidate my shopping, and plan on making rounds instead of just going to one store. In the bigger town out by me, there's all kinds of different stores in a half mile radius, so I start with the dollar store, then Save-A-Lot, and then to Wally's or Marc's (depending on what's on sale.) If the dollar store doesn't have the staple I'm looking for, that gives me the next higher priced place to look for it. So, basically I start by going to the lower priced store first, and then work my way up. I buy family packs of chicken, etc, and debone them myself, then repackage them for the freezer in the amounts that I usually use.

I already cut on paper towels. I use to spend at least $20 per month on paper towels. I am going to save my money and our planet by using reusable towels. I buy just as much as I need for few days, so I always have fresh food and noting get spoiled.

Actually yesterday I shopped for my weekly groceries quite differently from what I normally do. As I only cook for one I had been buying fresh meats and frozen vegetables in in small or single packages so I bought larger quantity packages, and then separated them into single portions. This means I have enough for a couple of weeks and the cost was much less per portion.

I am just using coupons, and the ones on the internet . I am watching for the larger amounts off. Watching the sales and buying less junk food. Buy the larger packs of meats and break them down into smaller packs. The more you can buy to put back the better because costs will rise. So stocking up can save us money too.

I know try to use coupons whenever I can. And if I can double up on the coupons the better! I also like looking for sales whenever I can. I'm a complete bargain shoper when it comes to groceries. I also like to compare various shops prices. Thank goodness for sunday papers.