The
hike in grocery prices is making things more difficult for
even the most resourceful parent. Although I lay out careful
and well-thought menu plans, we have had to increase the amount
we are spending these past few months since the hike in the
grocery prices. Regardless of how much I am spending though,
I know that we are still saving money by eating at home versus
dining out. I try to remember this as I see the totals on
our receipts, and concentrate on the fact that we eat as well
as we can for the amount of money we have budgeted. With the
economy slump, I must be honest and say that I am just thankful
that we have food on our table to eat.
I
wanted to share a few tips though that have helped us with
our grocery budget and ways that I am able to feed our family
well for a lot less money than most. Here are a few ideas
to help decrease your grocery spending without sacrificing
all the good eating in the process.
Good
Research Goes Far
Keeping
track of prices is the best way to insure that you get the
best deals on the items you buy regularly. I know that this
seems like a time consuming process, but it is definitely
worth your time if you are trying to stay on budget. Start
tracking the prices on the items that you buy regularly and
keep this information in a little notebook that you can take
with you to the supermarket. If you have a wholesale club
membership, look online and check the pricing on the items
that you buy regularly on their site as well. Armed with this
information, you will be able to see if those bigger boxes
really pack a better punch or if they actually are costing
your family more money and more space. When you see the prices
dip, stock up and up and up on the items you use regularly.
If you are a coupon cutter, couple this with your coupons
and you will have some killer deals to help to keep your pantry
stocked when the deals are leaner.
Crush
the Condiments
Condiments
can be a huge drain to the grocery budget and don't add any
real benefits to your diet. Skip the condiment aisle altogether
and learn how to make some simple dressings, homemade meat
marinades, barbeque sauce, croutons, and even your own special
ice cream sauce for a fraction of the cost. A quick search
on the internet should yield some great results for making
all of these yummy additions for pennies versus dollars. Not
only will you be helping your grocery budget, but you will
also have control over the quality of the ingredients and
the amount of sugar and salt you put in them. It is a win-win
situation!
Hold
the Meat
Plan
one or two days each week to skip the meat or at least focus
a little less on meat in your entrees. We try to plan one
night where we do breakfast for dinner and have waffles or
pancakes instead of our usual meat and potatoes type of meal.
If your family is not open to going meatless one night, try
finding dishes that take the focus off of the meat. Pasta
dishes or casseroles might have meat in them, but one pound
of meat will stretch a lot further than one pound would as
a main dish. Stretching or eliminating meat can have a truly
positive effect on your grocery budget and you might be surprised
that with a little creativity, you won't miss it at all!
Grow
Your Veggies
I
am a novice gardener and began gardening last summer. I had
low expectations for what I would be able to grow, but my
garden did surprisingly well for a black thumb like myself.
Growing your own herbs and vegetables will save you a ton
of money at the supermarket. If you are just beginning gardening,
like me, start with a small garden or even just a container
garden before making a large investment. Check out books from
the library and spend your winter researching ways that you
can improve your garden each year. Involve your children in
the whole process, as it can be an invaluable teaching tool
for them, and make your gardening a family event. It is amazing
how much you can the save and learn from just a few plants.
Ditch
the Disposables
Did
you ever think about how much of your grocery budget you are
actually just throwing away? Disposable napkins, paper plates,
wet wipes and paper towels can drain $30 or more each month
on your grocery budget and you have nothing to show for it.
We decided to make the switch to cloth napkins, dishrags and
microfiber cloths for our counters; washcloths for little
one's faces; and reusable plates for eating on each day. The
cost savings has helped us to stay on better track with our
budget, and we also have the side benefits of doing our part
to help in the green movement towards making our environment
a little better. Try replacing just one of these budget drains
and you will see that it is so worth your time and effort.
Step
Out of Your Comfort Zone
Research
proves that we lean towards buying the brands and products
that we have grown up with. It is also known that we tend
to gravitate towards stores that are the easiest or most familiar
for us because we think it saves us time. Are we really saving
any money though when we just pick the most convenient or
buy the brand that we have always bought? Probably not! With
the grocery prices going up, now is a great time to begin
exploring other stores in your neighborhood and trying generic
or cheaper brands on the products that you buy. You just might
find a new favorite store or brand you only need to be open
to trying it.
