Thanks for sharing all of your tips with us, dailySpark readers. These days, we can all benefit from advice on saving money at the grocery store. I've collected some of the best tips from readers and compiled them here. This is the first in a series of how you save money and stay healthy! (Some tips have been edited for space and clarity.) CLUIZ.UCI My fiancé and I are kind of impulsive when it comes to what we eat, so we purchase staple items like whole wheat breads and tortillas, bulk packages of meat, and a few of our favorite fruits and veggies. Then we add in a few extras like some fancy cheese or a spaghetti sauce to give individual meals some flair. It allows us the flexibility we like, but we also save a bundle and know we're eating well. CUTIEME I order groceries online. I just go to the store and pick them up. I never have to be tempted to buy extras, and I also don't have to spend 45-60 minutes in a grocery store with a screaming 4-year-old begging for something. It is worth the $5 I spend for the convenience. They will even take coupons and adjust the bill. When I don't do this I spend $30 more at the grocery store and have less food. All you need is a master list with the basics. CHUBBY013 I fix only as much as we need for two portions. There is just enough to fix our plates and none left over to tempt us to go back for second helpings. I buy meat in volume when it is on sale and repackage it into one-meal portions. I then take my Food Saver Bags and vacuum seal each of those portions. CIERAPOET Shop at dollar stores. They have great bargains and even some of the expensive health foods at a low price, like fiber bars. For breakfast, a fiber bar is always good to start your day if you are in a hurry. DEBHIGH16 Keep bottled water in the car, and a healthy snack or two, (e.g., all natural granola bars, fruit, etc.) to stave off hunger and the urge to stop and buy a 99 cent fat burger on a bun! By doing that, I don't eat so much while warming up or preparing dinner. DELEEDA Try eating off a smaller plate. This will satisfy your psychological need for having a full plate of food, cut down on your food bills and waste, and ultimately help you lose weight. TWOFIFTY Why pay 99 cents and up for a pound of bagged carrots? And even more for those pre-washed, pre-cut or baby carrots? Loose carrots are about 50 cents a pound. You save money and get to pick each one yourself. Then you peel, cut and store them in reusable containers! You just saved a bunch of pennies! Pennies add up over time. TRICOTINE When cooking, I always prepare more than needed, I divide in individual portions and I freeze for quick meals. When I clean my vegetables I keep "not-so-nice-looking" leaves or ends of vegetables to make a blended vegetable soup that I store in my fridge (I reuse tomato juice glass bottles) and I can drink all day if I get hungry. It is filling, warm and it only adds a few calories per cup. SCRAPPER6 I have made a weekly menu for over a year now. I started doing it because my kids kept asking me (one at a time) what was for dinner. Finally, I got tired of answering multiple children and wrote a menu then I posted it inside a cupboard door so the kids can look ahead and see what we're having. It also helps me prepare a shopping list. I have also started making soups. My favorite is variations of cabbage soup. My kids hate cabbage but I cut it so small that it cooks down to nothing. Add a little lean stew meat and some black beans and you have a hearty, healthy soup that the kids like. And, it's pretty darn cheap. ANGELAA8 I use to work in packaging. Most brands are packaged at the same processors, back to back. You are getting the same veggies no matter what store or private label brand you are buying. Generics may be packed at the end of the run using the less optimal veggies but the same processing plant packs them all. EDWINA172 I just found some recipes using TVP (texturized vegetable protein), a soy product and meat substitute. It's very easy to use and inexpensive. I made a chili recipe in the crock pot with TVP and canned beans. Healthy, hearty and cheap! CTF4035 I make a menu when I make my grocery list but I go to the store with an open mind. If I get to the store with pork chops on my menu and find that chicken is on sale instead, I'll change my menu accordingly. There are so many good SP recipes that I can always find something to make with whatever is on sale. SHOULDABEENABEL My #1 piece of frugal advice? If you smoke...QUIT!!! I quit smoking COLD TURKEY in August after 15 years and my quit meter tells me I've saved about $600.00 already! BLUEJEM Green peppers and onions freeze well when chopped up for use in recipes like soup, casseroles and meatloaf, so I buy extra to freeze when they are cheapest. My next request from you: Share your beauty bargains with us! What affordable products do you use to keep your skin and body healthy and glowing! I'll start: I use witch hazel instead of pricy, harsh astringents. It's gentle enough for all skin types, and it works. A large bottle costs less than $2, and it lasts for months! |
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