A little planning can fatten your wallet by preventing expensive impulse buys. You can even save on gas by being organized, because you won't need to make a second shopping trip to buy those forgotten items. Wait a minute, second shopping trip? I am talking about grocery shopping and here are 2 ways to cut the fat from your grocery bill. These ways can help you get a grip on tasty but often expensive cost of living.
It's the grocery cycle: You shop, you buy, you eat, then start over. But being prepared along with being vigilant on prices, coupons and brands can save big bucks.
1. Make a grocery list and check it twice!
2. Watch the price scanner: What can cost you additional dollars are mistakes on price scans that are common at the grocery store. A recent Consumer Reports survey found that 6% of respondents were overcharged at the grocery checkout, and no particular chain stood out as more or less accurate than the others. Watching while your grocery prices scan and verifying their accuracy at checkout can save you money and may even get you free food -- many grocery chains will give you the item for free if it scans at the wrong price, but it's up to you to spot the error.
3. Buy generic items over big brand names: It costs big bucks to market brand-name products, and you're paying for that expense when you buy a food item with a recognizable label. Save 10% to 50% on every shopping trip by switching your brand-name buys for generic items. Compare many generic items to the brand-name equivalent and you'll find that the brands are not necessarily better than their less-advertised alternatives.
4. Stop clipping the wrong coupons: Many coupons offer deals on highly packaged foods low in nutrition and high in unpronounceable ingredients so please take a good look at the grocery coupons you're clipping before getting excited about the deal. A better deal for your health in the long run is by skipping the coupons for bad buys and opting to pay a little bit more for whole foods.
5. Skip the cans, buy dried beans in bulk: Buying dried beans in bulk and soaking them overnight is a frugal way to add protein to your diet without paying for the high cost of meat. Besides, dried beans are extremely cheap and expand when soaked, so your family gets more meal for every dining dollar spent by forgoing the canned variety.
Finding simple ways to cut your everyday food expenses takes a bit of practice, but the payoff can be huge!
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