5 Tips to Lower Your Grocery Bill

Thank you again to all of you who have let me know that you've voted for my husband's app in the competition that he is in! If you don't know what I'm talking about, please see the post below this one and PLEASE take just a minute of your time to vote for him!! Thank you so much!!

Now onto today's post!!......

I've shared on this blog before about how I've become a coupon mom. But lately, I've been seriously slacking. However, after being contact by Meg at SavingOnTheEssentials.com, I started to get motivated again. I'm excited to share her guest post on my blog and hope that for those of you who have been considering coupon clipping, or are current looking for ways to get even more of a savings, that you find her information helpful and informative.

5 TIPS TO LOWER YOUR GROCERY BILL

With the economy not bouncing back like most people have hoped, many Americans are looking for ways to cut expenses whether it be on gas, groceries, or everyday household bills. Here are five simple ways to help you cut your grocery bill in half!

Shop the Sales
Instead of just going to a major retail store and throwing items into your cart, try pulling out your local stores sale ads once a week to see what is on sale. Then make a list of the best deals that you want to purchase. ‘Cause let’s face it, folks. Everyday low prices are not so low anymore.

Use Coupons
After you have made a list of the sales items you are wanting to purchase, look to see if you have any coupons to go along with the sales items you are wanting to purchase to score any even sweeter deal! You can also check out Saving On The Essentials' store deals to see if we cover your store - we match the sales item and coupons for you!

Stock up when prices are Low
If you find a good deal on a product that you know you will use, stock up on it. If Cheerios are on sale for $1.50 this week and you have a $1 coupon off of Cheerios, stock up and get each box for only $0.50! Even if you already have 2 boxes of Cheerios in your pantry, and you know you will be needing more in the near future, go ahead and buy another box.

Why? Because the whole point of stocking up on the items you know you will use is so that you can purchase them at rock bottom prices when you don’t need them so that you’ll have them when you do need them.

Menu Plan
I know menu planning can sound rather droll, but it really will help you save money on your groceries…and keep you sane! If you menu plan, you will no longer be running around at 5 o’clock wondering what to make for supper.

I usually sit down for about 10 minutes every Monday morning to plan out a list of meals to make during the current week. When I plan our menus I take into account what items I have on hand, what is on sale, and what items I need. I combine what I already have in my kitchen cabinets plus what is on sale to score great deals to help complete my menu plan and keep my grocery bill low!

Create a Budget & Pay with Cash
Everyone needs to have budget. My weekly grocery budget is $40 for the 2 of us. This covers all groceries, personal care items, and household supplies. Sometimes I go over, sometimes I am under. But it’s the goal that counts. Without a set goal amount in mind it is easy to spend more without even noticing where your money is going.

After setting your goal amount, take the cash out of your account and set it aside for groceries and household supplies only. Once the money is gone, no more shopping. Not only is it more difficult to hand over cold-hard cash, making sure you will buy only the items you truly need and/or want, but it will also help keep you on budget.

It may been awhile before you get the hang of things, but stick with it. Give yourself at least 3 months of really shopping sales, using coupons, and stocking up. And you’ll see that it is possible to slash that grocery bill by 50-75%!

* * * *

If you are new to couponing and would like to learn more you can take our Couponing 101: A Guide for the Couponing Newbie course absolutely free!

Meg Kavanaugh loves scoring great deals, blogging, and chocolate. She shares her love for frugal living and money saving tips over at SavingOnTheEssentials.com.