Groceries count for a
large portion of the average family’s monthly budget. As a matter of fact, the
average American spends as much as 33% of their income every month on groceries
according to data from the USDA. However, a large portion of these costs could
easily be lowered by making better purchasing decisions. Here are a few simple
tips any family can apply to save on groceries.
Buy in
Bulk
One of the best ways
to cut on groceries is to buy in bulk. When you spot certain items on special,
try to stock up on them as much as possible, as long as they’re non-perishable.
You could also regularly check sites like Ecouponshub.Com and look for special offers. Cereals, cleaning
supplies, dried goods, frozen fruit and vegetables and canned goods are all
examples of things you could buy in bulk when you can.
But it doesn’t stop
with non-perishable goods. If you have enough storage space, you can also
freeze or even pickle or preserve a lot of perishable fruits and vegetables.
Make jams out of seasonal fruit. Make delicious pickles out of vegetables like
beets, zucchinis or cucumbers. Make fresh sauce out of tomatoes or can them.
These are all methods that will allow you to stretch conservation time and
allow you to buy fruits and vegetables in bulk without wasting them.
Buy Large
Cuts of Meat
Meat is another area
where you can apply the bulk effect. Supermarkets will charge you extra for
special cuts of meats or meats that were processed. For instance, you’ll pay
more if you buy ground meat then if you took primal cuts and grind the meat
yourself.
The same goes for cuts.
Instead of buying chuck or flat iron steak, you could save if you buy the whole
shoulder and portion it yourself. The less transformation that goes in, the
less you’ll have to pay. And if you have a large chest freezer, you can easily
stock up on meats when prices are cheap as well.
Go for
Generic Brands
You’d be surprised at
how similar generic brands can be compared to name brands. In some cases,
they are completely identical. This is the case for most over the counter
medicine such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Brand name
cereals might not taste as good as the original ones, but if it’s for a
toddler, then they most likely won’t tell the difference. When it comes to
staples such as flour, sugar, salt or bleach for example, the difference will
be barely noticeable, so you should always go generic.
Go to a
Discount Produce Store
A lot of people are
afraid to go to discount produce stores thinking that the produce will be of
lesser quality, but that isn't always the truth. In some cases, discount
produce stores sell fruits that have minor cosmetic imperfections or are near
their expiration date. Most supermarkets are very strict as to which produce
they will sell, so the quality of produce you’ll get will be just as good and
you’ll barely be able to notice the difference.
