Saving Money on Groceries, Saving Money on Food

The best ideas about saving money on groceries.

My Own Personal Experience with Grocery Shopping

Okay, I admit, my wife does most of the grocery shopping in our household...okay almost all of the shopping. Actually except for the occasional stop by and get milk, I think the last time I went grocery shopping was a year ago when our youngest was born.

It took me forever to get out of that store. Finding the things on my wife's list was difficult, especially when I had to gather up enough courage to ask some of the moms in the grocery store to tell me what a tomatillo even was, let alone where I could find one.

Having said that, I feel qualified to write this page on saving money on groceries because I am using my wife's input.

Our Grocery Budget

There are four kids in our family. Our oldest is nine and our youngest is about to turn one. Every month we spend about $400 in food. Family money management is important to us.

The dynamics of our family are such that our grocery bill will continue to be more and more as our kids grow older and consume more and more, so saving money on groceries is a big priority.

Grocery Saving Tips

Here are grocery saving tips:

1. Go grocery shopping with a list of what you plan on buying in hand. Not having a plan facilitates out-of-control spending and spending on unnecessary items. Having a list in hand keeps you focused on your goal and helps to save money on food.
2. Go shopping on a full stomach. Do not go shopping when you are hungry. If you are like me, you will end up buying all sorts of extra stuff (usually unhealthy) that you would normally not even consider.
3. Buy in bulk, but only when it makes sense. Many times buying in bulk only causes our appetites to increase and not only do we end up spending more, but we may start putting on the pounds as well.
4. Take advantage of case lot sales. Product prices during case lot sales can be half or less of normal cost, facilitating some serious food savings. Save up during the year and plan on spending more during the case lot sales. Local grocery stores in Utah have case lot sales at least once a year.
5. Use home budgets, namely a grocery budget and be prepared to deviate very little from it. This is another great way to save on groceries. Remember that if you see toilet paper or something else at a lower price than you have ever seen it before, it may be a good idea to buy a very large supply. You may spend more overall on this particular visit, but in coming grocery shopping trips you will not need to spend anything on groceries.
6. Watch for and use coupons. A lot of coupons will come in the local newspaper or mail, but many coupons can be printed online. Keep in mind too that many stores will match other advertised sales from their competition. Compare grocery prices and use it to your advantage.

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