8 Ways to Save on Your Grocery Bill
If you rely on a low fixed income to cover your grocery bill, you know that the money doesn’t often go very far. While the money you receive may be set, there are things you can do to stretch your grocery budget. If you can master these tactics, you can use the rest of your income to pay other bills, save for a rainy day or get rid of debt.
Here are 8 ways you can cut back on your grocery bill each month:
Eat less
This simple principle may sound counterintuitive, but one of the easiest ways to save money on groceries is to buy less of them. I’m not suggesting that you starve yourself or deny yourself nutrients, simply cut back on portion sizes and/or eat more filling foods (whole grains, vegetable etc.).
Plan your menu
If you want to save money on your groceries you cannot go into the store without a plan. Every week, pull out any advertisements for your local shop and plan your menu around what is on sale or items you have coupons for. You’ll save money because you’ll plan to spend less.
Shop around
The convenience or hitting one store for all of your items could be costing you. Keep an eye on advertisements and check out a few different stores, you may find that the shop you’ve been frequenting has more expensive prices or another store is simply having a better sale. Don’t be afraid to grab items at two or three different shops, if they are close enough together to justify the extra travel.
Drink water
Skip the soda, juices and other calorie-laden drinks. They aren’t healthy and kicking the habit could save you several dollars each shopping trip.
Cheat
Make the food you have go farther – If you drink milk, buy a two liter of milk and pour one liter into a separate container. Add one liter of water to each container of milk and now you have 4 liters of low-fat milk. You have twice as much for half the cost. (it tastes fine)
Make your own bread
Instead of buying loaves of bread at the store, learn how to make your own. You can often make two or three loaves for a fraction of what you would pay at the store, plus homemade brad smells amazing and tastes even better!
Look for discounted meats
Stores will sell meat for up to 80 percent off when it’s getting close to the expiration date. You can save a bundle by purchasing this meat and using it right away or freezing it to use later. Just don’t forget to freeze it if you don’t plan to use it quickly.
Grow a Garden
For the price of seeds and a little sweat you can save a bundle each month on fresh fruits and veggies by growing your own. At the very least, you can use the money you save on different veggies or fruits you aren’t growing.
These are some practical simple living ideas that can go a long way in saving money and being healthy. It’s a two for one deal which can really help anyone regardless of their income bracket.
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