Hey all! Today I want to talk about grocery shopping. We went to the store Sunday and got some great deals. I just want to walk you through how my husband and I shop. We eat great food, nothing luxurious, but still delicious and do not spend much on groceries every month.
Tip #1 Find a grocery store that you like that has great deals and takes coupons. We personally love HEB. If you do not live in Texas you have never heard of it. I am so sorry for you because this grocery store is amazing! ;) I am sure you will hear a lot about it on this blog.
Tip #2 Try branching out and trying the store brand items. Before I was married, I was used to having mostly name brand food items, so I was a bit hesitant to buy store brand for some things. But, it turns out that the store brand stuff is pretty good, especially at HEB! I was scared to try items such as cream cheese and sour cream but have been pleasantly surprised so far. There are still some items, however that I still buy name brand. Next time you go shopping switch out 1 or 2 name brand items and try out the store brand. It doesn't hurt to try.
Tip #3 If you are a soda drinker like me, you know how expensive they can be. $5 for a 12 pack? No thank you! Try to only buy sodas when they are one sale. If it is a fantastic deal, say 4 for $10, buy 8 and stock up. Most of the time we are happy with the store brand. HEB even has several flavors made with real cane sure with regular price $2.97. They frequently have a $1 off coupon on top of that! This week I bought some Coca-Cola, my absolute favorite for 3 for $9. I have been waiting for it to go on sale!
Tip #4 Have you ever thought about reducing cost on your main item which is usually meat? The main meats we buy are ground turkey, chicken breast, tilapia, and frozen cooked chicken such as chicken fillets, nuggets, and strips for fast meals. Ground turkey is a great solution to ground beef mainly because it is a LOT cheaper and healthier. We get a pound for $1.97. Chicken is also right around that price - $1.99. Tilapia and frozen cooked chicken are a bit more expensive. We try to ration these items. The frozen chicken items make a great option when no one wants to cook as an alternative to going through a drive thru. You can put some nuggets and fries in the toaster over and have a quick meal. It is always cheaper to buy raw meat rather than meat that has already been cooked, but we all need easy options for meals sometimes. Try the ground turkey though. It will save you a lot!
Tip #5 Limiting the number of times you make big shopping trips each month can help you save money. We make a big shopping trip once every 3 weeks. Sometimes we make a quick trip to the store for milk or lunch meat in between if we need to. If you go to the store every couple of days, you tend to spend more because it feels like you aren't spending much. If you go to the store 8 times a month and spend $60 each time, it may not feel like a lot each time, but you will get to the end of the month and realize you spent almost $500 on groceries (I realize this number will not be high for larger families).
Tip #6 If you see a great deal on something that can be frozen or is non perishable, STOCK UP. A couple months ago we were able to get Jennie-O turkey (of course it's cheaper than beef!) bacon for $0.52 for 12 oz! We bought 9 lbs worth and froze the rest.
Tip #7 Clip some coupons before heading to the store. We save a lot by printing out coupons and checking deals before we head to the store. I frequent Faithful Saver's blog for current deals and tips. Check it out! Also, if your store price matches, check a couple ads before heading to the store.
Tip #8 Buy the produce that is on sale that week. We love buying fresh fruits and vegetables, and my husband loves blueberries, which happen to be quite expensive. We only buy the more expensive fruits when there is a great sale. I got 3 lbs of grapes this weekend for $3.98. ;) We also got a great deal on zucchini - $0.98 a lb I think. You can save a lot by using the sales to your advantage.
I know I have more tips, but I will leave you with that tonight. In the future I will post some meal ideas with cost breakouts by serving.
How do you save on groceries? Let me know in the comments.
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