Clipping coupons and reading the weekly grocery store circulars are a great start to getting the most out of your food dollars. But there are even more ways to trim your grocery bill without going hungry.
To help you be a savvy shopper, here are 25 money-saving tips, courtesy of Jenna Anding of Texas Cooperative Extension’s Foods and Nutrition Unit.
Make a list and check it twice. Take time to write down the things you need from the store. A list helps you stay focused at the store, can help reduce impulse buys, and can help ensure that you will get everything you need in one trip.
Take inventory. We often buy foods, put them away and forget about them, which is why every few months you should take an inventory of the foods you have available in your pantry and freezer. Use that as a starting point for planning meals and preparing your shopping list.
Plan meals. Knowing what’s on the menu for meals and snacks helps you plan your shopping list. Also, if you have planned for a meal and you have the ingredients at home, you may be less inclined to eat out.
Study grocery store ads before shopping. Know what is on sale before you go to the store so you can plan your meals to get the most out of your food dollar.
Compare prices with unit pricing. Unit price is the cost of an item per unit (such as per ounce, slice or pound). By looking at the unit price, you can compare costs of similar items that may be packaged differently.
Bend, stoop and stretch your way to lower food costs. Store brands of popular food items usually match national brands in quality and taste, but they are less expensive. You just have to know where to find them. They tend to be placed on lower shelves, leaving the higher-priced national brands at or close to eye level.
Don’t shop when you are hungry. Shopping when you are hungry increases impulse buying, which adds to your grocery bill and usually results in food purchases that are not the most healthful. Eat a small snack before entering the store to curb both the appetite and the spending.
If possible, shop alone. Young children influence the types of foods that families purchase. If possible, leave the kids at home to help avoid distractions and impulse buys.
Get in and out of the store as quickly as possible. According to the Food Marketing Institute, supermarkets generate approximately $130 in sales per labor hour. Theoretically, this means that for every minute we are in the store we spend about $2.17. To get out of the store as quickly as possible—and save money in the process—stay focused and try shopping during times when the store is not crowded.
Take advantage of loss leaders, but don’t let them take advantage of you. A loss leader is a product that the store sells for less than what the store paid. Stores do this to attract customers, who they hope will buy not only the loss leader product, but other products as well.
Consider buying bakery items at thrift shops. Thrift stores sell breads, bagels, buns, rolls and other high-quality baked goods that are approaching their “sell by” date. The goods are high quality and most items can be frozen for later use.
Check items that are reduced for quick sale. For example, meat that is approaching the “sell by” date may be reduced by as much as 50 percent. Use or freeze the meat immediately to ensure quality and food safety.
Buy fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season. Not only will you get the best price, you will also get the best quality.
Use convenience foods wisely. Pre-prepared foods will generally cost more than foods you prepare yourself. However, many grocery store chains have their own brands of mixes and meat helpers that beat the national brands in price. Check these out if your family will eat them and if they are cheaper than preparing the items from scratch.
Cut back on foods with no nutritional value. On average, we spend 12 percent of our food dollars (around $210/year) on foods that offer little nutrition. In place of things like cookies, donuts and chips, buy fresh fruit, whole grain snacks, or baked tortilla chips and salsa.
Go meatless more often. Meats tend to use the highest percentage of our food dollars. Once a week, try serving meatless meals such as pasta with marinara sauce, vegetable lasagna, legumes or baked potatoes.
Weigh your pre-bagged produce. Many supermarkets offer fruits and vegetables in three-, five- and 10-pound bags, but just because the bag says “three pounds” doesn’t mean that there are three pounds of produce in that bag. To ensure that you get what you paid for, weigh the bags and choose the one that weighs the most.
Buy frozen concentrate juice instead of ready-to-serve bottles or cartons. A 64-ounce container of ready-to-serve orange juice costs $3.49 (about five cents per ounce). A 16-ounce can of frozen juice concentrate sells for $1.79. Once you add 48 ounces of water to make 64 ounces, the price per ounce is about three cents.
When possible, purchase non-food items from discount stores. Non-food items, such as pet food, cleaning supplies and personal care products, can be expensive in grocery stores.
Be cautious of buying clubs. Buying clubs may not always have the best price, and there is usually an annual cost to be a member. Also, many food items are sold in large quantities, which may be a problem for people with limited space.
Stock up on sale items, but only if you will use them. A sale is no bargain if the family will not eat the food.
Use coupons wisely. Some stores will double or triple coupon values. If you can use the coupons on sale items, the savings will be even greater. Keep in mind that, even with coupons, some store brand items may be less expensive than national brands.
When buying meat, compare the cost per serving, not pound. Price per pound can be misleading because not all cuts yield the same number of servings per pound. While boneless cuts of meat may cost more per pound, they may also be more economical because there will be less waste. Remember, the more bone and fat present in the cut of meat, the fewer number of servings you will get.
Be sure to check the checker. Although many supermarkets use scanners to ring up groceries, the price of fresh produce is usually based on a code entered into the register. Make sure that the code entered is the correct one for the produce you are buying. Also, if the register has not been programmed correctly, the scanner may ring up items incorrectly. Watch the register and check your receipt to make sure you are being charged correctly.
Don’t waste food. An estimated 25 percent of edible food goes to waste, and food that goes to waste is really money that is thrown away. Proper storage and use of leftovers can help reduce food waste. Still, never put thriftiness before food safety. If you think that a particular food is no longer safe to eat, throw it out.
This information is provided as a service by the Texas Cooperative Extension. If you have questions or would like more information, talk to your physician.
H.E.A.D.s Up is a monthly column that features articles on a wide array of Health, Exercise And Diet issues. Information for these articles is provided by health and wellness professionals from throughout the A&M System. If you have questions or story ideas for this column, email Ruth McMullan.