New Ways to Save on the Grocery Budget

With rising grocery prices and stagnant wages, it is time for many people to return to some old tried and true ways of saving money on groceries. While shopping sales and clipping coupons are great choices, there are some other ways that can help you to stretch your grocery budget.

Find out when markdowns are put out.

Most grocery stores have a pretty consistent schedule for when they put out food that is marked down. This food isn't bad but needs to be sold quickly. Both perishable and non-perishable foods get marked down routinely. In most supermarkets, you should be able to ask a manager during a time that is not busy when that store puts out its food. For example, the Target by your house may put everything out that is going to be marked down early on Saturday mornings. So someone getting there at, say, 7:30 or 8 AM will get the first choice of foods that have been put on clearance. Getting a box of granola bars for $1.50 or chicken for half price really helps with your budget. While the times may not be the most convenient, if you are really trying to get the most bang for your grocery budget buck, then you should consider trying to time your grocery shopping with the time that food will be marked down.

Leave some space in your meal planning for specials or leftovers that need to be eaten.

If you do shop the markdown schedule, or even if you just decide based on sales, you need to leave a couple of spots to fill in with foods that you find on sale or that need to be used. While planning out every meal and every ingredient sounds like a great plan, it isn't in line with the way that most people live. You never know when a certain recipe may make more than you planned or when those apples start to go bad sooner than you thought. In these cases, it is best to allow one to two meals per week for leftovers or whatever it is that you may scare up quickly. Using leftovers that aren't enough for an entire serving for the whole family can help you to use everything while saving money. If there isn't enough for a full meal, for example, you can make a sandwich or scramble some eggs to fill in the gaps. This will basically mean that you are not paying additional money to purchase the ingredients for those 1-2 meals per week.

Commit to a pantry and freezer check before shopping.

While it is a bit of a pain, you really should commit to checking the pantry, the freezer, and maybe even the fridge before every grocery shopping trip. Buying a jar of peanut butter, when you already have one, is okay if you can just put it on your shelf. If you are shopping on a strict budget, however, it is money that you did not need to spend on this trip. Check the freezer and pantry prior to making a meal plan to see what ingredients you have, especially if you purchase something on sale that you may not otherwise buy. Keep those ingredients in mind as you are planning to allow you to use up as much as possible. Then, once you have made your full list, go back and check on anything that you use frequently. Shredded cheese, eggs, tortillas, and other items are easy to buy when you already have enough, if you don't check first.

Be prepared to freeze fruits and vegetables if they are going bad.

No matter how much we prepare, it is possible that some fruits and vegetables will begin to go bad before you can use them. At other times, you may purchase more than you know that you can eat because of the price. The best way to use up these fruits and vegetables or to take advantage of sales without losing money is to be prepared to freeze fruits and vegetables before they go bad. The process is pretty simple once you get the hang of it, but it will be easier if you keep the supplies on hand. It is well worth the cost to go ahead and purchase these items. You will need a baking sheet. While most people who discuss freezing fruits and veggies talk about using a rimmed baking sheet, that is not necessary if you don't already have one. It simply makes it so that nothing is going to slide off the baking sheet. You also need parchment paper, some type of container that can go in the freezer , some labels, and a pen.

Start by rinsing and drying the fruit or vegetable. Use a paper towel or a cloth to get as much moisture off of the fruits and vegetables as possible. That will make the freezing process go better. Next, put parchment paper on a baking sheet and put the fruits or vegetables in a single layer on the sheet. If you want to season them for a specific recipe, now is the time to do that. Plan to put the items in the freezer in a process called flash freezing for at least 30 minutes. You want the fruit or vegetable to be firmed up and begin to get cold. Once the flash freezing process is done, you will want to put the fruits or vegetables in the containers that you have. Getting airtight container containers is very important because allowing air into the container is what causes ice crystals when you go to use the produce later. Make sure that you are packaging everything up nice and snugly, and then use the labels and a marker to put the item, the seasoning if needed, and the date on it. That way you never question what is in your freezer or if it is still good.

These methods are pretty simple. They work well and can help you save hundreds of dollars a year. They just take some adjustment to become part of your grocery shopping routine.