You can save money on your food bill by planning before you go to the store. Planning includes keeping in mind your family's needs. The basic needs to remember are:
-
What does my family like?
-
How many of us will be eating?
-
What do the kids or older people need?
-
Is it too hard to make?
-
How much money do I have for food?
-
Will we be eating away from home, so that I should buy less food?
-
Will friends and relatives come over for meals?
Another important part of food shopping is planning the menus for your family meals. Here are some tips to follow when planning a menu:
-
Your family needs
-
Good nutritious foods
-
Variety of foods keeping in mind texture, color, flavor, and temperature
-
Consider wise use of leftovers.
-
Weekly specials and seasonal food, such as fruits and vegetables.
Using a shopping list saves you time. It helps you control your spending. It also helps you remember all the items you need. Here are some helpful hints for making a shopping list:
-
Keep paper and pencil in the kitchen. You can write down things you need when you think of them.
-
Check your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator as you make your list.
-
Organize the list the same way the grocery store sections are laid out. You will save time and avoid forgetting items when you shop.
-
Look at the newspaper and ads for sales and coupons.
Here are some other helpful tips to get you through the grocery store without going broke:
-
Eat before shopping for food. Hungry people tend to buy more food than they planned on.
-
Know the current prices of the foods you buy most often.
-
Read food labels to learn about: contents, nutrition, quantity, number of servings, steps to prepare, serving and storage tips, and other useful facts.
-
Buy the amount of food that fits your family's needs and your storage space.
-
Buy larger sizes of items that won't spoil. It may be cheaper.
-
Buy the quality and size of food that fits how you will use it.
Compare your costs seven different ways.
-
Prices of different brands.
-
Cost of frozen, canned, fresh, and dried items of the same food.
-
Number of servings in each food package.
-
Prices at different stores.
-
Prices of similar foods, such as fresh peaches and pears.
-
Larger packages and two smaller ones of the same product to get the better value.
-
The cost of convenience foods vs. the cost of making it from scratch.