I regularly use coupons and encourage others to do so as well, but understand that coupons are not a good fit for every shopper. Even if clipping coupons is not your style, there are many easy ways to reduce your grocery bill. Use these seven simple tips to save money on everyday grocery purchases.
Creative Menu Planning
I take a flexible approach to meal planning, using the sales items and inexpensive seasonal produce as inspiration. Being open to simple substitutions, like using frozen or canned veggies when fresh produce is too expensive, also cuts costs.
Store Brands
Some generic products rival their name brand counterparts while others are terrible. I make a point of routinely trying generic products to find hidden gems. To avoid a dinner disaster, I do not use them as an entree or primary ingredient unless I know they are tasty.
Sales Circulars
As tempting as it is, I cannot go from store to store in search of the best bargains because the gas and time required to do so negate the savings. I compare the sales ads and, if the savings are significant, I can usually manage to hit two stores in the same or adjacent shopping centers in one trip. I plan my list so that I buy little or no perishables at the first stop and leave them in an ice chest or cold bag with plenty of freezer packs in the car while I finish up at the next store.
Shopping Bag Credit
Ask if the store offers a bag credit for using reusable shopping bags. The modest credit, usually a nickel per bag, is an easy way to save money without clipping coupons. It also helps eliminate the sea of plastic bags that inevitably collect in the kitchen.
Alternative Retailers
Stores such as ALDI’s and Big Lots regularly offer affordable groceries. They do not offer one-stop-shopping because the selection is different from conventional grocery stores, but I can buy inexpensive meat, produce and pantry-stable foods to supplement my grocery store finds.
Bulk Buys
Another important saving strategy is to buy extra food when the price is right. Pantry staples and frozen foods, such as meat, store quite well with proper handling. This gives me the option of using ingredients as I please instead of hoping for a sale.
Regional Store Promotions
Check the sales ads or visit the customer service desk to find out about store promotions in your area. For example, Sprouts has a transition day where it honors both the sales ad that is ending and the new ad. Local Albertsons stores offer a 10% discount to anyone who wears a Dallas Cowboys jersey or gear on game day.
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