Thursday, July 30, 2009

How to...Save Money at the Grocery Store (No Coupons Necessary)

Save money at the Grocery Store...Without Using Coupons!

I'm a working mom, so I don't have a ton of time to spend looking through ads looking for coupons. I do want to save as much as I can at the grocery store. I have come up with three things that I do (almost every week) that saves me money.

1. Look at the Store Ads online to see what is on sale. Click the links that follow and enter your zip code for the specials near you: Albertsons, King Soopers, Kroger, Price Chopper, Publix, Safeway Weekly Savings, Schnucks, Shop-n-Save, Shop Rite, Tom Thumb, Vons

2. Plan a menu for the whole week (based on what is on sale) and make your grocery list. I mostly stick to meals that are fast and easy to make, so I use my tried and true recipes...you know, the ones you grew up eating and know by heart. If you want something different, or need some help planning a menu, Once a Month Mom posts menus for a month at a time. $5 dinners has some great inexpensive recipes (hence the name), and on Mondays, she publishes her weekly menu.

3. Pay cash for all your groceries.
This may sound crazy to you, but try it. It's so easy to swipe that credit card or debit card, without even thinking about what you are spending; however, if you are standing in line with nothing but cash, you suddenly become very aware of every item in the cart and what you are paying for it. Remember that bag of chocolate chips, which wasn't on sale or on your list? Baking cookies doesn't seem quite so important (Newsflash! paying cash also helps your waistline!). Paying cash helps you stick to your list, but you also need to compare the per unit prices. Sometimes buying in bulk isn't the best deal...and the goal is to spend as little as possible, right?

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