Saving on your groceries
@lologirl2021 (5542)
United States
July 9, 2009 2:19pm CST
Would it be nice to save at the grocery store every month? Why buy groceries when you already seem to have food at the house? Why keep buying things when you can make a dinner at home with the stuff you already have and stop wasting your money and time when you could be cooking something delicious up for a good meal.
Using coupons is always a good idea to save when you can use them, but even a better idea only spend a certain amount of money each month at the grocery store and when that money is gone well make something up with the food you already have stored away in your pantry, fridge or freezer. Saving money now a days is so important and there are always ways to save.
If you cook to much chicken the night before well then have if for a leftover in the same week as it is still good and you can make it another way by adding it with noddles or just anything you can think of. Don't waste your food while you spend your money on it.
1 person likes this
10 responses
@vanshilshah (19)
• United States
10 Jul 09
These are some great tips for saving money, and I also wanted to say that you should use reusable bags so you are saving money, and you are also saving the environment. Every plastic bag that you get is very harmful to the environment.
@jedikat13 (2)
• United States
10 Jul 09
I have heard of two great money saving tips.
One is that before you go shopping, pick the amount you want to spend and hit the ATM. Get the amount in cash. So when you are at the store, you know you can only use the amount you decided on and you will not get sidetracked.
The other is that siblings, parents and children, etc. will go half and half on membership cards and get savings that way. Of course, you also pay money for these cards, but while shopping I have seen them work out quite well!
@Flirtykumquat (927)
• United States
9 Jul 09
I agree with that because I know a lot of the time that if I know I am making something in particular I will always go to the store and buy what I need for each meal. Most of the time I do have stuff already put away and I just don't look in the pantry or fridge. I am trying to figure out what to eat for dinner tonight and I know there are some things in the freezer and pantry that I can make but I will probably get something that I don't have to wait to defrost or something.
@nishdan01 (3051)
• Singapore
10 Jul 09
In my house we do set a budget for groceries and we have a rough amount we would spend for groceries usually. You are asking to cook with the things at home, but a well stocked kitchen makes a good kitchen. I disagree with the idea of using leftovers. They are no good to be eaten after few days. Do you know that all cooked food must be consumed within 3 days of cooking? If not, all the nutrition tend to depreciate and actually we end up foods with more of free radicals and less nutrition. To save money, cook small portions and finish it the same day or latest by the next day. Some leftover food wasted is better than getting sick and spending too much at the clinic added to the damage done to the body.
@mrakobesie (1246)
• United States
9 Jul 09
I eat only organic foods, but contrary to believes it's cheap. we just know where to shop. I but grains and beans for under $2 for a pound. we buy some vegetables in a small health food store and others in a larger store just a few blocks over. I remember where vegetables are cheaper, so i buy it where it's cheaper... I usually eat a lot of apples, so i buy 10-15 lb when i shop. in one store apples are $2 in another $1.5, not much, but when i buy so much, it really shows. I switched my cats to raw organic diet too, and it's very cheap. i spend about $10 per week on food for 3 cats.
@Tallygirl09 (1380)
• United States
10 Jul 09
I agree..buying Organic can be Healthy for us and our wallets. We have several farmers markets and if I go toward the end of their time there, I often get extras throw in for free. And I develop relationships with them so it's like visiting a friend, they put items aside for us since they know how much we love certain veggies. As you said, Mra.., the key is to remembering where you got a good deal and giving those folks more business.
We review the cirulars online for our 3 main stores, see what's on special and what we are needing, add coupons to that and many times we get items for free! It's abit more time consuming but worth it financially. I remember the days when I just shopped and wasn't really on a budget, not anymore. And I buy smarter now so even when money frees up abit, it's a habit I am proud to have developed.
@MNRFOLEY (435)
• Brisbane, Australia
10 Jul 09
Yeah I agree with you, I also make use of the coupons I get on mails or online, and It is really a smart idea to make use of your left overs try to freeze the food that your family didnt eat the night before and always look for specials in the super market when you do your usual shopping. It is also a great idea to constantly make an audit of your pantry maybe there are goodies there that you havent used yet so you wont buy the same thing again and again.It makes me feel good knowing I did something good by saving on groceries.:)
@mariposaman (2959)
• Canada
10 Jul 09
I agree cooking at home is more economical than eating out all the time. Using coupons combined with shopping for sales and buying in bulk can save a lot of money on groceries. Cheap staples like rice and beans bought in larger packages can stretch meals and your budget. Saving money on food is possible but takes a lot of planning, but has a big payoff in healthier eating choices and reduced food costs.
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
10 Jul 09
Thank you so much for the advice and reminder. I don't cook much at home, so I don't buy much grocery. But, I very much like the concept you are saying. That is a very wise way to save waste, and in the broader perspective, save the "Environment" ! Wonderful !
Thank you.
@OConnell87 (1042)
•
9 Jul 09
when we go shopping we buy things that are on offer first and items that are on the reduce shelf then we add things that we would eat the things with which is usually vegetables so we save that way because are not buying everything full price
@psychotaz206 (2086)
• United States
9 Jul 09
i been keeping track of how much i am spending on food and grocery i do use coupons to help me save i also eat stuff that was left over from before that way the food i do have can be used for another day i also try to stock up when the stuff i use is on sale that way i don't have to buy it all the time and i have it when i need it with the money i save from using the coupons i put away for a family vaccation that we are planning to take.
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
10 Jul 09
Hi lologirl, groceries here are very expensive at the moment, inflated by the tourist season. I drive an hour to the fruit and veg market if I am heading up to town. The market is huge and I walk all around clocking the prices against quality and then head back to the stall for something which is a good price and good quality, the difference can be up to 3 euros a kilo so it pays to take it all in. Also I seem to have an almost photograhpic memory for grocery prices and always stock up if something I use regularly is on offer. We don't have money off coupons by the way. If I cook a chicken I wouldn't consider that after the first meal it is leftovers, I will have planned 3 meals from it and usually make a chicken soup from it as well. This is a good topic as some may take advice from it on saving money on groceries.
