Feed: How To Save Money On Groceries - AggScore: 14.0

How To Save Money On Groceries

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There are several excellent strategies to saving money on groceries, depending on how you eat. Regular FoodsIf you eat commercially prepared foods, you can feed your family on pennies a day by taking advantage of coupons and refunds. When you combine sales, manufacturer and store coupons, you can possibly get items for nothing, or sometimes get paid to walk out of the store with them. Forget a savings of 25c off a tube of toothpaste. Stores have got awesome deals ripe for the taking, if you understand the concept.On foods you can't get for free, usually meats and vegetables, there are really good clubs that serve the public (not low income). One of them is Angel Food Ministries and you can get a box of quality meat, produce, and other items, worth dollarsignr50-75, for about dollarsignr25. Many areas across the country also have the SHARE program, which provides heavy discounts on meats and staples in exchange for your involvement in your choice of volunteer work in your community.I would also take advantage of sites that offer advice on how to save money and offer opportunities to get sample items [1] for nothing or how to get good deals on other products! Healthy FoodsUnfortunately, those of us who choose to eat organic or health foods do not have the ability to acquire food so inexpensively. There are relatively few coupons on the market for organic foods, as they are not advertised as heavily.But, there are some other options! Organic Co-OpsCheck out your cities produce coops. These are where several families get together to share a large organic purchase from a wholesaler, usually produce. Community Supported Agriculture, CSACheck out your local CSA. This is where you purchase, in advance, a share of a farmer's harvest. The food is healthy, fresh, and does not travel long distances so it can be ripened on the vine instead of picked early and artificially ripened. Grow it YourselfIf you have the room in your yard, the single most cost effective way to reduce the cost of healthy foods, is to grow the food yourself. Large gardens, fruit trees, herb gardens, animals like chickens, can usually be raised in even the smallest location without a big investment. You could even sell or barter the excess food you have.No matter how you choose to eat, there is always a way to decrease your grocery bills [2].A few more tips:Menu Plan Write out a grocery list Use Coupons for additional savings [3] Always Shop alone with the hubby or kids Never grocery shop when you are hungry Take cash with you and leave your credit card at homeIf you follow a few simple steps, they can help you start saving money on your next grocery store visit! [1] http://couponer101.com/category/freebies-samples/ [2] http://www.diyreviews.net/2010/top-40-ways-to-reduce-your-grocery-bill-and-save-money/ [3] http://couponer101.com/