Save Money by Reducing Food and Grocery Expenses

"Save Money by Reducing Food and Grocery Expenses"," One easy way to have more money is to reduce your living expenses.

Buy from low-cost sources -- Make a list of the most expensive items you buy on a regular basis.

Buy bread and pastry items at a day-old bread store or day-old pastry store if you have one of them in town.

If you have a ""dollar"" store (or other bargain outlet) in your town, you can save money by shopping there.

Buy in bulk, if appropriate -- You usually can save money if you buy in bulk.
 (You can rotate the purchases among the group of people that you share with.
 Make this a place that is easy to access.
 This could be a BJ's Wholesale Club, Costco Warehouse, or Sam's Club, for example.
 In my own area, the Western Family brand tends to be lower cost supplier.
 (Better to pay just for the food itself, without having to pay for the advertising expense.

Buy lower-cost cuts of meats and slow-cook them to make them tender.

When local produce is plentiful it usually will be cheaper than out of season produce that has to be shipped in.

Change your habits -- Do you buy things on a whim rather than because you have planned to use them in meals? Do you buy bananas in a bunch and then have to throw some of them out? If you have some of these problems, you might want to change these wasteful habits.
 You'll be tempted to buy things on impulse.
 Instead, you might try having soup and sandwich meals.

Potatoes are a low-cost food that can be used in many different ways.  Other low-cost foods are beans, carrots, rice, and many types of soup.
 Instead of junk food, buy fruits and nuts for snacking.

Convenience costs money -- You can save a great deal of money by forfeiting various types of conveniences.
 Instead, make your own lunch at home and bring it with you to work.

Don't buy frozen TV dinners.
 If you want, you can make your own frozen meals at home.
 It takes longer but you can save a lot of money.
 Of course, I don't mean to grind your own flour.
 Chop up things yourself instead of buying them already chopped up.

Plan ahead -- One way to reduce your food purchases is to plan your meals a week at a time.

If your local newspaper features weekly grocery advertisements, you could plan your meals for the coming days around those specials.
 You may want to buy enough to be able to can or preserve a portion for later use.
 Then make a note on your permanent shopping reminders list not to buy these things anymore or not to buy too much at a time.
 Another way is to freeze the leftovers, or use non-spoiling containers or wrap.
 They can be used in casseroles, salads, soups, and stews.
 See how many family members can guess the new ingredients in your latest ""mystery"" casserole.
 Then include them in your snacks or menus for the next few days.

See if any local stores will give you double or triple the value of the coupon.
 Enter the search term "grocery coupons" or grocery coupons to print.
 Just enter the search term "healthy low-cost recipes."

When preparing soups, casseroles, and other combined foods, you may be able to use lower-cost substitutes
.