11 Easy Ways to Save at the Grocery Store

By
Extraordinary in the Ordinary
Posted in: A Penny Saved
  1. Buy generic where you can. While I am happy with most generic brands, there are a few items that I really must stick with the name brand.  This may not seem like much, but a few dollars here and there adds up.
  2. Set yourself a budget each week and prioritize your grocery list before you leave the house.  You will be surprised how well you can eat for so little just be making smart choices.  We cut our grocery bill in half and have no idea what we used to buy.  Seriously,  I think it is the fish and the loaves story.  Our grocery cart is half full, but our cupboards are overflowing. Also, if you shop at a store that have everything, there is a huge temptation to buy a lot of things you do not need.  Make your list based on your budget and stick with it.
  3. Plan your menu.  Look for budget friendly meals, especially meals that can be stretched.
  4. Snack ideas:  homemade popcorn (even if you buy the fancy popcorn oil this is a cheap snack), homemade caramel popcorn, honey roasted peanuts (store brand only – this is a cheap, healthy snack with a lot of protein – we pay less than $5 for a huge party size container).
  5. Use vinegar to clean most of your surfaces.  We dilute ours 50/50 and have found it to be a pretty good cleaner for most things.  If we have something paritucularly greasy or something with raw chicken, we will use a more heavy duty cleaner, but other than that we have been using vinegar for everything.  It costs a fraction of what household cleaners cost, plus you save your valuable living space by not having so many different cleaners to store.
  6. Drink more water.  It is better for you, and it’s cheaper.  Squirt a little lemon for flavor if you like.
  7. If you use a fabric softener sheet, cut them in half when you open the box.  A half a sheet works just is well for most loads and cuts your cost in half.
  8. Always purchase your meats on sale and buy extra for your freezer. Watch your local sales papers.  We have found some really great deals and only  live about 3 minutes from 5 different grocery stores (it’s a wonder any of them stay in business with those odds), so it easy to stop by and pick up whatever we want that is on sale.  We recently purchased chicken leg quarters for .39 a pound.
  9. Plan your meals where you have extras and be sure to use those extras for lunches, additional meals, or freezing for later.
  10. If you have extra pasta left over, don’t throw it out.  Make a meal out of it.  Make a quick and easy Alfredo sauce or a garlic butter sauce with Parmesan and throw in some veggies.
  11. If you are addicted to the expensive legal stimulants at Starbucks, purchase an espresso maker and make your own.  We purchased the cheapest one Wal-mart had – my husband picked it out – for less than $30.  I use it for cappuccino and LOVE them.  While it may not taste exactly like Starbucks, it is REALLY close.
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About Extraordinary in the Ordinary

I am a professional photographer who lives and works from her heart. My goal is always and in everything to be better today than I was yesterday. I’m an ordinary person dealing with what I like to believe are ordinary issues, but in all the ordinary days, I want to live an extraordinary life. I am the mom to two grown sons, and there has been nothing I have loved more than being their mom and being home with them. And while you are always a mom, there is a certain part of that time in my life that is over now that they are grown. I miss hearing them play and having them with me all the time and having all their friends over, but it is time to move to the next stage of life or at least trying to figure out what that is. I am making a list of personal goals, connecting with friends, and still nesting even though the children are grown. I think I will always be a "nester". Home is where the heart is. I love home and love making it a healing place of peace and comfort.