Stretch Your Budget at the Grocery Store

If the cost of groceries has you concerned about a strain on your finances, you’re not alone. But there are ways you can work to stretch your budget when you shop for food and other necessities. Here are some tips for ways to save at the grocery store:

Plan Your Meals and Make a Shopping List

Plan your meals for each week. Check your refrigerator, pantry and freezer to see what foods you have at home. Look for foods that need to be used before they spoil. Check for coupons, sales and specials at your local grocery stores. Include foods that are on sale in your meal plan. For example, if zucchini is on sale at your local store, consider adding it as a side dish or part of a mixed dish.

While shopping, make sure to stick to your list. Get what you need and leave! This saves time and money. Choose store or generic brands, which are often cheaper and just as good as brand-name products. Compare prices on canned, frozen and fresh foods. Canned and frozen foods are healthy and can be stored for weeks. Sometimes they are cheaper than fresh. If you shop with kids, let them help add up costs. This keeps them engaged and helps you stay on budget.

Save Money While Shopping

Larger packages are not always the best deal, and you can determine what size is cheaper by looking at the price per unit. A unit could be a serving size, ounce, gram, pound, gallon, quart, pint, cup, etc., or each item itself. The unit price is usually on the same label as the price of the item on the grocery store shelf.

Here is an example of comparing unit prices:

• 1-pound bag of carrots = $0.89 = $0.89 per pound
• 5-pound bag of carrots = $3.54 = $0.71 per pound

The 5-pound bag of carrots is the better value because it costs less per pound.

Keep in mind that sometimes items that are on sale or that you have a coupon for are not the best deal in the store. The store brand or generic brands might be cheaper than the item that is on sale. To effectively save money with coupons, think about what items you buy often and how long you can keep them at home without spoiling.

For more information on savings and food planning, read the full article, click here.

In addition to planning meals, you can also plan your shopping trip in advance by checking store coupons and specials in advance. Many grocery retailers have apps you can use to check pricing, and all offer printed weekly specials in store. Knowing what you need and what the best deals are before you start pushing your cart through the aisles will definitely help you save.