Unfortunately I have not learned the art of creative coupon clipping; those “extreme clippers” crack me up. What the heck are you going to do with 100 bottles of mustard? Are you sure need all those candy bars? I have made sure to clip a few coupons on things that I know I buy and use regularly, but I don’t want to eat and breathe coupons. I am all about buying in bulk and stocking up when things are on sale, some suggestions that the following folks share. Check them out.
Arizona Farm Bureau - @Cottonaggie does a fabulous job posting weekly menus and tips that help save consumers money. Check out these pages:
• 10+ Tips for Stretching Your Food Dollar: http://fillyourplate.org/news/10plus-easy-tips-to-help-stretch-your-food-dollar.html
• Latest Food Price Trends: http://fillyourplate.org/latest-food-price-trends.html
• Menus and Shopping Lists to Stretch Your Food Dollar: http://fillyourplate.org/stretch-your-dollar-menus.html
Food and Farm Hour with Ray Bowman (@jrfarms) on America’s Web Radio – Jenna Hogan, a nutrition and wellness educator with the University of Illinois, shares ways to save while not skimping on quality or nutrition: www.feedstuffsfoodlink.com/Media/PodcastItems/Jenna%20Hogan%20food%20prices-072911-3_0.mp3
I also like to buy food that are processed as little as possible. That way more money goes back to the farmer and not the processor. If you have tips you would like to share for saving money at the grocery, please post in the comments below.
I'm stay at home-homeschooling mom of 5, so my children are home for all meals - we feed 7 people at breakfast, 6 at lunch, and 7 for dinner - so grocery budgeting is a MUST. During this time in our lives with small children (ages 8, 6, 5, 3, 3) we realize super fancy cooking is not realistic. So I try to do simply - budget friendly meals. I alternate cheap meals, with super cheap simple meals =). To simplify my trips to the store - we eat the same 7 meals 4x's per month. Example - Sept: mon-rice bowls, tues-tacos, wed - pasta, thurs-chili, fri-salads sat-upside down day (breakfast for dinner) I also try to plan meals based on what I can get at Aldi (inexpnsive grocery store in my area) Rice and Pasta make meals go much further - and both are cheap, and the pasta in my pantry was free with coupons. Plan your meals, Make your lists, get in/get out of the store - the longer in the store - the more money you spend. =)
ReplyDeleteI am a very busy work at home mom of one married to a meat and potatoes guy! I always try to plan meals around what's on sale--simple sounding I know, but works great! My freezer is my best friend because I can buy meat cheap and save it.
ReplyDeleteAnother tip is that I plan meals around my thought "what can we do with the leftovers"..ie beans tonight become chili tomorrow.
My third tip (and I hope no one tells my family) is once every 6 weeks or so I privately declare a "no grocery spending week" except for perishables (milk, bread, produce). That week I challenge myself to cook from what we have in the house--no spending- it's amazing what we can come up with while looking in the back of the cabinet.