Strauss McGarr

How to save money on groceries

Cutting coupons out of the paper is so yesterday. Instead of spending hours digging through the paper, trying to find the best deals and potentially receiving a hurtful paper cut, why not take advantage of a few guidelines which not only helps you save money but guarantees you'll find the best deals when shopping for groceries.

Throughout this article, you will learn simple yet effective methods to cut back and save on your groceries - without having to resort to coupon clipping.

Haven't your mother always told you - "don't go to the grocery store when you're hungry else you'll buy everything!" In many ways, your mother knew exactly what she was talking about.

Going to the grocery store on an empty stomach creates impulse purchases; the candy wrack at the end of the checkout isle becomes an unavoidable zone of spending waste.

Point to take away: Go grocery shopping after you've already eaten. When you aren't hungry, you won't make impulse buys and only focus on what you actually need.

CREATE A LIST AND STICK TO IT

Many people show up to the grocery store with the intent to buy only a few needed items but end up filling up their carts as each new item seems to satisfy an urge for trial.

When you create a list, you boil down your grocery shopping to the essentials. To take your list to the next level, plan out your meals for the entire week. When a plan is created on a weekly basis, you'll be able to find exactly what you'll need for each serving - helping you avoid unnecessary purchases and keeping your grocery bill to the bare minimum.

GO OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Most people are accustomed to shopping at major grocery food store chains. Although grocery stores do offer very competitive pricing and a wide variety of items, nothing compares to the local food markets held by farmers.

These farmers markets, which can be found at many flea markets, offer an excellent selection of food for rock bottom prices. Farmers markets may be a little further out of the way but you'll sleep soundly knowing you found great deals, fresh product and helped spur business within your local economy.

TRY THE SCRATCH AND DENT

Many stores have begun to pop up all over the country which offers food products which have been scratched or dented. Most of the time, these scratch and dent stores mostly stock canned food items.

Your first reaction may be that these products are inferior but in reality the cans still offer you the same great product but only have cosmetic damage. These cans of food can be well over 50% off the retail price!

Stock up on the "essentials" at scratch and dent food stores; then use a mixture of farmers markets and chain stores to finish out your grocery shopping.

TRY AN ONLINE GROCERY STORE

It may be still in its infancy but grocery shopping online has quickly caught on amongst many tech savvy individuals. When ordering food online, you will be able to compare prices from the comfort of your home and avoid those costly impulse purchases often experienced at the physical grocery stores.

The great addition to ordering food online is the ability to find an almost unlimited range of food which isn’t carried by local grocery stores. Vegetarian, vegan, cultural and many other variances of food can be found online - opening your options if you have different food preferences than the average consumer.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 2 FOR 1 DEALS

One of the main draws of grocery stores are the two for one deals right out in front as you walk in. These deals are there to entice you to enter the grocery store in hopes you continue to purchase additional items.

Don't let everything else distract you from going only after these deals. Avoid temptation to continue to explore the grocery store - stick with these deals and you'll make out like a bandit!

BUY FROM BULK RETAILERS

Bulk retailers sell groceries at wholesale prices. For many families, there may not be any reason to buy in such high bulk but others have found great deals when planning far into the future.

The trick to buying from wholesale grocery stores is to go after only the essentials - try to stick to canned goods which will last over the months in comparison to bulk fruit which will certainly go to waste.

CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS

In comparison to other countries of the world, most of the Western world eats entirely too much. Consider cutting back on your eating habits or aim to eat more healthy - when you cut out junk food, you'll notice a massive amount of savings as you crave less sugars and stick to healthier items.

Additionally, when you change your eating habits, you'll be able to seek smaller portions which cost much less than their larger counter parts. Instead of an 8oz steak, try a 4oz steak instead; this creates two meals instead of just one.

DON'T GO FOR BRAND NAMES

Brand names basically boils down to this: marketing.

Most of the time, the brand name items are no better than their regular counterparts. All of the extra packaging, commercials, sales and branding is what creates the higher prices on these items; the quality will often be the same.

For many of your essential items, try out a generic brand. Generic brands are priced at a much more reduced price which can save you hundreds of dollars each year - a much better alternative than coupon clipping.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

There are dozens of alternatives to using coupons which will not only save you time but plenty of money. Most of the tips and tricks explained in this article require a little extra effort to seek out new deals, try out different products and to make a few changes within your life.

By following these methods, you will be able to save hundreds of dollars off your grocery bills each year. What would be better, cutting coupons all day or making a few changes to gain the same benefits? You know the answer.