The hike in grocery prices is making things more difficult for even the most resourceful parent. Although I lay out careful and well-thought menu plans, we have had to increase the amount we are spending these past few months since the hike in the grocery prices. Regardless of how much I am spending though, I know that we are still saving money by eating at home versus dining out. I try to remember this as I see the totals on our receipts, and concentrate on the fact that we eat as well as we can for the amount of money we have budgeted. With the economy slump, I must be honest and say that I am just thankful that we have food on our table to eat.
I wanted to share a few tips though that have helped us with our grocery budget and ways that I am able to feed our family well for a lot less money than most. Here are a few ideas to help decrease your grocery spending without sacrificing all the good eating in the process.
Good Research Goes Far
Keeping track of prices is the best way to insure that you get the best deals on the items you buy regularly. I know that this seems like a time consuming process, but it is definitely worth your time if you are trying to stay on budget. Start tracking the prices on the items that you buy regularly and keep this information in a little notebook that you can take with you to the supermarket. If you have a wholesale club membership, look online and check the pricing on the items that you buy regularly on their site as well. Armed with this information, you will be able to see if those bigger boxes really pack a better punch or if they actually are costing your family more money and more space. When you see the prices dip, stock up and up and up on the items you use regularly. If you are a coupon cutter, couple this with your coupons and you will have some killer deals to help to keep your pantry stocked when the deals are leaner.
Crush the Condiments
Condiments can be a huge drain to the grocery budget and don’t add any real benefits to your diet. Skip the condiment aisle altogether and learn how to make some simple dressings, homemade meat marinades, barbeque sauce, croutons, and even your own special ice cream sauce for a fraction of the cost. A quick search on the internet should yield some great results for making all of these yummy additions for pennies versus dollars. Not only will you be helping your grocery budget, but you will also have control over the quality of the ingredients and the amount of sugar and salt you put in them. It is a win-win situation!
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