Save Money On Your Grocery Bill – Debt Consolidation
Save Money On Your Grocery Bill
Shannon Jarvies
Weve all heard about certain ways to cut your grocery bill like avoiding the grocery store when youre hungry, using coupons on double coupons day, and buying only the items on your list. These are all good tips and we should keep using them. However, Ive found a few pointers that might help you save even more on your grocery bill.
The first thing you need to do after youve made your grocery list is to try to figure the total cost of your grocery bill. Make sure youve got everything on the list that youll need because after youve made an educated guess youre going to go to your purse or wallet, take out the cash and leave the rest behind. Believe me, this will definitely cut back on the unnecessary extras because you wont have the credit cards to fall back on. And if youre like me, youd rather be hung upside down by your toe nails than be found short at the check out.
Dont be afraid to look on the day-old bread rack or in the "about to expire" section of the meat department. You have to be careful, but youll probably be able to tell whether the item is good. Just make sure to use it right away, dont let it sit in your refrigerator for a week. Who knows, it just might "meat" your expectations and save you money in the process!
Another thing to think about is the time of day, time of week and even time of month that you are shopping. Ive found that early in the morning and in the middle of the week is when the grocery stores are less busy and youll be able to get more efficient shopping done. Be careful not to go on the first day or two of the month. Some stores have been known to raise prices because that is the time that social security and welfare checks go out.
Buy in bulk when it makes sense. If youre shopping at Costco or Sams Club you still need to comparison shop. Ive found that some of the items are just as inexpensive at our local grocery store and there have been times when Costcos or Sams Club prices where higher. So most of the time it makes sense for me to get most of our groceries at my local store because we live two hours away from Sams Club
Look high and low for savings, literally. The grocery stores purposely place the higher-priced name brand items at eye level. The lower priced generic and store brands are usually higher and lower than the brand name items. Remember that the generic brand or store brand isnt always the less expensive. Some stores Ive been to list the cost per ounce, or per item trash bags so be sure to compare these prices when shopping.
Last but not least, if youve got kids at home try to find another mom to trade shopping times with. Its a lot easier to shop without kids, you wont be tempted to buy extras just to keep them quiet and youll have more time to comparison shop. Your chances of having an enjoyable shopping experience will go up as well as their chances for survival!
About The Author
Shannon Jarvies is a work at home mom with five beautiful children and a wonderful husband. Visit her Debt Management Website for debt consolidation, budgeting help and money saving tips and ideas. And join her Money Management Discussion Group
http://consolidationdebtfree.com
shannon@consolidationdebtfree.com
A Simple Technique to Remember Grocery Items – Food
A Simple Technique to Remember Grocery Items
Allen Beechick
Whoops! I Forgot the ... at the Grocery Store!
Have you ever left the grocery store and said, "Whoops, I forgot one recipe ingredient" Or, "Whoops, I forgot to use my coupon" Or even while in the store, "Whoops, I passed that aisle, and now I have to go back"
Heres a simple technique to help. Use an aisle-by-aisle grocery list. Include coupon reminders on your list.
You could make an aisle-by-aisle template for your store, and then write the items in the proper aisle. Another way is to write down the items in groups, by category. This requires some thought and discipline ahead of time. Most people just jot down the items in the order that they think of them, and they end up with a randomly ordered list.
Alternatively, you could use computer software. Then you can simply select the items and let the computer figure out the aisles. Of course, youd first have to enter the aisle information into the computer so that it knows what to work with.
One shoppers experience with aisle-by-aisle shopping follows:
Before using the program my shopping took forever. I would have a list created by the "what do I need" method. Things were jotted down as I thought of them so my lists were a mess. I would need to go back and forth through the store checking off items willy-nilly. This would take forever, making me stay in the store for 2-3 hours each time. I would often forget items and have to return to the store hours later.
Now I can shop aisle by aisle and rarely forget to pick items. I can keep track of coupons and make sure that I get the discounts that I am entitled to. I have tried different methods of shopping but the Aisle-by-Aisle program has made my shopping easier. I can use my time more efficiently and I am able to have more free time with my family due to quicker shopping.!!!!
About The Author
Allen Beechick is a computer programmer. Visit http://www.aislebyaisle.com for recommended computer software.