10. Keep a Running Grocery List When
you run out of anything, add it to the list. The more well-stocked your
larder is, the better you’ll eat, and the less you’ll spend. Always take
your list of the things you need when you shop, and only buy what's on the
list. If it’s not on
the list, then you obviously don’t need it.
11. Avoid Impulse Purchases
These are the bane of all would-be frugal shoppers, so just don’t do it.
If you truly need an item, then it should appear on your list next week.
12. Make Fewer Shopping Trips
The more often you go
shopping, the more you are likely to spend. About half of all grocery
shoppers go to the store three or four times a week. This is probably
less true of homesteaders who spend less time in town, but the principle
still applies. Try to make your shopping trip no more than once per week. If
that works, try for every two weeks, even every month. This tends to
focus you more on buying larger quantities more carefully.
13.
Investigate;
Ask Questions What's the price difference between the bag of dried
beans that sells for $.89 and the can of beans that sells for $.99? Just a
dime? No. The bag yields 7 cups of cooked beans, $.13 per cup. The can
yields 1-1/2 cups of cooked beans, $.66 per cup. The canned beans - as
inexpensive as they are - are five times more expensive than dried
beans.
14.
Take a Calculator
Many stores
have already calculated the unit prices of the items you buy, but many
don’t offer this. Also, if you’re being genuinely thoughtful about your
purchases, you’ll probably want a little help in the brain department
while you’re moving through the aisles.
15. Food Only Please Paper
goods, cleaning supplies and cosmetics are probably going to be less
expensive at big-box stores like Target or Wal-Mart. This also helps you
to track your grocery costs separately from other living expenses.
16. Avoid Processed Food
You’ll be wealthier and healthier if you
buy basic commodities that only have one item in their list of
ingredients - things like potatoes, beans, apples. Not only will you
avoid lots of chemicals and preservatives, but you’ll save a ton of
money. Just remember, if it has a trademark or a brand name, you’re
paying more and probably undermining your health in the bargain.
17. Cut Up Your Own Food
Consumer Reports found that two
pounds of carrots cost $1.29, compared with $7.16 for the same amount of
precut carrot sticks. Also avoid “vegetable medley” packages.
18. Don’t Buy Water
Everyone knows that bottled water is
expensive, but fewer people know that it may be inferior, or at least no
better than your tap water at home. If you have your own well, the odds
are very good that you have cleaner, better water than the brands from
Coca-Cola and Pepsico. If you have city water, yours may be, probably is,
just as good. You may want to invest in a reusable water-filtering
pitcher.
19. Don’t Buy Disguised Water,
Either When we were kids,
Kool-Aid only came in an envelope. You could add only the amount of
sweetener you wanted, and your own water, and you spent a lot less money.
So why buy it by the bottle? That’s a good example, but there are lot of
other ways you pay more just for water. Such as, cartons of fruit
juice, canned broth or soup, canned, cooked beans, low-fat coconut milk, Jello
cups, applesauce, popsicles, even chicken and pork injected with water and
salt “flavoring”.
20. Don't Buy Designer Salt
Specialty spice mixes are usually 90% salt. You can just buy the basic
herbs and spices, then make your own.
21. DON’T Use Сoupons Ever see a coupon for bananas? Apples? Coupons may offer apparent
savings, but they’re usually for some sort of processed food that still
winds up costing you more.
22. DO use Coupons
Okay, nobody’s
perfect.
Sometimes you or your family will want to buy things even if they aren’t
pure as the driven snow. If you’re going to buy it anyway, having a
coupon makes it cheaper. It’s a no-brainer.
23. Get a Store Card
These loyalty cards allow shoppers to get extra discounts on items without
having to clip coupons. If a store you frequent, even infrequently,
offers a card, you should get one.
24. Be Open to Store Brands
Most times, but not
always, store brands are of equal quality to brand name foods. Sometimes
they’re the very same thing. Not always though, so you need to try each
one out, and see what you think.
