Spend Wisely and Save Money

 

A supermarket’s pet food aisle in Brooklyn, New York (Photo credit: Wikipedia. The average familyís grocery bill is usually one of the higher numbers on the family budget. There can be an enormous difference in what each family spends on their groceries, depending on many factors, such as whether they buy name brand, more meat, etc.

The good news is that this allows for a large amount of savings if we decide to be frugal with our shopping. Following a few simple tips will have you well on your way to saving a few bucks.

1.) Make a meal plan. You’ll know exactly what you need from the store before you go.

2.) Watch for specials and coupons in store newsletters, and plan your meals around them.

3.) Make a list and stick to it. If its not on the list, then just don’t buy it.

4.) Never shop when you are really hungry. That way you wonít be tempted to buy things that you don’t need.

5.) Shop alone. Count on your bill being higher when you bring your spouse or children.

6.) Only buy things you know youíll use. For example, if your family doesnít like broccoli, donít buy broccoli in the hopes that theyíll eat healthier this week.

7.) Keep your eyes on the items on the bottom shelf where the prices are lower.

8.) Buy store brands when the quality is the same. Most of the time, it actually is the same product in a different package.

Clothes for poor people (Photo credit: Maarten Utreg)

It is pretty easy to be frugal once you realize how much money youíre actually saving with these simple steps. Keep a log of your grocery bills, so you can see how much of a difference you are making. Have you ever noticed that the things you buy every week at the grocery and hardware stores go up a few cents between shopping trips? Not by much…just by a little each week but they continue to creep up and up.

• All it takes for the price to jump up by a lot is a little hiccup in the world wide market, note the price of gasoline as it relates to world affairs.

There is a way that we can keep these price increases from impacting our personal finances so much and that is by buying in quantity and finding the best possible prices for the things we use and will continue to use everyday… things that will keep just as well on the shelves in our homes as it does on the shelves at the grocery store or hardware store.

For instance, dog food and cat food costs about 10% less when bought by the case than it does when bought at the single can price and if you wait for close out prices you save a lot more than that. Set aside some space in your home and make a list of things that you use regularly which will not spoil. Any grain or grain products will need to be stored in airtight containers that rats can’t get into so keep that in mind.

Grocery Store Green Bell Peppers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then set out to find the best prices you can get on quantity purchases of such things as bathroom items and dry and canned food. You will be surprised at how much you can save by buying a twenty pound bag of rice as opposed to a one pound bag but don’t forget that it must be kept in a rat proof container.

You can buy some clothing items such as men’s socks and underwear because those styles don’t change, avoid buying children’s and women’s clothing, those styles change and sizes change too drastically. Try to acquire and keep a two year supply of these items and you can save hundreds of dollars.