Reduce Your Grocery Bill

When there is simply not enough money to buy what you need, you must have a game plan. Here are some tips to aid you in feeding yourself and your family. When things are really tough, keep these tips in mind.

1. Couple coupons with sales. But don’t buy something just because you have a coupon, and always price other items against what the coupon/sale item will cost. You may be surprised to find that another brand is still cheaper.

2. Use coupons at the dollar stores, if allowed.

3. Only buy in bulk if you will actually use the food, and if doing so will truly save you money.

4. Grow your own organic herbs on a sunny windowsill year round. Start with organic seeds from a trusted company.

5. Plan to begin gardening as soon as possible in the spring. Start plants indoor. Use cold frames constructed from found materials to start your garden earlier and keep it going later. Again, use organic seeds from reputable companies, and don’t use anything other than organic soil/compost in your garden. This commodity is easily made by you, on your own property, through composting.

6. Accept any and all food offered to you.

7. Get a list of food cupboards in your area and visit them as often as you can in order to stretch your food dollar as far as possible.

8. Make slow cooker meals using cheap cuts of meat. The vegetables you use do not have to be the freshest. You won’t even be able to tell when eating it.

9. Fruit that may not be the freshest can be turned into sauce, such as apple, strawberry, or pear sauce. Peel, if desired. Cut off bad parts, and chop. Put in a sauce pan, along with some water, and cook down. Feel free to leave some chunks. You made need to add water a couple-few times before the sauce is ready.

10. These fruits can also be used to make homemade breads and muffins, pancakes, waffles, and cakes.

11. Less-than-fresh fruits can be peeled and chopped, and placed in a freezer bag. Mix and match this fruit to be used in smoothies.

12. Less than fresh vegetables such as carrots, celery, and broccoli can be cut into chunks and placed in freezer bags as well. Later, throw these into the slow cooker with some meat, or into a roasting pan. No need to thaw. You can also create casseroles with these vegetables. Mix and match at will.

13. The same can be done with meats which, when numerous types are combine and added to vegetables, make a great soup.

14. Don’t refrigerate leftovers unless you’ll really eat them before they go bad. Freeze them instead.

15. Find out when your grocer marks down meats, seafood, and produce. Buy what you can on these days. Do the same with bread items.

16. Shop the Oops! Rack at Wal-Mart and other stores.

17. Pick through the discount carts throughout the grocery store.

18. If you know someone with fruit trees who does not eat any or all of the fruit, ask if you can cart the fruit away if you take the ones that fall from the tree. This way, they don’t have to worry about cleaning up the mess.

19. Go through the recipes you’d like to use during the coming week, and change them to utilize foods that are cheapest at the store this week.

Feel free to share your ideas for saving money on food in the comments section below. Also, visit the Frugal Recipes: Spending Less to Eat Healthy blog for cooking ideas.

Shannon

Straightforward: How I Grocery Shop + Why

Living a frugal life is important to me, but so is my health. I’ve realized over the last couple of years that the most frugal diet is not the healthiest for me. This is why I’ve switched things up, and I’m not as frugal as I used to be as far as food goes.

Let’s face it, eating healthy is not necessarily frugal. Yes, there are fruits and vegetables that don’t cost a lot, but creating entire meals and snacks to fill up on, and stay full until the next logical time to eat, is not the most frugal thing in the world to do.

Food needs to be pleasing to the senses and taste good. I’m eating less processed foods, and more vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and protein. I’m still learning how to do this in the most frugal way possible.

Why am I telling you this?

First, I’m guessing there are others out there who are overweight and/or unhealthy and looking to feel better. After years of eating cheap, processed foods, my body is demanding I do better, and I’ll bet many of you have body’s doing the same. It’s time we listen! After all, eating cheaply now will cost us too many pretty penny’s when we are older.

Second, I want to introduce you to my blog Frugal Recipes: Spending Less to Eat Healthy. If you read the original blog, you likely know these two sites are sister sites. You also know that I used to concentrate on the cheapest food possible. It’s how we survived, and how so many others did as well. We all did what we had to do to get by and, if you’re still there, I understand. Don’t worry. Do what needs to be done.

I’ve been switching things up over there though, and am mostly offering up healthy recipes that do not break the bank. Eating healthy while living frugal isn’t only about the recipes, though. It’s also about the way of life. About moderation. And excellent food choices. And I’m figuring out how to do it on a budget.

Eating healthy for me means incorporating organic foods when possible. This is not always an option for me, but let me tell you something I have learned. Besides the fact that organic foods have way less toxins in them – naturally making them healthier – they also taste better! And if you have the room to do so, growing many of them is a possibility and a big money saver.

Join me over on the blog to learn more about how I am learning to live healthy on a budget.

Shannon