How do you lower your grocery bill?

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I LOVE "Jenny-O" turkey ham & buy it all the time to use in any & every recipe that calls for regular ham - fried rice dishes, egg dishes, mac & cheese, chef's salads, - you name it.

One of our local markets carries it regularly & an approx. 2# piece runs just $3 & change. Terrific value, low fat & sodium, & delicious to boot. Can't go wrong there.
 
I know that the last time I was in Houston I could not beilieve the prices of veggies........I will definitely be making a garden when I get back......sorry.....I'm NOT paying those prices.............be glad that you have dollar stores.........they'd laugh here............
 
The idea of having the butcher grind a cheaper cut of beef is a terrific idea. Does it work out okay even though the fat content is probably lower?

Anyway, here's how I save on grocery bills:

#1: Buy huge quantities. I buy 50lb bags of Korean rice for $27. Contrast this with $9/bag for a 5lb bag. I cop my Kimchi in half-gallon jugs, lol.

#2: Shop at Asian markets. I get unbelievably fresh fish for WACKO CRAZY prices at my Korean market. I eat fresh fish 2-3 times a week, and I rarely pay more than like $6/lb for whatever I'm having, but often as low as $2/lb. I get whole fresh sardine, mackerel, pacific saury (YUM!), Croaker, etc. I get sashimi-quality salmon for about $7.50/lb too, and it's outrageously delicious.

#3: Buy less prepared stuff. This is easy and everyone says it, but it's amazing how easy it is to execute.

#4: When you see a sale on something you know you like, buy as much as you can fit in the cart (if non-perishable). I found my favorite instant curry packets on sale last week for $1/each, so I bought forty of them, lol. They have what is essentially an unlimited shelf life (it's like an MRE), and they're normally about $3/each. 66% discount? Hells yes. I don't care if I look silly buying a metric ton of instant curry.
 
I shopped online and had my groceries delivered by one of the local grocers. I tailored my selections pretty much to to the weekly specials, and thus, there was no impulse buying. Just staying out of the grocery store is saving me money. I received coupons which I can use to defray the cost of the delivery. I finished my shopping by 6 p.m. and they were delivered by 8:30 the next morning. Meats and produce were fresh and as good as they would have been if I had shopped in the store.
 
I think the most important thing to do is make a weekly meal plan, that is what I do. It always includes leftovers and 2-fers. What's a 2-fer? I make a big roast one day then later that week use what is left for hot roast beef sandwiches or stew or a pot pie. Roast a large chicken one night - make chicken salad or chicken stew another.

I also keep the basic staples on hand at all times, pasta, rice, spices, canned tomaotes, evoo, etc. I try to buy when they are on sale or when I have a coupon.

I get the basics staples at our Super WalMart. They have the best prices. I get some produce there but usually at the locally owned grocery or the farmers market. I don't think WalMart produce is that fresh or lasts that long.

I stock up on meat and poulrty when it is on sale and package and freeze it for later use. I found a great local store that runs great deals. I got boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.49 a pound and ground round at $1.99 a pound. The carnivore in me is making take the 30 minute drive this week to get Bonesless NY Strip steakes at $3.29 a pound.

Watch sales and if you can clip coupons, if you don't buy a lot of prepackaged food it it id not always worth it.

I don't buy in bulk because I can usually get a better price if I shop around and watch sales.

And I'll admit it, I do buy the bread and baked goods that are sell by today. If I keep them wrapped and if need be in the refrigerator, the seem to last.

Cook more from "scratch" and use less prepackaged or helper foods if you can. They don't save that much time (IMHO) and cost a lot for what you get.
 
I shopped online and had my groceries delivered by one of the local grocers. I tailored my selections pretty much to to the weekly specials, and thus, there was no impulse buying. Just staying out of the grocery store is saving me money. I received coupons which I can use to defray the cost of the delivery. I finished my shopping by 6 p.m. and they were delivered by 8:30 the next morning. Meats and produce were fresh and as good as they would have been if I had shopped in the store.

i have been shopping on line for a couple of years. i shop for an entire month.once in a while i buy produce at another store. there is one market here than has beautiful fruit and vegs. sometimes when i do order vegs or fruits, the shopper really has no clue how to pick them out. i do shop the specials on line and they honor their own discount card. no coupons though. i am sure at some point they will figure that out. i also if i have a ride will buy cleaning supplies at big lots. great prices on them there. toothpaste brand name for a dollar. to me since i don't drive the delivery fee is same as a taxi used to cost me. they bring the groceries into my kitchen. something a cab driver is not going to do. only once did i make a second order in the month, it has to be fifty dollars or more. was having unexpected company. try not to do that though, cause i have to pay another charge for delivery. love it and i agree that impluse buying is cut way back. i also like the feature of being able to change the order up to the early am of delivery day.
 
Budsmama, I totally agree about the salvage store. I had been in one store and was not that impressed, but last yr. I really started shopping at one and have really gotten some good deals. I buy all my flour there @.99 versus 2.78 for the same and most of time the expiration date is next yr. The mayo that is 5.29 a qt. at the grocery store is 1.79 with exp. date of aug.2008. I will use anything if just within the last 2 or 3 mos. It just says best used by such date. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would not agree with that, but we have not gotten sick on anything I have bought. Most of what I buy at the store now is produce , dairy and meats. It may not be for everybody, but it is for me.Also they have a lot of products that we here in a small town have never seen before. Gives us a chance to try and see if we like it and not have to pay a big amt.
 
I agree with Toni. The less often you shop, the less you spend. I know that they all say you should buy what is fresh today, period. Mom fed a family of 6 on a sergeant's pay, and she shopped only on payday (twice a month). I happen now to be in the truck 2-3X/wk and find that I'm spending a lot more than I used to when I only shopped once a week.
 
My kids don't eat meat so I don't buy it, that helps. If we are at friends for dinner then my oldest daughter and I will eat salmon or chicken now and then, but I don't buy it at home. A few times a year I'll take them to a nice restaurant to eat, but they still prefer home food. I only shop a couple times a month and stick to my list for the most part, if the kids are with me then I end up with a few extras. :)
 
There used to be a bread store in town, selling day old breads and rolls. I saved a lot there but the store is gone now. It was Stroeman's. There's a Pepperidge farm outlet about 30 min away but I don't eat that brand . Doesn't matter now anyway, since I make my own bread.
 
Items for the bathroom or hygiene can cost a fortune at supermarkets. Your better off at Walmart or Target.
 
I had to laugh at some responses. A number of years ago I was feeding my family (don't have kids myself, but Mom, Dad, three sisters an probably a neice or nephew or three). It was very spur of the moment, so I took cans of vegetables and soup and tomatoes, made a hearty soup, and crackers and cheese and ... voila! Supper! But what was funny about the entire occasion is that one my my sisters had, at a relatively advanced age (30-ish) just moved out on her own, just married. She was sitting there, yumming up my great dinner (huh?) and said, "Do you guys know what it costs to eat?!" Hubby, Mom, Dad and I just about fell on the floor laughing. It is a joke now, but at the time we were all astonished. I just waved my hand at the table. As cheap as it was, it still wasn't free. Because she could always get a free meal at mom's or Claire's, she thought the food appeared from nowhere? That it didn't cost us anything to produce? Oh, by the way, I probably produced a salad, which is always the most expensive item on the menu when you cook at home.
 
We finally have a decent Korean/Latino market close to us that has an amazingly inexpensive seafood counter. As BrazenAm said most of the fish is priced under $8.00lb. I recently paid $5.39lb for a whole red snapper and was very pleased with the quality. Large bags of rice are incredibly cheap. For the most part though, I usually plan my meals around whatever is on sale at the grocery stores that week. And yes I'm also a proud member of the coupon clipper club!
 
Ways to save...

1) Target and Wal*Mart for non-food (and food if you have a supercenter) - cleaning supplies, baby products, health and beauty, etc. - even with a double coupon, it's hard to beat them for me.
2) Make the list, check it twice - Hard to do, but I make the list and check that I am not repurchasing (and try to stick to it).
3) Labeled pantry and fridge shelves - labeling what goes where has reduced things ending up in the wrong place and repurchasing items
4) Bulk buying - I buy cereal and things like that when on sale (+ use coupons).
5) Never shop while hungry - :) Nuff said on that one.
6) Peapod (delivery service) - this one will make some eyes roll, but with a few different "first time order" coupons w/ different e-mails ($20 off) + using coupons + buying what is on sale, I saved ~$40 one week and didn't have to leave the house. Peapod/Giant delivered the order. The bill came in $20 below what I had spent on similar items the previous week. Peapod is definitely not a $$ saver ongoing, but strategically used here and there, it doesn't have to be a major cost hit (and saves you a lot of time on a weekend where you don' t have any). We used them recently when we were out of town all weekend, and that night came back to a delivery order with everything we needed for the week! Was lovely.
7) Store brands - We have Trader Joe's with great Trader Joe's brand products that are often better than National brands... Ditto at Wegman's and Giant. Certain items are indistinguishable from national or, better.

These might not be the best ideas for you, but work for my life. And thanks for all the ideas!
 
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I buy whatever is on sale, and lots of it. I make what I can with it. I also stock up if any canned goods or frozen items I like are a great deal that week.
 
Making the list was the hardest lesson I had to learn, but yes, I do spend less if I list. I've been pretty good at it the past few years. I forgot the list on Friday (my usual big shopping day) and spent easily 1/3, maybe even twice, what I would have had I had my list in hand. The thing is you can't be totally inflexible, to the point where you don't see an item on the shelf that is really discounted and a steal if it is one of your staples or is a non-perishable item.
 
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