How do you lower your grocery bill?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

jkath

Hospitality Queen
Joined
Sep 2, 2004
Messages
11,447
Location
Southern California
I'll start a new thread here, since the How do you save money in the kitchen? thread got really long.

Aside from coupon cutting (which probably most of us already do), post other ways of how you've been able to save your money at the grocery store, that can help others as well.
-------------------------------------------

Here's one of my best tips:
Whatever beef is priced lowest, ask the butcher to grind it for your ground beef. There's one area of my store that has steaks/roasts for a very low price that week. It's always less than ground beef. So, last week we had rib-eye ground beef for $1.79/lb rather than the $4.29/lb regular ground was asking, and I've also had Tri tip ground lately for $1.99/lb.
I also do this with chicken, when they have boneless marked really low.

Because I do this each week, I've also gotten to know my butcher well, which is always a good thing:chef:
 
I go to Super Walmart for most of my canned/dry goods.
Some things can be a dollar or more cheaper if you buy thier store brand.... and really, I doubt even WalMart can screw up raisins....
I won't buy thier produce, its not any cheaper, its never very fresh.... and the only meat less expensive there is the whole chickens... I buy 2 at a time at 90 cents a lb.
And I only buy meat when they have buy one get one free sales at the regular grocery store, and stock up the freezer. Usually have enough to last til the next one, and then some!
 
One thing that helps indirectly, 1 of our grocery stores gives gasoline discounts for shopping there. Now the more you spend, the more they give off per gallon. We got over $0.20 off per gallon recently.

We are fortunate to have 1 grocer across the street from another so they are usually competitive on prices.
 
The place I shop gives gas discounts too pugger, Giant Eagle. I routinely get between .40 and .90 off/gal because I shop more than I drive (lol). I've got .60 on there now I will be using up in the next couple days. And for anyone wondering, they charge the same price/gal as any other nearby gas station, so it truly is a nice savings.

And like I said before, I pretty much only buy what's on sale and buy a lot of it. I've got enough pasta (variety) at $1/box to last me through winter. I seriously need a pantry.
Was that Mama that had the awesome pantry?
 
I said it before and I'll say it again: Buy larger cuts and butcher them yourself. Buy whole chickens and remove the skin and bones yourself rather than paying extra for the butcher at the store to do it. Or buy larger "family packs" and freeze the rest.

I stay away from processed and organic foods because they are so expensive. I can put that savings towards a better cut of meat or more of something else I really enjoy.
 
A list and sticking to it......period......NOTHING else.


This works for me too. Make my meal plan/list and try not to look around the shelves.

I also shop at a store that offers gas discounts. I use my daughter's card so that she can use the discount. Figure I'll be paying for her gas one way or another!
 
LOL BS!!!
(bowlingshirt that is.......)
My other thought was leave DH at home!!!
He goes with me I SWEAR its another $75 at least..... I'm a cheap date.
:)
 
I make a weekly menu and check my pantry, fridge and freezer before I go grocery shopping. When I used to try to make up a week's worth of meals at the grocery store, I often ended up buying duplicates of staples and other things I already had at home. And I shop the sales - didn't used to do much of that either. Coupons don't work so well for me - we often buy store brands, which are more of a savings.
 
I also shop with a list but I always am on the hunt for a deal for my pantry so I always check my coupons. I go on Double coupon days!

I just got Uncle Bens rice the other day when the grocery store had it on sale buy one get one free. They were $2.00 a box. I had two $1.00 coupons. I went on the double coupon day and got 4 free boxes! They had brand name cereal on sale for $1.98 a box. I had 2 coupons for $.50 each so I ended up with 2 boxes of cereal for $1.96. I get lots of coupons from couponmom.com

I get lots of free things. Some I use and some I don't. The things I don't use I give to my kids or I donate them to the local food bank.
 
Sure Suzi but if you want the free stuff, you have to come and get it. :)
 
Mama, what's that site all about? I'm always a bit leary about registering on sites that offer stuff. I'm looking for an alternative to newspaper coupons because, well..... I don't buy the newspaper. I don't mind looking at a bunch of advertisements on webpages like this site has, but I don't want bombarded with coupons everytime I check my email. Even on a Yahoo email account.

Thanks

Just looking for a way to get back to using coupons
 
I get an email from them about once a week. It gives me coupons and links to other really good deals but if you don't want to get the email you can unsubscribe. They don't send you a bunch of junk and they don't appear to sell your email address.
 
I'm a "stick to the list person" too,
as well as a "leave the dh at home!" shopper. LOL

I love free coupons -
I also use this site: Coupons, Grocery Coupons - The Grocery Game :: Home
I don't know how many years I've done this one, maybe 5 at least.
It has a list of the things in your store that are on sale which coincide with current coupons. Then it shows you what you'll pay for each.
 
I shop much more carefully than I used to and try to compare unit prices sticking to low cost meats such as chicken legs or whole chickens and pork shoulder or chuck steak and build meals around them.

I have largely cut out luxury items such as expensive seafood or fancy cheese

I no longer buy organic dairy

I shop at several different stores rather than just pay too much for ceertain items at one place

I also try to extend purchases that make meals that will provide good lefovers for lunch or can be used to make another meal

I have almost mostly eliminated eating any takout and try to eat luch from what I have rather than go out and grab someting

Food shopping was always one of my big expenses and sort of a hobby. Now I try to make a project out of figureing out how to make great meals on the cheap.

Oddly I am eating and cooking better than ever
 
I go on the shopping tour.... I get produce from one place, a green grocer with excellent prices, just tiny aisles and shopping carts from every store known to man. I have a butcher and a fish monger, both who have gotten to know me. I only buy what I will cook within the next two days. I buy good bread and deli meats from an italian bakery/deli. Everything else I get from the supermarket. For the most part, I only shop once a week, but make enough to get me through the next several days, living on leftovers.

My best advice is just buy what you know you can consume. Don't buy in bulk unless you positively will use it. Sometimes, money in the bank is better than money on your shelf...in other words, keep a very tight inventory.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom