10 Tips to Save Money on Groceries

A Penny saved is a Penny earned.

-Benjamin Franklin

Wouldn't it be great to earn more? Are you still waiting for a raise? Are you watching your monthly bills outgrow your paycheck? If you are frustrated, there is something in your control you can change today. You may not be able to earn more money. But you can save more money.  Most household bills are fixed, but your grocery bill can be lowered. It won't be easy at first, but you can do it. These small steps can help you save more money on groceries. Here are ten tips to get you started.

1. Avoid temptation.

You won't find things if you aren't tempted. Stop going into the clothing department, the make-up isle, the craft section, etc. You can't desire what you don't see. When you can't see it, you don't need will power to resist temptation.

2. Keep inventory.

Know what you already have at home and use it up.   If you don't like a product you bought, try using it in a different way. If you don't like a shampoo, add a little water and use it as a hand soap. If you don't like a face cream, use it as a body/ hand cream. If you don't like a conditioner, use it as a shave lotion. If you don't like a bath soap bar/ shower gel, use it as a hand soap. USE, USE, USE.

3. Don't waste what you got!

Use up the foods you have already. Look around your kitchen and see whats about to expire and use it. Eat it, freeze it, dehydrate it, or throw it in a soup or a smoothie! You can quickly throw browning bananas into the freezer (with the peel on) and use for smoothies or quick breads later. You can throw bread into the freezer, or save little odds and ends of fruits and vegetables. Freeze the last drops of juice or almond milk in ice cube trays to use in smoothies. Keep two plastic ziplock bags in your freezer. Label one for soup scraps and one for smoothies scraps.  Get creative and use up what you already have. Stop throwing away money!

4. Keep track of what you use.

Start a list of your main staple items. These are things you eat or use ALL the time. Now, track when you open it and when you finished it. For example, on your regular kitchen calendar write "bread" on the date you open the bread. Then, when you eat the last slice mark again on the calendar "bread done." Examples of staples in our house:  Bread, flour, sugar, tooth paste, deodorant, paper towels, coffee, milk, oatmeal, honey, and peanut butter.  Knowing roughly how much you go through in a month can help you know how much to stock up on when a sale comes. This can also help you see what things you are overbuying.

5. Learn how to store.

Find a few shelves of space. Start small. You don't have to go full on SHTF prepping. Find a hall closet or go through your kitchen pantry and clear out things that are expired or things you obviously don't use. This will make room for items that are hot ticket. This will be everyday staples that you can buy out at the the best price. Here are the criteria we must use to find the best items to store:

-Things you use often, weekly (use tracking calendar) 

-Things with longer shelf lives.  Try to find items with far off expiration dates- years out- to give you plenty of time to use it up! 

-OR! Things without a shelf life such as trash bags, toilet paper, soap, tampons, salt, laundry soap, etc. 

-Things must be on sale at an amazing price. 40 or 50 percent off. Buy one get one free. 

 -Buy up within reason. Some things go on sale more often then others. Our deodorant goes on sale once a year. Six sticks of deodorant a year doesn't take up much space. A years worth of toilet paper would. 

6. Use these two websites.

My two favorite websites for grocery shopping are flip Flipp and Southern Savers.

Flipp is a website that allows you to see all the grocery store sales flyers in your zip code. Flipp also lets you search ALL the flyers by item name (ex: sugar, apples) or by brand name (ex: Dawn, Earth Balance). Let's say you need apples. In seconds, you can search your entire area for the store that has apples on sale!

Southern Savers is an amazing website!  You can search the sale history of items which allows you to see the last time an item was on sale at a store. Knowing the dates of sales in the past can help you get an idea of the sales pattern for an item. If an item goes on sale roughly every 6 weeks, then buy 6 weeks worth at the discounted price. You can do the same if it is every six months or even a year. This is when the staple tracking calendar comes into play!  It helps you know how many items you need to buy in order to stock up until the next sale. The site also has previews for the upcoming  coupons that will be in your local Sunday newspaper (click on the Sunday Ads button on the right side bar). Check the site to see if it's worth buying a newspaper for the coupons. I buy my Sunday newspaper on Monday at the Dollar Tree for $1 . It is normally $3 on Sunday.

7. Plan what you eat.

After going through sales flyers, plan your meals for the week according to what's on sale at a good price. If potatoes are on sale, have potatoes for dinner!  Add meals that use up foods that will be expiring soon and foods that you already have at home. Write your meal plan staying within your weekly budget. Our budget is $80 a week for everything (food, toiletries, paper goods, and future stocking up).

8. Make a list and stick to it.

It is easy to blow your budget by throwing items into your cart based on cravings or impulse. Shopping without a list is an expensive habit! If you are trying to save money, it is best to write down what you need. Make your list simple. Write down all that you need and the quantities. If you have coupons that will be used with an item, make a quick note to the side of the item. Writing down a vague "bag of frozen vegetables" works just fine on a list. The goal is not to be fussy and rigid. It is to keep you on budget. Using cash is another way to help you stick to a budget. Paying with cash helps you to curb impulse buys. You may be tempted by items that make you think "how fun" or "how cute." Remind yourself that these are novelties and not needs. Save these treats for birthdays and holidays. Stick to your list. Stay on budget.

9. Browse!

Browse your grocery aisles. I don't browse the clothing, craft, or lotion isles (see step one.) That's just looking for trouble! But I DO browse my grocery store aisles! I look for closeout ticketed items. Every store has different colored clearance tickets. Learn what the ticket looks like and keep your eyes peeled as you do your regular shopping from your list. Go down every aisle and glance for closeout ticketed items. You'll get some exercise and may find some awesome deals! It's worth the extra 5 minutes. I have found really great priced spices, canned foods, herbal teas, organic treats by browsing my grocery stores. Some stores, like Walmart, have clearance aisles, so always take a quick look. When you do find an item, stock up since the store won't be carrying it anymore. Just be sure to still follow the rules (see tip #7.) Even the very best or cheapest stuff IS NOT A DEAL if you never eat it or if it goes bad.

10. Seize the sale!

Even if you spend beyond your weekly budget, be ready to take advantage of an amazing sale item when you see it. Carry cash for your weekly shopping but have a debt card just in case. As long as the item meets our criteria (see tip #7,) it will all come out in the wash budget wise.

I pray these tips will help you and your family. Remember every dollar you save is a victory and will add up every month. Saving is earning! Give yourself a raise by learning how to save money on groceries. Thank you for reading. Be sure to recommend us on social media and share your comments down below.