How To Save On Food

This month the magazine Real Simple has plans laid out on how to save money on food, healthcare, entertainment, the home, transportation and clothing.

The first area you can focus on is food. The average household spends almost $4,000 on groceries per year, says the article. First, use some coupons. Sign up with Coupon Mom, become a member of eCoupon’s Grocery Coupon Trading Club and check with your local supermarket to see if the will match other store’s discounts.

How can you save up to 50 percent on bread? Head to one of the local outlets for baked goods like Entenmann’s. Go to Gwbakeries for locations.

Stay away from some prepackaged foods. Save $4.50 per pound by purchasing large green apples instead of already sliced apples. Buy a head of romaine lettuce instead of a bag of greens or a regular package of cookies instead of small snack-packs.

Real Simple discusses six other ways to cut grocery bills:

1. Track your food budget. Keep an envelope by the refrigerator and drop in your receipts when you take a trip to the grocery store. Then analyze your spending at the end of each month. See if you can spend no more than $125 per week for a family of four.

2. Cut your meat. You can always cut back on the amount of ground beef that a recipe calls for. It can add up quickly.

3. Buy more fruits and veggies. When these are added into your meals, families save money as well as shed some pounds.

4. Make friends with the store managers. They can tell you when the food will be marked down in price.

5. Stick to your list. Try to avoid impulse buying and save on your grocery bills.

6. Join a food co-op. Check out Coopdirectory to find a co-op near you to become a member of a locally-owned grocery store.