Grocery Savings Tips

Use these helpful tips to successfully save on your next refrigerator purchase.

Refrigerators are one of the most frequently used appliances in the kitchen, and consequently, usually one of the most expensive. You don’t need to overpay to get a great deal on a brand-name refrigerator. Keep these 5 ways to save on a new refrigerator in mind the next time a new fridge is calling your name.

1. Buy in May.
In May, we’re often doing spring cleaning and so are the well-known appliance stores like Lowe’s and Home Depot, making May the perfect month to buy a new fridge. New models of refrigerators come out during the summer, so these stores are looking to move current stock out the door. That means you can usually find refrigerators at clearance prices and may even be able to haggle down the price even more.

2. Focus on function over fashion.
No, this doesn’t mean you need to buy a green fridge from the 70s. It is tempting to make a super shiny fridge with all the bells and whistles the new centerpiece of your kitchen, but odds are it’ll also likely come with a much higher price tag. Stainless steel models are [Read more...]

Save by eliminating the “dirty dozen”. Image courtesy of Brian Edgar.

As we learn more about our food, health and beauty products and the ingredients they contain, many families are turning to organic and natural foods and products. But organic shopping can be far more expensive than regular purchases so how does a family buy organics on a budget?

Ditch the Dirty Dozen
In order to make organics more affordable for your family, concentrate on eliminating the “dirty dozen” from your grocery cart. These fruits and vegetables include apples, strawberries, celery and spinach – basically anything that you would wash and eat immediately. They are called the dirty dozen because pesticides and chemicals are applied directly to them and absorbed. Make avoiding the dirty dozen a priority and then save money when you purchase produce that has a peel.

Pass the Cheese, Please
Make items like meat, cheese, milk and eggs a priority when trying to make organics affordable. We have found that we actually eat less of these products, not because they taste worse but because [Read more...]

Save big at warehouse clubs by following these helpful guidelines.

Warehouse clubs are a great way to buy in bulk and save money over time. However, as with most things, it’s easy to go off track and blow your budget. Check out these 9 tips to stay on budget at warehouse clubs.

1. Invest in a membership with family or friends. Almost all warehouse clubs have an annual membership fee, which can be the deciding factor of if you will really save money or not over the course of the year. If it just doesn’t make sense to pay the whole fee, see if you have a friend or family member that may want to chip in, or that already has a membership and doesn’t mind you tagging along now and then. It’s also a great way to be able to buy produce and other products that can go bad quickly. You can share the cost and product, making it budget-friendly yet not wasteful.

2. “Gap” your membership. If you only go to warehouse clubs once in a while, you may want to gap your membership. Basically this means right before your membership is set to expire, you do a mega stock up that will last several months. That way you can get more than 12 months out of your membership to make it more [Read more...]

Celebrate Pi Day by making a quick, easy and fun pizza for you and your family. Get some great ideas from the recipes below.

Today is Pi Day (3/14), where we celebrate the mathematical constant pi, or 3.14. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate it than to share some quick and easy pizza pie recipes with you. Pizza is a family- and budget-friendly food to make . It’s simple to customize for the picky eaters of the family, and it’s a great way to get servings of veggies, meat, dairy, grain, and sometimes even fruit into your family’s diet. Here are some easy combinations that use only five ingredients. You’ll find that making your own pizza is likely healthier, tastier, and even cheaper than getting it prepared!

Let’s get cookin’
For each of these recipes, start with a prepared pizza crust. You have several options to look for pizza crust at the store: in the frozen section (requires pre-raising), in the refrigerated section (including Pillsbury pizza crusts that come in tubes), or room temperature pizza crusts that are often sold in the deli section (this may be in a different location depending on your grocery store). Then try out the topping combinations below. Bake each [Read more...]

Experiment with these fun, easy and delicious peanut butter recipes for Peanut Butter Day.

So many of us love peanut butter so it’s only natural that there’s a Peanut Butter Lovers day, right? Whether you love Jif, Skippy, natural peanut butter or something in between, these 5 ingredient peanut butter recipes are sure to be a hit.

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
Even though these cookies still have butter and sugar, they are on the healthier side of sweet treats by being chock full of peanut butter, milk and oats.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 (2 sticks) cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup peanut butter [Read more...]

Combining various affordable breakfast items makes for a delicious start to your day.

Doesn’t breakfast always seems to be the busiest time of the day? Some people skip breakfast altogether, but it’s the most important meal of the day and doesn’t have to be a hassle to fit it into even the busiest of lifestyles and tightest of budgets. In order to help you break that habit, check out these savings tips to help slim down the costs and enhance your convenience of grabbing healthy and affordable breakfast items next time you’re at the grocery store.

Breakfast Bars

• Nature Valley – Pair a coupon for the 5-pack of granola bars with monthly sales to get them for about $0.28 per bar.
• Slim Fast – Look for $1.00 off coupons to use on the single-serving bars (often on sale for only $1.00). [Read more...]

There are many foods that can be frozen for longer periods of time. Image courtesy of Anna Tesar.

Freezing fully cooked meals in advance can be a lifesaver for your budget. My family is always on the go, so taking one day to plan our menu, prepare a few extra meals and freeze them for later helps us to save a ton of time and money. Just take them out in the morning to thaw by dinner and you have a meal ready without spending an hour preparing it!

There are many factors to consider when freezing your meals ahead of time. Here are a few tips we use to keep our freezer meals fresh, tasty and under budget.

Know What Works
The key to keeping your freezer meals good for a long period of time is to know what foods freeze best.

• Foods that freeze very well include
  cooked meat, cakes, broth, waffles, pancakes, butter, bread, dry beans, rice, and pre-made meals like casseroles, burritos or soups.
• Foods that do not freeze well include cream cheese, sour cream, fried foods, cucumbers, melon, mayonnaise, lettuce, uncooked potatoes and some fruits. [Read more...]

Keeping a well stocked cupboard makes for less trips to the grocery store. Image courtesy of Alex Eflon.

I find myself running to the store more frequently when my cupboards start to run low. These little shopping trips make a big dent in my grocery budget. Since I need the item right away, I usually don’t take the time to search for coupons or to find the best deal. Also, I typically pick up a few impulse items as I walk the aisles – also without coupons. To avoid this, I try to keep my cupboards and pantry stocked with cooking essentials.

Keeping a well-stocked pantry does take an investment of time. However, once you have your pantry stocked, you’ll find you only need to run to the grocery store for fresh produce, meats, dairy and other perishable items. Many recipes require just these items and a few perishable ingredients so you’ll have your own little grocery store to shop from – all bought at great prices!

Here’s how to get started stocking your pantry:

1. Get organized. Clear out your pantry and cabinets and come up with an organization plan. Each shelf in my pantry is designated for a particular type of product, such as cereal, canned goods, sauces or snacks. [Read more...]

Food processors can save you time and money while helping you compose healthy dishes. Image courtesy of Rachel Tayse.

A food processor can be a great addition to any kitchen. This kitchen appliance is inexpensive, versatile, and is very useful for healthy and thrifty cooking. You can pick one up for as low as $25 at any major retailer- and the benefits far outweigh the initial investment. Here are just a few of the many ways that a food processor can help you save money and improve your everyday dishes. You will be surprised at what you can whip up for your family and friends in no time, with little money!

• If you need small amounts of a specific flour, like nut flour, food processors can help you grind it.

• Make your own nut butter: put nuts and oil in a food processor and pulse until creamy.

• It can also be used to knead pie crust and some other doughs. [Read more...]

Visit your local farmers market to get great deals and fresh produce. Image courtesy of Natalie Maynor

I teach about a dozen coupon classes per month in my town and the question I hear most often is “Can I save money on my grocery bill and STILL eat healthy?” Many people think this isn’t possible, but it IS! Here are a few of my favorite tips:

Shop local

Most towns hold weekly or bi-weekly farmers markets. This is a great place to grab your produce at a discount. If you want to get the best deal at your farmers market, hit the produce stand near closing time. Farmers don’t want to pack up the fruits and veggies that didn’t sell, so you can usually score bigger discounts. You can also grab great deals on canned jellies, honey and other similar items.

Plant a garden

Many fruits, vegetables and herbs can be grown in your backyard. Don’t have a backyard? You can grow many items on your back porch or windowsill. If you eat organic foods, this will save you tons of cash and you will know exactly where your food is coming from and what was used [Read more...]

There are many benefits to eating fruits and vegetables that are in season because they are at their peak for nutrition and taste, and offer the best bargain. Produce that isn’t in season in your area was likely grown in another state or even in a different country. Transporting it to you is expensive, which drives up the cost. Seasonal produce is also cheaper simply because there is more of it available. Here are a few options to help you save on seasonal produce:

• Compare prices on produce at your grocery store and the local farmer’s market.
• Coupons for fresh produce are even available on occasion to extend your grocery store savings.
• “You Pick It” farms provide great savings, if you are willing to invest the time and labor to harvest your own fruits or vegetables. [Read more...]

While sorting through the chaos that is everyday life, you may find unpaid bills, permission forms you forgot to return, recipes you have yet to get around to making and old grocery lists. You may even find that several of your bills were late and that you were forced to pay extra fees. You may have also found that a lot of coupons that you had intended on using had expired. Letting a coupon for an item you regularly use expire is like throwing away money.

A lack of organization can cost you and your family money, so we are here to help you get back on track to getting organized. Here are 13 ways to be more organized while staying budget conscious.

No matter the room in the house, give everything a place. Image courtesy of Valerie Everett.

1. Claim a space. Pick up a cheap desk at a garage sale and stick it in a quiet place. Use this spot to pay bills, fill out forms and organize coupons.

2. Give everything a designated home. Put a file box under your desk and fill it with colorful folders. There can be files for bills, business cards, grocery store flyers, magazine clippings and more. Also, keep a tray on top of your desk for items you haven’t sorted yet.

3. Go through each room. Over time go through every drawer, closet and shelf in each room of your house. Try to set timed goals to have a specific room or floor done so that you stay motivated and on task. Once you know exactly what you have, you can make your own store to “shop” from. For example, if you have gathered up pencils, paper, binders and school supplies from around the house – you’re set for the next few years! Find a bunch of things you don’t need? Donate your [Read more...]

Adjust your baking racks to save in the kitchen. Image courtesy of Lisa Brewster.

As the holidays draw near, you might be nervous about going over your budget. As a follow up to my earlier post, I have put together some great tips and tricks to use in the kitchen to save money. Just a bit of effort can help you save big!

Marshmallows
I love to have marshmallows in the house at this time of year so I can put them in my hot chocolate. The best way to keep your marshmallows fresh is to store them in your freezer. When you want to use a few, just take them out ahead of time and they’ll defrost at room temperature. By freezing them, they won’t go stale so you’ll buy less.

Baking Racks
When you plan on baking in your oven, be sure you have the oven racks exactly where you want them. I do this to cut down on the amount of times I have to open my oven when I’m cooking. Each time you [Read more...]