Save Money on Your Grocery Shopping

Filed in archive Saving on May 7, 2009

© hellochris

If you were to look over your food budget and all that is spent on eating out - it would probably surprise most people. When you realize that so large a percentage of your income goes to food would probably even be a shock to many. Finding ways to save money on groceries would probably free up some cash to help pay down some bills. Here are some places to look to save money on your monthly food bill.

1. Reduce your grocery shopping events

Everyone knows that the all stores - including grocery stores - are set up to make people want to buy more. Believe it or not, it may well be working on you, too. This is why you often end up buying more than you intended each time you go shopping. You can't save money when there is a real strategy going on to get you to buy more - especially if you are not watching out for it.

Notice that the very tasty things are at eye level. Also notice that there are some great items hanging out around the check-out counters. It's part of the plan. Unless you hang out less frequently at the grocery store, most people will end up with larger grocery bills than they intended - for this reason.

The recent book, America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams, actually mentions a family that goes shopping once a month - twelve times a year. Now that may be very difficult for most - but you can be sure that this family is probably saving a lot of money.

2. Plan Your Eating Out

Eating out too often is another sure way to avoid saving money. If you are like many people, eating out is easy - especially if you regularly carry cash.

Try setting a realistic budget that is solely for your dining out each week. Once you calculate how much you think is a good idea to spend each week, you may find that you can save money by spending a little more time eating at home. Recognizing how much is going to making the fast food places rich, is a good place to start saving money.