How to Shave Hundreds Off Your Grocery Bill

Imagine what you would do with an extra couple hundred dollars, at the end of every month. Would you take a vacation? Would you add to your savings, further planning for your retirement? It may not seem completely fathomable, but it is possible to save hundreds of dollars a year on your groceries alone. Employing coupons and retaining a monthly budget are two surefire ways to save on groceries. Read about these two saving tips and more below:

Not So Extreme Couponing

Many families create a shopping list before going to the grocery store. Oftentimes, this is based on a menu for the week and what’s on sale in a circular. It’s a good step to keep your store’s weekly circular on-hand, but shopping for a menu, regardless of price, isn’t a good tactic. Instead, buy what’s on sale and create recipes around that. This way, everything you buy is at a discount. You’re always saving and never overspending.

Coupons are everywhere. You’ll want to subscribe to your local Sunday paper. Some websites offer newspapers at a reduced rate. You may even want to subscribe to more than one paper, in order to double up on all of your money-saving coupons. You can also download coupons online and ask friends and family members to save any coupons they find for you.

You’ll want to match your coupons with a store’s promotion. Many stores double coupons, so find out what your grocery store’s policy on coupons is. When your store runs promotions, you’ll end up with great deals. For example, if your store is running a Buy One, Get One Free promotion on spaghetti sauce, and you have a Save $2.00 on 2 jars of spaghetti sauce, you’ve not only got a jar of sauce for free, but also saved $2.00 on the sauce you paid for.

Coupons aren’t just for groceries. You can save on all sorts of items. From clothing to electronics, coupons can be employed to save money again and again. For instance, you can search a coupon directory for a promo code and end up saving big on the designer’s purses and more.

Stockpiling Your Way to Financial Freedom

As you coupon, you’ll begin to notice deals on items that your family uses, but may not be completely out of. For instance, toilet paper may not be on your shopping list, but this necessary item may still be on sale. If there’s a sweet deal, scoop it up. Stockpiling nonperishable items can result in huge savings. Plus, you won’t have to buy these items again for a long time.

As you build up a large quantity of coupons, you’ll also build upon the amount of stockpiling options you have. For instance, if a 12 pack of toilet paper is on sale for $2.00 less than normal and you have three Buy One, Get One Free coupons, you end up with six packs of toilet paper, enough to get you through the next month at least. Sometimes these types of deals even result in money-makers. This is one your coupons fully cover the cost of an item, plus some, and the store has to pay you!

Create a Budget

Finally, having a monthly budget for expenses is essential to saving money. Make sure to include both your projected grocery allowance and your actual spending. When it comes to grocery shopping, you may want to create a second, weekly budget. This budget will help you determine exactly how much you’re saving. It’s also a great way to itemize and keep track of all your spending.

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