Coupons are a great way to save but not for me. (Photo courtesy Flickr user BigBreaks)
I don’t have anything against coupons. In fact, I’m more than a bit envious of them. I love hearing about stories of hard core couponers that are able to slash their grocery bill by 80% using well-timed, double stacked coupons and sales.
I have a very tight budget to keep while feeding a family of three adults and one growing child. Unfortunately, sale matching and coupon cutting does not work for our family. This is mostly because we do not eat a lot of processed food which is what most manufacturer coupons are for. Plus, I do at least half of my shopping at my favorite ethnic market. While I do plan around their sales, it is rare that there are any non-store coupons to clip for further savings.
So instead of relying on coupons, I simply choose to shop smarter to help stretch our grocery budget. These are the five simple rules that I follow to help feed my family on a very limited budget.
PLAN MASTER MEALS – Plan one or two master meals that will yield more than one night of dinners. For instance, one chicken can easily feed a family for a week if you plan ahead correctly.
CUT DOWN ON MEAT – Animal protein is by far the most expensive thing a family’s grocery list. Learn how to stretch meat with healthy fillers such as tofu, vegetables and whole grain. Also learn how to best utilize the cheaper cuts of meat, which are usually tougher but more flavorful than the more expensive cuts.
BUY GENERICS – Some store brands are comparable – sometimes, even better! – than the national brand name items and are almost always less than the brand names even on sale. (Note: If you find that the generic just doesn’t compare to your usual name brand, wait for a sale at the grocery store and then stock up.)
GET FAMILIAR WITH BULK BINS – Shop at a grocery store that has a bulk bin section. You can find mind blowing savings on dry staples like pasta, beans and flour.
For example: at my local Winco, a 1lb canister of steel cut oats in the cereal aisle can cost close to $4 but 1lb of steel cut oats in the bulk bin costs a mere 77 cents!! Talk about savings!
DITCH SOFT DRINKS – Avoid buying ready-to-drink beverages like soft drinks. Not only are they more expensive than home-filtered water, they are full of artificial colors, flavors and sweeteners and offer very little in the way of nutrients.
If you must have some sort of sweetened beverage, consider 100% frozen juice, which is far less expensive than buying the ready-to-drink variety. Or try making iced tea or lemonade or fresh squeezed orange juice at home.
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