Tips For Staying Within Your Grocery Budget

Groceries continue to go up and I have been determined to not go over my grocery budget. Here are several things I have started doing to stay within our food budget.

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1. I only grocery shop once a month. This has been a little difficult to do, but I am savings more money!
2. I sit down once a month and plan a menu for the month. Once that is accomplished I go through my coupons and put the ones I am going to use in a envelope so I have them ready for the shopping trip.
3. I buy the store brand, unless will known brand is on sale for the same or less. I do not have any complaints about the store brand. Why pay for all that advertising for well known products?
4. There is a bread outlet about five miles from my home. I go there once a month and stock up on bread, rolls, tortillas, etc at excellent prices. These products freeze and keep. I always run other errands in that direction on the same day. The half price bookstore isn't far from the bread outlet, so I can usually pick up a real bargain there, too.
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5. Check with you store, they may give a senior discount. I shop at Krogers and filled out the short application for their Kroger card, which gives me another 10% off on all of their Kroger and their Private selection brand.
6. I watch the cashier as the items ring and thus am able to catch an error while I am checking out. The last time I shopped an item rang up wrong, and the cashier gave it to me at no charge because it scanned wrong.
7. The store I shop at has a markdown area for items they are no longer going to carry, I check that and usually find several great deals. For example, a box of Lara Banana Nut Bars, which were out of date by one day. I got the whole box for $3.99! These sell for 1.99 each and the box had ten in it.
8. I do have to stop for milk and a couple other items during the month. When I do I just pick the items up at the convenience store where I get gas. This way I am not going into the grocery store and buying more then I need. The gas station I stop at has competitive prices on milk, eggs and a few other items.

This shopping once a month has been very good for me. It has caused me to be better a better shopper and the great thing is, it is saving our family money. Hope you will try it.

By Bobbie from Rockwall, TX