Save Money Grocery Shopping!

A lot of folks are focusing on couponing right now. Some people claim that they save from 50-90 percent of their shopping bill just by using coupons.  This might be true, but we need to recognize the limitations of this approach.  First of all, you need time, possibly a lot of it.  Secondly, you need an excellent memory and organization skills.  This is why I don't coupon myself.  I get the coupons and, if by some miracle, I take them to the store, then when I'm at the cashier I forget about them.  

If you'd like to look at a moderate approach to couponing, I recommend this blog series: Extreme Couponing

For me, though, the number one secret of saving money on food isn't coupons or specials.  It’s where you shop.  Sure, you might be able to save some money spending all your time collecting coupons and checking out the ads.  But you can save the most money, right off the bat, by shopping at a discount grocery.  It doesn't require you to drive around town, and it requires a minimum of organization.  Every major town has them: Winco, Food4Less, Canned Food Outlet are some that are familiar to us in the West U.S.    Wall Mart saves money on many items, but isn’t a great place to get food.

Do you buy produce?  Then check out local farmer’s markets.  A while ago, that was an expensive option.  But now you can buy the best, freshest produce cheaper than any supermarket there.  This is important because produce is an important part of eating healthy.  If we only thought about eating cheaply and not healthy, we would only be eating Little Debbie’s!   You need to eat both cheaply and well.  Especially if you have children.