Unique Ideas to Save Money on Groceries

In an effort to save money on your grocery bill, you’ve probably already implemented the sage advice offered time and time again. You shop from a list. You buy what’s in season. You don’t shop hungry, you clip coupons and you look at what’s on sale. These are all very good rules to shop by. However, there are other ways to save money on groceries. Let’s take a look at five unique ideas to save money on groceries.

#1 Shop with a friend and maximize. Food purchased in bulk is significantly less expensive. However, unless you have several freezers in your basement or garage, that food is going to go to waste. Consider shopping with a friend. Together you can purchase the maximum amount of bulk chicken you’re allowed to buy, split it up and save tons of money. This works quite well with meats and items that can be frozen, as well as with non-perishables.

#2 Learn to can and/or preserve food. Produce tends to really go on sale during certain times of the year. For example berries in the summertime, apples and peaches in the fall. Buy them in bulk and preserve them. You won’t have to buy jam or canned fruit for the rest of the year. Additionally, canning supplies are really inexpensive and preserved foods taste a whole lot better than store-bought canned items.

#3 Shop post-holiday. Hams after Easter. Corned beef after St Patrick’s Day, and let’s not forget turkey after Thanksgiving. These meats drop to about a quarter of the price right after the holiday. Buy them and freeze them for later in the year.

#4 Homemade convenience. The cost of flour, eggs, milk and oil is about a tenth of the price of a box of frozen waffles. Instead of buying prepackaged foods for their convenience, make them yourself. You can make a double or triple batch of waffles on the weekend and freeze them. Simply pop them in the toaster in the morning and you have all the convenience at about a tenth of the price. Plus, they taste better. Add cinnamon and chopped apples to your waffle recipe and you don’t even need syrup!

#5 Hit the ethnic markets. Skip the big box stores and head to your local meat market, Indian market, Spanish market or Asian food store. These stores specialize in ethnic cuisine; however, the produce is often the same as you’d find in your local supermarket at a much lower cost. Plus, it can just be fun to try new markets and new food.

Continue using those money-saving rules of thumb: Make a list, shop by the supplements and in season, and by all means continue to clip those coupons. For extra savings, try implementing these five tips. You’ll be amazed how much you can cut your grocery bill by.