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You and Your Grocery Bill by Nikki Willhite Do you ever wonder if you are spending too much money on groceries? Do you think that just because you don't eat out that you are doing a good job with food expenses? If you look up the statistical data for 2010, you will find that the average family spent upwards of $200 each week for food. My next question:  Do you really want to be "average?" Have you seen the food people buy in store?. Next time you go to the grocery store, compare the time people spend in the produce department as opposed to the cereal aisle. Most of the nutrition in the store is found on the perimeter- in the refrigerated sections for fruits and vegetables, dairy and meat products. The center aisles are filled with overly processed, sugar-loaded  and chemically laden foods, which are both lacking in nutrition and over priced. So I ask again: Do you really want to be "average?" HERE ARE SOME HEALTH CONSCIOUS WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON YOUR FOOD BILL AND RISE ABOVE THE "AVERAGE." - Always shop with a list. People are very visual. Those colorful boxes of worthless food are very appealing. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent to make you pick up those boxes and put them in your cart.  (Many of them are not worth more than their value as magazine holders when they are empty.) - Check your refrigerator before you make your shopping list. Make sure you incorporate all your leftover ingredients  (things like sour cream) into the meals for your upcoming week. - Avoid going down unnecessary aisles and subjecting yourself to temptation. - Shop alone. The more people at the store, the more hands, eyes, and brains to rationalize unnecessary purchases and put them in the cart. - Don't shop at grocery stores with high prices. Don't even go into the stores where you know everything is overpriced. I don't want to get into trouble with names, but one large grocery store in our area always sells their items at twice the price of where my family shops. - If you don't have a "destination store" in your area, (that always has low prices), shop at the store advertising the best sale prices for the week. - Buy as many items as you can in bulk at a warehouse like Costco - Keep your tastes simple. If you develop a taste for gourmet snacks and food, you will never keep your food budget down. You don't have to eat meat every night.  You can get the same nutrition from beans and eggs. Don't be above eating tuna noodle casserole or macaroni and cheese.  Kids usually like macaroni and cheese from the box, but when homemade with fresh cheese, it is a real comfort food. Sometimes it is not the food you eat, but what you put with it that makes the difference.  Macaroni and cheese served with corn is not nearly as appetizing as macaroni served with a colorful lime jello salad, cherry jello with bananas or bright orange carrots.  Plan your meals using your sense of sight. - Serve soup and rolls with dinner to fill empty stomachs. - Make good use of your freezer for meats, cheeses, made-ahead meals, extra home-baked cookies, or day-old bakery items. - If you don't know the price of food, keep a price book. List all the foods you buy on your computer, and then write down what you have been paying for them. Check the ads, and check out other stores. Keep the list updated, and always carry it with you when shopping. When you see a true sale, stock up. - Make a place in your home to store food. You have more room than you think. You can store a ton of food under your bed, and upper closet space is usually wasted. The price of food is going up. When you see it on sale, you need to stock up. - Cook as many items as you can from scratch. When time is limited, cook items that are easier, but still less expensive than fast food. - If you are eating out for dinner, just stop it. The prices, as well as the portions, are insane. Go out to lunch on occasion. The prices are significantly less, and you can often split a meal among family members. - Eat meatless a few times a week, and have soup and a sandwich for dinner once and awhile. Don't be a "meat and potatoes" family. In addition to the cost, you will dig your own graves with your knife and fork. - Have at least one crockpot recipe for days when you know you will be unable or too tired to cook dinner. Plan your meals, make economical substitutions in recipes when possible, and cook, bake and freeze to make life easier. "Average" is too low a standard for the health and well-being of your family. About the Author: Nikki Willhite, mother of 3 and an interior design graduate, has been writing and publishing articles on the topic of frugal living for over a decade. Visit her at www.frugalhappyfamilies.com - where you will find hundreds of frugal living tips and articles. Frugal Happy Families- more than just money!

 

 

 

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