Are you shocked by the recent high price of groceries? Have you noticed a jump in your grocery bill? I have noticed a jump of about $20 a week that I am paying now for the same groceries I used to buy for much less. Unfortunately, I am not much of a coupon diva, and I don’t see myself suddenly becoming one.
Regardless if you use coupons or not, there are ways to put the brakes on increased spending at the grocery store:
1.) Once a week, consider having breakfast for dinner. Eggs average out to .10 to .15 a piece. If you have 5 in your family as I do and serve every one 2 eggs, you are looking at $1.00 to $1.50 for the main meal component. Round it out with some toast and fruit and you have a light, frugal dinner. Or, consider serving French toast or pancakes. Quiche and breakfast casseroles also will work. My kids love getting breakfast for dinner, and lately we have been doing this once a week to try to curb our grocery costs.
2.) Have one meatless meal a week. Meat often is very pricey. Omit it for one meal and save yourself that expense. You could try beans and rice, tuna noodle casserole, vegetable fajitas, spaghetti, pasta primavera, etc.
3.) Buy produce when it is on sale and freeze it. We love red peppers but often can’t afford them. When I found them on sale for $1.00 a pound, I bought 10 of them and chopped them up and froze almost all of them. Throughout the winter I pulled them out to use in stir-fries. We have successfully done the same with bananas for smoothies (chop up, sprinkle with lemon juice and freeze individually on a pan and then place all of them on a freezer bag), green peppers, strawberries and blueberries.
With the recent high prices of both groceries and gas, many families are feeling the pinch as more money leaves their hands. If you use coupons, you will see increased savings, but even if you don’t coupon, try implementing some of these strategies to lessen the pain you may be feeling at the grocery store.
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.
Great tips! I eat a single serving a meat a day and that is only for dinner. Everything else if fruits, vegetables and dairy. I’ve noticed that I’ve been able to cut my grocery bill to $20 and sometimes $10 if I have left over milk and Yogurt. Eggs truely are cheap and a great way to start the day.. or end it.
-Ravi Gupta
We eat a vegetarian meal once or twice a week for health reasons anyway. My wife shops at 3 places (all close) to get the best prices. She also does weekly menus and uses a list. When it was colder, hearty soups was a great Sunday night meal.
I use a lot of coupons on the things that I use regularly to save a ton of money
Shop at the farmer’s market! Things are much cheaper.
The past 3 months I have found a program called market on the move. You get up to 60 lbs of veg and fruit for a $10 donation.
It has challanged me to do things differently as not to waste the products. Last month I pickled for the first time ever jalapeno peppers, carrots, and onions. Also tomatillo tomatoes. It took a month to cure but was well worth the wait. Took time preparing, but it was worth the wait. I also prepare and freeze lots of stuff.
Ravi–I agree. Meat really adds up; eat it once a day or several times a week and then fill in the rest with cheaper protein like eggs and beans.
Krantcents–Great tips. I love soup too. It is so filling and great for the budget!
Frugal Living–I need to get on board with coupons, but I can’t seem to stay on top of them at this point. I am hoping to do so in the next few months.
Pat S.–Good point. Our farmer’s market does not start until June, so we are still eagerly awaiting its return.
Linda–What a great program! I see that right now it is just in Arizona. This would be a good program to implement nationwide. There is no point in wasting so much produce, and this program takes care of that problem.