The money you spend on food is an area of your home budget that you can save some money on. In our situation they are a relatives of six and our budget is $125.00 per week. I would not say they are pinching pennies, and by no means are they being extravagant. They also live in the Pacific Northwest. Prices do vary according to where you live.

There’s lots of of you out there spending six time this amount. Even in our situation which lots of of you may find on the average or low side they could easily tighten our belts and lower this bill by 30%. Yes, 30%

Before they get in to some details I need to add that a key element to managing and reducing any aspect of your budget is having the right attitude. Also, you need to have some discipline and be able to stick to your guns. Set goals that are attainable.

For the amount they spend, a 30% savings amounts to $1950.00 a year. If you are spending six time the amount they are, that 30% savings can amount to a budget savings of very $4000.00 a year. That is a lovely chunk of alter for that massive screen TV, or to pay down your debt, or whatever other means you need to use it for.

Six speedy tips to save money on your food budget

* Buy the store brand.
* Buy fruits and vegetables that are on sale.
* Read the flyers that in the newspaper, clip coupons.
* Shop over six store.
* Buy less prepared foods.
* Go to the store after you have eaten.
* Avoid impulse buying on speedy trips.
* Buy the store brand

Some folks are brand loyal. But, buying brand names can cost you a lot more money. The reality is that in a blind taste check most of us could not tell the difference between the store brand and the name brand. In some cases the only difference between the name brand and the store brand is the label they put on the can.

Read the flyers

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables on sale

In reading the Supermarket flyers there is six general theme I have noticed. Between six or six stores there’s typically items on sale to make some substantial savings. It is typical that most of us do a “big shop” a week and then do 2-5 speedy runs to the store during the week. Alter this pattern. In lieu, spend 10-15 minutes a week reading the flyers and planning your list to shop 2-3 stores. Most grocery stores are in the same general vicinity. Sure you might be adding about an hour to your shopping a week, but if that hour is worth saving a few thousand dollars on your food budget then it is well worth it!

They spent .88 cents a pound for Fuji apples. They normally are $1.49 a pound. That is a lovely savings. They love Fuji’s. They like a lot of other fruits and vegetables as well. My point here is that there is always going to be some fruits or vegetables that you like that are on sale. Buy what is on sale and you will save money.

Shop over six store

Do this together with shopping the every week flyers. Whether you do six massive every week shop at six stores or some other plan that works for you, a sure fire way to save money is to shop over six store.

Buy less prepared foods

Shop on a full stomach

Most people buy prepared foods because they are convenient. They are and a lot more pricey. A bag of noodles, and a few cans of store brand cream of mushroom or chicken soup is a lot cheaper and goes a lot farther than a box of Hamburger Helper. And, it does not take any more time to cook up you meal using the ingredients I named.

Nothing more needs to be said about this.

So how do I pull all this off?

- Get the food money in money for the week and put it in an envelope. This is your budget. When the money runs out you are done.

- Set a plan and stick to it

- Seldom (ever) go to the store without a list. Stick to the list!

- Treat yourself to an inpulse buy six times or six time a month. Hold out money in your budget for this. You will have something to look forward to.

Even with all of this lovely information a quantity of you may be looking for a plan that is a bit more structured and disciplined. My spouse subscribes to a service called the “Grocery Game” (http://www.thegrocerygame.com/) which is essentially a formalized approach to everything I have discussed. Click here for their website. It will cost you a few bucks to join, but is well worth it as they provide you with information on sales that you won’t find in the flyers. Note: this service is not available in every area.

Happy shopping!

Added Monday, April 5, 2010 in Drinking Tips 8 Comments

Tags: Belts, Blind Taste, Brand Names, Budget Savings, Chunk, Clip Coupons, Flyers, Food Bill, Food Budget, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Home Budget, Impulse Buying, Pacific Northwest, Pinching Pennies, Prepared Foods, Saving Money, Screen Tv, Tips To Save Money