Cutting Back

Everywhere I go my friends and family are talking about cutting back. I have been able to maintain a similar grocery bill over the last 4 years despite the increased costs by doing a few things.

1. Try to not overbuy: if there are items that you inevitably throw away, (for us Fruit Loops comes to mind, it always becomes stale before anyone wants to eat them) stop buying them. It sounds simple but it isn't always. I was also having bread go stale. Shopping more frequently but buying less has helped that. My family seems to go in spurts with bread. They eat 2 loaves in two days then they don't eat any bread for a week. Also, bread can be frozen and I have 2 half loaves in there now. One is my gluten-free loaf that I leave in there and the other is just plain bread.

2. Try to buy the cheapest size. There are several items that I buy that it is cheaper to buy in the smaller size. Bring your calculator and check the per-ounce price.

3. Try the no-name brand or store brand. Most items will be just fine. My family actually prefers some store brand items over the more pricey advertised national brands.

4. I started buying all my staples at a cheaper store. I alternate, one week at Aldi's and the next at Publix. Aldi's is small but clean and has cheaper basic staples but may not have my son's favorite cereal or my daughter's favorite cheesy turkey dogs. Publix is a huge supermarket but it has a homey feel and has had many of the same employees all 15 years that I have been shopping there.

5. Save coupons. We read the paper online, so I grab the coupons from my mother and father-in-law. I don't bother with coupons under a $1.00 off. I don't bother with things I don't use; just the brands of items I am already buying. I put the coupons with my dollars. Some weeks I don't take any coupons, other weeks I'll grab three or four. It only takes a few minutes to look through them.

6. Buy the meat that is on sale. When whole honey-baked hams were on sale I bought two. One was for right then, and the other went into the freezer for a month. I also kept the fat (for seasoning beans) and the bone (to make broth for soup) in the freezer. The whole fryer chickens are an easy meal too. Just bake, add a few favorite sides, and the family meal feels like a feast. My family likes these sides: sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes, carrots or peas, and salad as the sides. I bake the chickens and everyone is so happy.

7. When either grocery has sales on items we always use, I grab a few. When the cereal is on sale I grab two boxes not just one.

There are plenty websites and articles on how to save money these are just the things that I use.