Saving Money on Groceries Without Using Coupons
Coupons are a great resource to save money. However, unless or until you have done it for awhile and have yourself a routine, clipping coupons and then matching them up to sale ads can prove to be time consuming.
So how can you grocery shop without coupons and still spend less?
Glad you asked.
The first thing to do and probably the most important thing is to make out your menu for the week, two weeks or month. Your menu length will depend on how often you go shopping. The menu should consist of all three daily meals, snacks and any late night indulgences you may have, etc.
Once you have completed your menu, look over it and head to your kitchen. Look through your pantry, fridge and freezer to see if you already have any of the menu items, if so, mark them off or put a check mark next to it. Doing this will ensure that you do not buy what you already have and end up with several bags of frozen corn. Don't ask me how I know, just trust me on this.
**One money saving tip is to do the second step first, create your menu based on food that you already have.**
Now that you are aware of what you need, begin making out a grocery list. When making a grocery list it is best to group it in to categories, i.e. produce, meat, dairy, etc. Hopefully this will eliminate forgetting anything and having to make a mad dash across the store to pick of the taco seasoning you forgot to get.
Once the grocery list is completed, go ahead and take a peek at your local grocery store ads and find the one or if you dare, two or three that have what you need on sale.
**If you decide not to make your menu from scratch or from what you already have on hand, you can always make your menu based on the sale ads**
With your list in hand, head to the store that you chose and begin some comparison shopping. Compare the prices of the store brand, other generic brands and name brands. To get the best deal, you must know the price per unit, which can usually be found on the shelf tag.
One thing to keep in mind is that buying in bulk is not always the cheapest way to go.
The final tip for saving money without the use of coupons is stick to your list. Do not stray, if it is not on the list do not buy it.
