How do you save money on food?

Well combined with the normal looking out for deals and cutting out coupons, I use websites to my advantage. I use the coupons that come out of

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to get food sometimes. Most of the time you can combine them with your normal coupons and make double or triple savings.

 

I have a loyalty card for my supermarkets and have recently started coupon clipping. This is kind of difficult for me to get into. I can't seem to work out the sales with the coupons before their expiration dates. I do however try shopping when the BOGOs are going on and we freeze many foods to make them last. My husband invested in a food saver which helps a lot with preserving delis and meats. There are programs here in south florida where you donate about $10 dollars a month which goes to the local growers and they in turn ship you samples of their crops. You can end up with a significant amount of herbs and fresh fruits and vegetables. A good friend of ours did this and has had so much sent to him that he needed to borrow our food saver to start drying the herbs because he wasn't able to use them all before they wilted. These programs are probably available in your area as well and they are a huge help. Bulk shopping is a great way to save but it also depends on the size of your family and the storage you have available in your home. For example, I live in an apartment and its just my husband and I and we are currently expecting our first child so buying food in bulk would not be wise. However, buying detergent, soap, cleaning supplies and other misc. items can be very helpful to use as soon we will be washing more laundry than our local laundry mat. Usually members of bulk shopping stores recieve monthly booklets full of coupons from their bulk shopping stores and this can be helpful as they usually last about 3 months before they expire.

 

I tend to forget my coupons at home a lot of the time. There are times when I remember them, but I have such a hetic schedule that it is easy to forget. I have found that making a menu really helps. My family sits down and makes a full menu for the next month. I buy as much as I can from Aldi's, and then use the ads from other stores to comparison shop for the best deals. I found that sticking to the menu saves a lot of money because I am not buying a bunch of extras that I don't use. We do get a few snacks. Starting the menu has helped us save over $100 a month in food because I know exactly what I need.

 

I have started using coupons. I would clip them, but always seemed to have them with me when I needed them. Now, I have a special container that I keep in my purse. I have also eliminated most processed food from my diet. I was actually surprised at home much money I saved by doing that. I just buy fish and fresh vegetables. I also stopped buying the pre-washed vegetables. I only buy a few items in bulk.

 

I use store loyalty cards, take advantage of BOGOF offers, and look out for special offers. I spread my shopping over 2 or 3 supermarkets each week, to get the best deals from all of them. Something else I do is stock up on the short dated, reduced price items. I take them straight home and put them in the freezer. I haven't bought a full priced pack of meat, chicken or fish in years - it's either on sale or reduced because it's short dated. As meat, poultry and fish tend to be the most expensive articles in the shopping cart, this saves a lot of money.

When it comes to fruit and vegetables, I buy them at local street markets rather than supermarkets. I also stick to what's in season. Not only is this cheaper, it also guarantees the best flavour. I make soup at least once a week with in season vegetables, and we have that as a main meal, served with fresh bread or rolls. I think I'm doing everything I can to save money on food.

 

I have a loyalty card but I rarely use coupons, because generic store brands are usually cheaper than big brands even with a coupon, and when generic brands go on sale it’s usually a screaming deal. I also usually buy the larger sizes because each price tag shows you how much you’re paying per unit, like 50 cents per ounce as an example. So, for example, a smaller bottle of vegetable oil costs less than the next size up, but it often costs more per ounce than the larger bottle, so you’re saving money in the end by buying the larger bottle. Also, I buy produce in season when it’s cheapest. Finally, I admit to having a little edge on a lot of people because my son works for a grocery store that's owned by a large national chain and he has an employee discount card I use. It’s only for 10% off store brands, but we manage to save quite a bit with it over time.

 

A simple way to save, put left-over veg’s in a container and freeze until you want to make soup. Bones from roast and chicken boiled at the same time give it a good flavor. No bone drop in an egg for protein. My mother called this refrigerator soup we would have it once a week. Cooking for two or three I found it takes to long to get enough, so I freeze until I an ready I also will use shrimp shells to make a stock straining before I add the vegs.

 

I have supermarket cards for all the local supermarkets. I also look at the stores' fliers before making my list and see which store has the better deals - tho I do frequent 2 of the stores more then the others. We have many supermarkets here within 15 minutes away so that helps us.

I have a method to my stores. If I can save a lot at one over the other in the week, then I go to that one. If not, I go to Stop and Shop for most of my shopping. They offer better rewards for customers in my opinion. When it is close to the holidays, I shop more at Shoprite since they offer a free holiday turkey or ham when you spend so much in a month.

 

We have a vegetable garden at home so we rarely buy vegetables in supermarkets (they're fairly expensive these days). We seldom order food or eat out; we just cook at home. When buying groceries, we always use coupons and loyalty cards.

 

I also make soup from left over vegetables. There normally isn't anything left over when I cook for just the two of us, because I know how much we'll eat, but if we have company, there's always stuff left over. I got the idea from a carvery chef who used to use the leftovers from one week's carvery to make a soup for the following week's starter. I like your idea for making stock from shrip shells - I eat a lot of mussels, and they would work just as well, I would think.

 

I try to plan out the meals so they use similar ingredients so when I shop I can buy those shared items in bulk. I also buy the store/generic brands most of the time because they are cheaper. I also check clearance bins in the stores for good prices on regularly purchased items, too. I also do the leftover soup idea and throw leftover veggies into a container in the freezer. I have a meat container in the freezer to put leftover types of beef into and will make either chili or stew from that.

 

We save money on food by buying at different stores, usually each one has a special in order to compete with the others, it does mean that you have to keep your eye open. Also, not buying at the end of the month, food prices seem to be highest then and in the middle of the month it seems to be at its cheapest.

We always use coupons now, loyalty cards and use credit cards in order to get money back (but we control this usage and only have one credit card now). We also grow some fruits and vegetables ourselves and are working on increasing the quantities...

 

It's pretty much what everyone else has said. Cooking and eating at home goes a long way, plus the leftover experience is always quite fun. Discount cards, massive coupon hunting, and even buying in bulk usually keep the cost low. What my family also does is we have a garden, which helps us to save a decent amount of money, as well have a little fun doing some outdoor work.

 

Most grocery chains will allow you to bring back the coupons with your receipt, and will give you the difference back!

I love people who do this; please keep continuing what you do.

I tend to do this quite often myself, and thow in any extra vegetables, along with a little bit of pasta to soak up the juices and to firm it up a little. It turns out great!

 

I can make certain food items do double duty, I've found. Expired milk gets made into cheese. The leftover whey gets used instead of milk in baking products. I make my omelettes get made from whatever was leftover from dinner. Any unused bits of vegetables get thrown into the stock pot with the chicken bones to make a chicken and vegetable broth. I use that broth to stretch my omelettes instead of milk.

 

I save money by buying at my rock bottom price. I keep a spreadsheet of prices I am willing to pay for an item. When the item gets down to that price, I will purchase enough of it to last 6 weeks. I do this because I know stores rotate their sales every 6 weeks.

 

Here are some stores where they lower the price when the date of expiration is after a couple of days! It's great! It's mostly salads, milk, sweets, cheese. You can make a whole dish with $5. I use discounts mostly! I use everything in the fridge! Most of the times I make salads from leftovers

 

My mom is working as an Agriculturist in our city's Agriculture Department. Because of that, she knows a lot of farmers within our vicinity and those farmers usually give us vegetables, fruits, and other crops during the harvesting season. We are able to save some penny because of that. We don't need to buy garlic, onion, corns, etc.

Also, I am a huge fan of "Buy 1 Take 1" promos. I usually buy a lot of grocery supplies during sale season and promos.