Tag Archives: Buying in Bulk

How to Save Money on Groceries

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I remember a day when a 2 Liter of Pepsi was 99 cents, and you could get a gallon of milk for just a buck or two. These days, prices haven’t just increase, they’ve increased big time.

So it comes as no surprise that a family once able to stock the fridge and cabinets with food might now be struggling just to keep a few shelves full. The average family now pays over $1,000 for groceries per month, and it seems like costs are only continuing to rise.

So today, to help you fix that dent in your wallet and keep the fridge full of not junk, but healthy food, we’re going to talk about how to save money on groceries without going on a starvation diet.

  1. Coupons
    You might have seen the new show that’s all the rage lately – Extreme Couponing, which presents case studies and personal stories of renegade shoppers that have become so good at using coupons that they often walk out of the grocery paying less than 1% of retail cost.

    Now, I don’t expect you to become a crazy couponer, but just using coupons period will show you how to save money on groceries instantly. Start getting the Sunday paper, and clip coupons. Also, keep the circulars and browse them for good deals. It’s instant cash back in your wallet.

  2. Buying in Bulk
    I realize that buying in bulk can be costly, but one of the tricks people use when showing others how to save money on groceries is buying what’s on sale now, and stocking up. It’s counter-intuitive because logic tells you to only buy what you need, but if you get in the habit of buying lots of what’s on sale, then your average bill will slowly decrease until you’re paying less than ever.
  3. Not Shopping Hungry

    I realize this isn’t a trick, but it’s important that you show up to the grocery with a full belly so that you don’t get suckered into buying things that you don’t need. When you’re full, you move fast and avoid distraction. When you’re hungry, even the boxes look good.

  4. Use a List

    When you go grocery shopping without a list, you end up walking through the store and waiting for something to stick out and say “buy me.” The problem with that is that like shopping hungry, you get sucked into endcaps and displays that trick you into spending more than you want to. This is why they put the milk in the back!

  5. Buy Store Brands

    Many store brands are just as good as the original, and if you really want to know how to save money on groceries than you can start here and save as much as 50% right off the bat.

The trick to saving money on groceries is in buying smart, and paying attention to store patterns. If you learn how to master the coupon, bulk, and store brand game, then you’ll win every time.

The Benefits of Buying in Bulk

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Buying different items in bulk amounts can be quite a money saver when it is done the right way. This works especially well for large families, but it can also be advantageous to couples and single individuals. People are paid at different times depending on where they work, and those who receive their pay every 2 weeks or once a month seem to manage their money better when they buy needed items in bulk.

Items such as toilet paper, paper towels, canned goods, boxed food, and other things that have long expiration dates, are all good things to purchase in bulk amounts. Once the paper goods are bought, you can put them away and not have to worry about replacing them for 2 weeks to a month. As for the canned and boxed goods, these usually have quite a long shelf life. These may start to build up after awhile, so be sure to sort them according to their expiration dates.

As for frozen foods, these can also be purchased in bulk depending on what sort of food it is. Buying frozen foods in bulk usually makes more sense for larger families, as you can be sure it won’t go to waste. However, it can be also put to cost saving use by smaller families as well. When you find a meat pack containing family favorites, buying more than one large package is a good idea. Frozen fruit can also be stocked for quite awhile as long as it is protected from freezer burn.

It is also possible to buy bread products in bulk. Fresh bread can be bought, frozen, and thawed out as needed. There is some bread that comes frozen. You can buy these in bulk amounts and store them to use as you need or want to.

Drink mixes such as Kool-Aid or Crystal Light can be bought in bulk and stored for months. These are much cheaper than sodas and can actually be much better for you if you are using the sugar free mixes. Different types of juices can be bought as either frozen or bottled, and will last for at least a month at a time.

As you slowly stock your pantry and freezer, you will start to see the money savings add up. This will become evident as you need to purchase less and less of certain items on each shopping trip. In order to do this type of shopping, consider getting a membership at a store such as Sam’s Club or Costco’s. Bulk shopping is a specialty at these stores.