How to Save Money on Food
Planning meals in advance is a great way to save money on food. By laying out a meal plan for each of the three daily meals, it is possible to determine what foods to buy, and in what quantities. Planning meals around what's on sale can lower your grocery bills, especially if you also use coupons. Sunday newspapers are full of coupons and sales circulars to get you started.
Stores often offer sales only on a smaller sized package, making it cheaper to buy several smaller items rather than buying in bulk. Store brands and generics are almost ALWAYS cheaper, and usually just as good in quality as the popular name brands. A HUGE percentage of retail price on name brand products is spent in the packaging, which has NOTHING to do with quality. Breads, packaged foods and drinks are commonly sold by stores under their own brand name. Also look for generic brands, which can save you a significant amount of money at the grocery store. Bread can be frozen, so I buy bulk and freeze it. For snacks you should look at walnuts and sesame seeds because they have amazing levels of nutrients and are far better than chips and cookies, etc.
Groceries are one area where we have a lot of power to save or spend money as we see fit. There are a lot of choices out there (stores, brands, sales, etc.), so we can prioritize our spending pretty easily.