Frugal Fridays

With four growing boys and escalating food prices, groceries are eating up a bigger portion of our monthly budget. Here are some ways I have learned to “pinch a penny until it screams!”

1. Plan Ahead. I sit down with my calendar and the sales fliers to plan my meals for the week. Based on our schedule and what’s on sale, I make out the grocery list.

2. Use that List. A grocery list can limit impulse buying. Although many “super shoppers” advocate shopping once per week, I haven’t figured out how to make bananas, strawberries, and grapes last a whole week without a swarm of little flies invading my kitchen. I try to only shop twice a week to avoid unnecessary trips. If I’m not in the store, I’m not spending money.

3. Learn the sales cycles of the grocery store you prefer. Their “buy-one, get-one-free” promotions are a great way to save. Most products which they regularly put on sale cycle around every 5-6 weeks. The major stores rotate the brands on sale; each week they feature a different brand of paper towels, toilet tissue, ice cream, detergent, cuts of meat, etc. If you learn the cycles, you can buy enough of your preferred brands to last you until the next sale cycle. Adding in coupons clipped from the Sunday newspaper can enhance your savings.

4. Spices are expensive! I’d love to grow my own, but I have a “black thumb.” All attempts at growing them have failed, so I purchase dried spices. But those little bottles on the fancy spice aisle can run $3-$5 each. Skip that aisle and head over to the Ethnic Food section, where the same spices can be found for up to 2/3’s less.

5. Wal-Mart’s and Target’s entry into the grocery market gives us a lower priced option for shopping. Many staples can be purchased there for 20-25% less than the grocery store chains’ prices. Learn the SuperCenter’s prices on the items you regularly purchase; sometimes they are lower than the sales prices at the grocery chain.

6. The local farmers’ markets are great options for buying fresh, local produce. Prices are very reasonable, and you can meet the growers. This is a fun outing for the kids, too.

7. The wholesale clubs (Sam’s, BJ’s, Costco) can be cost effective, especially for a large family. It can also be a minefield of uncontrolled spending. Buying 48 rolls of paper towels when you have limited storage space isn’t helpful in the long run. They periodically offer free “trial memberships” that can let you explore the store, shop, and get a feel for whether this would benefit your family. Or, tag along with a friend who already has a membership.

Happy shopping ~ Adrea Thomas