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Eight Rules for Buying Groceries without Coupons

There are two types of grocery shoppers, the coupon cutters and the non coupon cutters. I have fallen into both camps at one time or another. While popular media may tell you that you can’t save money on groceries unless you use coupons, this is not true. The famous tightwad herself, Amy Dacyczyn, author of the newsletter (and now books) called “The Tightwad Gazette” was never a big fan of coupons. If you choose not to use coupons, then follow the following eight rules. And of course, they are good to know even if you do use coupons. Shop with … Continue reading →

What to Do When You Have a Coupon for a Missing Product

In the coupon world, there is nothing worse than having a great coupon only to find out that the store doesn’t have the product you need. This is especially true when you have one of the rare “get it free” coupons with those short expiration dates. What should you do? Here are some suggestions. If your store normally carries the product but is out of it because of high demand (when there is a sale), first find out from the manager when the product is expected to arrive. It may be worth returning to the store. Some manager will even … Continue reading →

Coping with No More Coupon Inserts

Coupons can be invaluable for saving lots of money on your grocery food budget. But now there are less coupons available, at least in the Sunday newspaper. How do you feel about the Valassis Company’s decision to pull the RedPlum coupon inserts out of the Sunday newspaper? The areas affected since last month are major cities in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Utah, Virginia, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Maryland, and Texas. This has definitely affected me in a regional sense, because when I look for coupons, I usually buy the Philadelphia Inquirer for coupons, and sometimes purchase more than one … Continue reading →

A Selection of Meatless Meals

Incorporating some meatless meals into your regular menu can reduce your grocery food bill. Most of the commonly high priced items in the supermarket for the average shopper are all meat products. It gets even worse when the meat is part of a prepackaged or pre-cooked meal. But trying to plan out a variety of meatless meals is the key to keeping the family interested and not crying out for steak. Many people envision a meatless meal to be a bunch of vegetables just sitting there on the plate. But there are so many options today for yummy and cheap … Continue reading →

Inventive Meals on the Road

After traveling and lodging, food is the biggest expense while traveling. But you can get in some great meals for $10, $5 or less when you cook them yourself. How can you cook while traveling? There are a few fun and inventive ways to be frugal here. Bring the slow cooker While many hotels don’t allow cooking in the room unless you have a suite that includes a kitchen, you can still use your crockpot in your car! If you have a long trip, at least four hours, then you are all set for a great meal. Add a liner … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Save Money on Food

Doing without things is a great way to save money. For example, you can cut out the cable bill, eliminate the cell phone and go without the vacations. But food is one area that is well, impossible to cut out of your life, since you need it to survive. Fortunately, there are many ways to save on food. Try some of the following tips. 1. Eat at home. Ingredients are usually less than prepared meals. The next time you are out and are tempted to stop for dinner on the way home, stop at the grocery store instead. Some inexpensive … Continue reading →

How to Save on Summer Food

When summer comes, your food budget can go out of the open window. Here are some tips on how to keep it all under control. Why does food cost more in the summer? There are several factors that can raise your food bill in the summer. With the heat, it is likely that you won’t be using the oven very often, meaning that those inexpensive casseroles and whole roasted turkeys, chicken and beef dishes are going by the wayside for more expensive steaks, fish and chicken breasts on the grill. There is a lot of fresh produce, to be had, … Continue reading →

Easy Food to Cook from Scratch

If you want to get the best bang for your buck when it comes to cooking from scratch, go after those items that are over inflated at the grocery store. A few simple ingredients, and you can shave 50 percent or more off of the cost of making these meals and food items. Concentrate your effort here to reap the biggest rewards in savings. Cream Soups Store-bought cream soups are usually laden with all sorts of extra salt, fat, preservatives and chemical flavor enhancers. Homemade cream soups are easy to make, better tasting and cheaper than the store bought brands. … Continue reading →

How to Store Your Freezer Meals

Here are some tips on how to store your freezer meals effectively. You want to ensure a long freezer life with no freezer burn, plus make sure that you have enough room in your freezer for your meals. Stock, soup and stews There are a couple of ways that you can store stock, soup and stews in your freezer. One way is to place them in plastic or glass containers and stack them. My favorite way, however, is to store them in plastic freezer bags. I simply place a bag into a large empty can for support and then fill … Continue reading →

Frugal Grocery Food Tips

Would you like to reduce your grocery food bill significantly? Here are some great tips that are easy to follow. Wants versus substitutions It is amazing how many things in our food budget that we consider needs these days. An average grocery list for example, might include cooking spray, paper towels and a whole host of other things that are wants disguised as needs. There are so many ways to save money on your food bill, but one of the most immediate is to separate out the wants versus the needs. In the example list above, that cooking spray is … Continue reading →