Good question. What I personally do is go buy a bad of rice, 2 cups of that can feed a family of 5 or so for a day, then after that 1-2 bowls can be filled to serve 2 people. I'd say this is worth around 7 bucks for a whole week of food, however, you do not want to eat rice for a whole week, do you? Another thing I do is just blow out 50 bucks on buying groceries, 2 bags of rice and maybe vegetables, different types of rice such as yellow rice, brown rice for a change and mix them together, rice goes with a lot of things so you can get a new taste every time.
I have a membership card that allows me to have a certain percentage of discounts on the items that I have bought so I would always go back to the same store to buy my groceries. I would also come up with a list before visiting the supermarket or grocery mart to decide on the items I need so as not to waste time in the supermarket browsing through the shelves randomly and looking for what you need. Started off that way because I found it to be quite a thrill, but that did not go down well with my bank account. So with the economy not looking all that rosy, what's needed to be cut down are those items you buy on impulse and don't usually need. That could be in the form of a new ladle you see on promotion or a bag of chips that you want to indulge in.
You can save some money by eating bread with peanut butter. Just one slice can keep you going for a few hours. The main reason is that it takes a long time to chew on bread with peanut butter. The chewing process fools your stomach into thinking that you are eating a lot.
I see that a lot of people here are coupon users, but i find that doesn't work well for me. I ususally only find coupons for things i would not otherwise buy, therby makig it
I see that a lot of people here are coupon users, but i find that doesn't work well for me. I ususally only find coupons for things i would not otherwise buy, therby making it effectively a waste of money. I'd prefer to only buy the things I need and stock up on them when I see that they're on sale.
I usually use coupons if I remember to bring them and check to see what's on sale whenever I go to the store. Aside from suing loyalty cards, I'll buy generic brands over name brands to save a couple dollars.
Best way to save money is to buy generic brands. People get so caught in buying the major brands that they forget the quality is nothing special. You are simply putting in an extra hard earned dollar for a name. Letters that you won't be eating any time soon. Coupons are great, as well.
To save money on food I look to the krazykoupon lady website. She lists your stores ad with corresponding coupons. So it shows you the price before the coupon and if the store also has it on sale and the overall savings. I also use Chia seeds alot. Chia is a seed that is high in omega and fiber and is about 11 dollars a bag at GMC stores. But seeing as you only need to use about a tablespoon in a recipe it lasts a long time. Chia dissolves to make a gel that takes on the same flavor as what you are eating. So it doesnt taste bad and it adds a lot of bulk to foods to make you full longer. Also make meals that you can use to make a leftover meal with later. We will use left over veggies and meat and make a hobo soup with that my kids like. Left over mashed potatoes are great for next day hashbrowns.
Agreed. When we buy a major brand, we are not paying for a better product. Most of the time we are just paying for better advertising.
When my friends and I are in restaurants, if the serving seems like it can be shared by, let's say all 3 of us, even if the description says it's "good for 2", we'll share it to save some money. Also, at places with drink all you can beverages, if there are no signs saying "No Sharing", then whatever, we're sharing one glass of drink all you can iced tea! We're also members of some bargain sites that offer big discounts on food, so we use them whenever possible. The economy's really bad these days. We do what we can to save.
In my country many people buy things in so called "discounts", because it's really cheaper. But I'm not sure if it works, because in such shops there's a tendency to buy more. And if you buy more, more you'll throw away :/ I personally try to buy things when I'm not hungry, this way I buy less. And I try to buy only things I though of before I went shopping. I know many people in the UK (and I heard in the US as well, but in the UK I saw it on my own eyes) waste a lot of food because they buy to much and they don't think when prepare meals. If it's too much, they'll just throw it away, it's "that easy". Well, it's not for me. I'm not in the UK anymore but I still think of it when I prepare meals and if I make too much, I just eat it for next few days till it's finished
I stock up on canned and dried good when they are one sale, buy fruit that's either been discounted or is on sale, and use coupons as much as possible. When I clip coupons i ONLY focus on foods that I regularly buy, or if it's shampoo or cleaning products, items that I'm going to definitely run out of within the time period. Having a reduced number of coupons makes it more likely that when I scan the flyers I will remember which items I have coupons for. I also like signing up for mailed free samples... I have enough dishwasher and laundry tabs to last me three or four months from free samples, I've got tons of travel sized shampoos and lotions, which come in handy when I run out and there's no sales to be found, and enough free 'feminine hygiene products' to last me till menopause.
I am a picky eater so that's how I save money. I usually buy 8 or 9 meats for a week of groceries. Canned vegetables or frozen ones like Birds Eye or Stouffers. I am not a major snack person. My snack roundups usually consist of Rice Krispies treats, cheetos, lays chips, peanut butter crackers, graham crackers, and doritos. And that depends on what mood I am in. I also shop at a store where I get Rotisserie chicken for like $7 and 2 liter sodas 5 for $5 dollars. Then, to top it off...when I hit the register, the little itemizer on my key ring instantly gives me discounts at the register once it's scanned.
I think the more you buy of certain products the less it costs, so I always buy things in bulk and get discounts that way. I'm also not shy about cutting out coupons and using them in the shop.
I have started have a bowl of pasta every day at about 3pm inbetween brunch and dinner. 1 sack of pasta lasts me a week so I get lunch everyday for about 14p! I also buy 12.5kg sacks of potatoes often cooking my own chips, roasties and mash. I'll have beans on maybe 3 days per week, and some meat on 3 days. I'll have 1 portion of cod per week also. Overall my weekly budget is almost always under £20 and often not even £15.
I just got done watching this show about people who use coupons and oh my gosh. These people save a ton i wish i could do that after watching that show i am serious about using coupons more than ever.
The No. 1 tip should always be to budget your shopping trip and create a list. Without that list, you'll just spend more than what you wanted to. Other methods we use is to plan our meals in advance before we head out to the grocery store. Eating vegetarian Monday to Friday helps big time. Getting coupons for things you normally purchase, such as bread and cereal, saves you quite a chunk of change.
I don't really buy in bulk, but I save money on food by buying the cheaper version of something, like canned goods or sandwich spreads for example. As much as I would like to buy the more expensive brand, I end up buying the cheaper brand to save money. It basically tastes the same, although if you're the finicky type you can definitely tell the difference between the cheaper brand and the more expensive brand.
Buying in bulk is a great way to save money if you have enough freezer space. Every Christmas Eve we go down to a famous meat market for a meat sale. The butcher hands out huge lumps of meat for ridiculously cheap prices and we stock up for the year ahead.
