Lowering the Grocery Bill

I know I’m not the only one who is struggling with the rising cost of food. Last week, I went grocery shopping and was careful to only buy what we needed. Even without any extras, I was shocked when I saw the bill. There are memes on social media saying that eggs are a luxury item, and the size of products seems to be shrinking while the prices rise.

When the shipping containers were at sea I was interested to see where the shortages were. One week, there weren’t any Fritos, but the week the cheese-its were gone I was convinced the apocalypse was starting. I like to put La Choy noodles in my salad, and they have been missing from the shelves for weeks now. Where did they go?

There are many questions we could ask about issues at the grocery store, but the biggest question is how to have enough money to purchase the food that we need for the survival of our families? Here are a few very basic ideas.

Coupons

I have never been a coupon cutter, but I have changed my ways. I find mine in the Sunday paper, and I have been surprised to find some very good ones. Look online as well.

Discounted items

Our local store has a section tucked away in a corner of discounted food like bread and baked goods. Take a look to see if you can save some money with the offerings.

Generic brands

Buy the store brand instead of a well-known name.

Make a list.

Make a list of what you need and stick to it.

Don’t shop when you are hungry.

If you go in hungry everything looks better, and you will put more in your cart.

Find substitutes for higher-priced items.

If you need eggs to bake, look on the internet for substitutions. If you need eggs for protein, find alternatives for that.

Buy items that offer more.

I can make more meals with a box of spaghetti than I can with a box of hamburger helper. Find products that will give you more for your money.

Be creative.

You can combine several low-cost, healthy products to make a great meal. Stir fry some beef and vegetables and put them over rice.