No matter how tight the budget gets, you can count
on one thing... you'll always need food. Here, then,
are tips for filling your stomach without emptying your
wallet.
There are times when dining out
can be cheaper than eating at home. Keep your eyes peeled
for lunch and early bird specials.
Use 'Buy One Dinner, Get One Free' coupons. See the HotCoupons
and ValPak links below to find these online. The Entertainment
coupon book also has lots of these, as well as many other
types of discounts:
Don't be afraid to take your leftovers home with you! For
many people, dinner portions are more like two meals. Why
not eat them both, separately?
Fast food can be a real deal, but don't make it the
mainstay of your diet. Your health is your wealth.
Use coupons, but use them wisely.
Ask yourself these questions:
If the product is more expensive than your usual
brand, will the coupon still save you money?
If you have to buy several of an item to use the
coupon, will you be able to use it all before it goes
bad?
Will
you have to drive out of your way to take advantage
of the offer?
If
so, will you save more than you spend on gas?
Do
any of the supermarkets near you have a day when coupons
are worth even more?
Online coupon sites make finding coupons easier. Some
require registration. Read their privacy policies carefully
before entering your personal information:
Use a search engine to look up the websites for products
that you use the most. Occasionally, companies provide
e-coupons
for their loyal customers to print out.
We don't recommend the so-called "loyalty"
cards that are available at many grocery stores. Surveys
have shown that shopping at a store without a loyalty card
program may actually save you more. This is because stores
tend to raise their prices after introducing the cards as
an incentive for people to sign up.
Why do they want you to sign up? To gather data on your
shopping habits. For more information, see these articles:
Wherever you shop, look for in-store specials. Some stores
make their 'sale' tags and 'everyday low price' tags look
nearly identical. Don't be fooled.
See if there's a clearance item area in the store.
These have the potential to yield excellent deals. Many
stores just fill up a shopping cart and put a sign on
it.
Make a note of prices on items you buy often by visiting
several different stores. Sometimes you'll save more by
going to multiple supermarkets. Again, factor in your transportation
costs.
If you like international foods, you can save quite a bit
by going to grocery stores that specialize. This is particularly
true for Asian and Arabic foods.
Shop close-out and bakery outlet stores like Big
Lots, Dollar
General, Entenmann's and Mrs.
Baird's. If you hit the jackpot, like finding your favorite
pasta sauce for half its usual price, fill your cart. Don't
do this with untried items. No matter how good they sound,
you could be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Consider buying a water filter.
You'll save money over bottled water, and avoid the
impurities found in most tap water:
Buy in bulk. This also prepares
you for emergencies. You can often get a free membership
for wholesale warehouse clubs like Costco,
Sam's Club and
BJ's Wholesale
Club. Only buy what you know you'll use before the
expiration date. Those who live alone may have a hard
time making this option work for them.
For snacks and sweets for big families, take a look
at BulkFoods.com.
If there's an item that you buy a lot, and it can't be
found at a warehouse, see if your usual supermarket will
give you a discount for buying it by the case. Our experience
suggests a standard discount of 10%.
Take a look at Ebay's food
section. You'll find bulk lots, coupons and hard-to-find
items.
Pros: Few people know about this area, so competition
is low.
Cons:
Boxes may have cuts and expiration dates need to be
confirmed. Like all online auctions, figure shipping
costs into what you're willing to bid.
Learn where your local farmers'
markets are. Produce there is
fresh and sometimes even organic. It may not be marked
as such, because the certification process is expensive,
but ask the grower if they use chemical pesticides.
For those who buy organic produce regularly, this can
provide significant savings.
For other items, join a food
cooperative. Carefully weigh the fee and membership
requirements against the savings to decide if
joining is
right for you.
The Local Harvest
website will help you find farmer's markets, family farms
and food co-ops. For residents of the UK, try FARMA.
A new project, Fallen
Fruit, seeks to promote the planting
of fruit trees on public property and to map
out free fruit
locations for the benefit of the public. They've already
got several California locations mapped, and
are seeking input to help them map other locations.
In addition, grow your own produce
and herbs. This is the best money saver of all! You can
grow
food
even if you live in an apartment. Find how-tos for every
situation here:
