Saving money on groceries:

I shop at a cheaper grocery store (Aldi) to buy certain frozen vegetables and canned goods. I write down the price of my most-used items on the back of a business card and keep it in my wallet so that when I see a sale at another store on the same items, I know if it will be a better deal to get the sale item, or stick with my Aldi brand.

I don’t buy convenience foods but cook most things from scratch. It usually doesn’t take much longer to add 4 herbs to rice rather than a flavor packet with chemicals, so it’s cheaper, healthier, and no less convenient.

I buy plain foods in bulk: rice, oats, flour, sugar, nuts, seeds, honey, beef, ground turkey, cheeses, etc. Most things won’t spoil before we eat them and those that do can be frozen in smaller portions in our upright freezer. I buy from Costo (my brother’s account) and from a local German Baptist, family owned bulk food store.

My son is 7 months old and making his baby food saves me money, and isn’t that hard either. I wait until organic food goes on sale, then cook a large batch of sweet potato, carrots, etc. I use some for our dinner, then pulverize the rest in a food processor, freeze in ice cube trays, then pop out frozen “meals” into a freezer bag to store until needed.

To save on organic foods for me and my husband, I usually only buy it when it goes on sale. If it is something I might use in cooked food (basically anything but lettuce and fruit), I’ll buy an extra one, chop and freeze until needed. I also look at the Shopper’s Guide (http://www.foodnews.org/) from Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/). They test produce each year and rank foods from highest to lowest in pesticide residues. Those that tend to be lower in pesticides, I don’t worry about buying organic.

During summer months you can also find a local farmer and buy produce direct.

I don’t know how this compares but with these strategies, I spend about $200 a month on groceries for me, my husband, and 7 month old.

Hope this helps,
Kamie S.