Stop Buying These Snack Bags At The Grocery Store And Watch The Savings Roll In

Whether you're brown-bagging it, planning a picnic, or assembling a kid's lunch, there's one money-saving tip that can make a positive impact on your food budget. There are lots of tricks grocery stores use to compel customers to part with their money, such as stocking related items near each other to encourage you to buy them. But stores are not the only ones with tricks up their sleeve. Food manufacturers have their own gimmicks, and selling overpriced snacks in individual bags is one of them.

Savvy shoppers always do the math. In the case of one popular snack, a party-size bag of Lay's Classic potato chips contains 13 ounces and costs around $4.99 or 38 cents an ounce. A 10-pack of the same chips costs $6.49 or approximately 65 cents an ounce. Buying the larger bag will save you 27 cents an ounce!

The alternative to buying individual-serving bags of snacks is to portion them out yourself. Yes, it takes more time, but it will reward you in many ways. Why pay food manufacturers extra to do a simple task? Set aside a few minutes one day a week to portion out snacks for the days ahead. It's a small thing, but your wallet will thank you for it.

Preparing your own snack bags has another benefit beyond saving you money. Avoiding prepackaged snacks allows you to make better choices about what goes into your meals. Instead of popping something like these bags of unhealthy popcorn into a lunchbox, bag up some crunchy, nutritious almonds or pretzels instead. You'll never miss the chips.

Reusable storage bags like these from Stasher are a good investment, taking one-time-use Ziploc bags off your shopping list. Unlike Ziploc bags, silicone snack bags can be used over and over. Experts recommend using food storage containers to maintain food freshness, and, as a bonus, they'll keep those cookies from crumbling. Both are more eco-friendly than individual prepackaged snack bags and will save you from having to buy disposable ones.

There's no need to buy name-brand products when bagging up those goodies either. Go for the snacks that will give you the most bang for your buck. Follow these tips, and you will have the savings rolling in before you know it.