Tips For Saving Money In The Kitchen
Saving money is on a lot of people's minds these days, and high on their list of priorities. While cooking at home tends to save money overall, if you end up buying expensive groceries, it might not be the money-saving trick you were looking for.
To offer some advice on the matter, Teri Gault, CEO and founder of The Grocery Game, shares her top 10 tips below, as well as in the video above. Check them out and start cooking more at home, while saving money at the same time.
Teri's Top Ten Tips
Throw Away Your Shopping List — This may be counterintuitive, but here's why: It's not about making a list of what you've run out of; it's about what you should be investing in, when it's a great deal.
Get the Big Picture — Let the sales circular be your guide. The biggest pictures on the front page are usually the "must-buy" deals, followed by more big pictures throughout. Ask yourself, is this something I will be running out of in the next 12 weeks?
Buy the Limit — Whenever you see a "limit 4," for example, this is a good indicator of the very best deals, which are often called "loss leaders." I know you don't need four jars of peanut butter right now, but when it's $0.99 each, you do!
"Let Your Fingers Do the Walking" — Hit the web before you hit the store. Check out place like The Grocery Game, where you can access sales and unadvertised sales and see where to find coupons to go with them. This saves you time and money!
Bigger Isn't Better — Which one do you think is the best deal? (Answer: probably the biggest). It used to be that way, but lately we're seeing more and more that the cost-per-unit is lowest with the mid-sized package.
Learn "Coupon Math" — What I just told you changes dramatically when you use a coupon. Taking $1 off the 12-pack takes off $0.08 per unit. But the $1 off the four-pack takes off $0.25 per unit. Now with this coupon, the smallest package may be the best value. Bring a calculator to figure the cost per unit.
Stock Up on Up to Five Weeks of Dairy Products — Yogurt and organic milk have up to a five-week "sell by" date. So when this four-pack is on sale for $2, it's time to invest in as much as your family eats in up to five weeks. Check the "sell by" date to get the most time. If you use a $1 off coupon on this $2 sale, you can get it for $1. Wow! Keep a permanent marker handy to mark the "sell by" date big.
Find Hidden Organic Coupons — Read the words on coupons, don't just go by the picture. The coupon might say "good on any," but it pictures a non-organic product. But the manufacturer has organics in their line, so you could use the coupon to save on organics.
Lose Weight on Vegetables/Fruit — When they're priced by the pound, make sure they are dry. And if not, shake off excess water — water adds weight and increases the price.
Do Not Impulse Buy! — You go to the register because you're done! Don't rack up a big bill on things you don't need.