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Everyone wants to save money. If buying groceries for your family is putting you into the poor house maybe this can help to cut some of the cost.
1. Shop at outlets and food chain stores. You can save hundreds in one year.
2. Always shop with a list and use coupons.
3. Compare unit prices with price per item. It is cheaper to buy more if you can make more than one meal for it than buying a cheaper version that will only feed one.
4. Buy in bulk. A friend of mine has a membership at a warehouse food store chain. Between 3-4 of us make a list and she gets the needed items. We divide the food and divide the cost. This can save the average family of four up to 500.00 a year and at holiday times even more.
5. When juice or soup calls for diluttion "add" a little extra. If juice concentrate call for 3 cans of water "add" 4 or even 41/2. It doesn't affect the taste and makes a little bit go a lot longer way.
6. Use coupons. Some stores offer double or triple the manufacturer's value. Some super stores like K-mart and Walmart honor competitors coupons as well.
7. When local markets offer special sale items (.29 per pound for hind quarter chicken or .75 per pound for hamburger) buy the limit and have a spouse or friend buy the limit too. Divide servings according to your needs and freeze. I got a great deal on chicken, but had to buy a 10lb bag. I thawed the chicken, cooked it all in one large soup pot and divided it into servings for chicken salad, chicken cassseroles, chicken salad sandwiches and chiken fajitas. Cost 2.90 per 10lb bag. Cost per serving .72 1/2 cents for four people.
8. Flavored coffee. Before brewing put your favorite flavor (Vanilla, armaretto, chocolate mint, almond) about 1 tsp in the bottom of the pot then brew as normal. You have flavored coffee without the high priced dairy creamer and without the added calories.
9. Save by buying cheaper coffee brands. Put coffee grounds (about 1/3 of a can at a time) in a blender before brewing, you get a smoothe cup of coffee and save too.
10. Make double servings of favorite meals and freeze one. This not only saves time in the kitchen, but because you use those bulk items you have bought food isn't wasted. Plus it cost less to warm some thing up that is already cooked than it is to cook a complete meal.
11. One of my favorites and my son's too. When making my sons school lunches I buy the bread (from an outlet store, usually 4 loaves for a 1.00), buy extra lunch meat (on sale), and bulk size cheese. I take one night and make 40-50 sandwiches and freeze them. "This only works for meat and cheese sandwiches. Don't freeze tomatoes, lettuce or mayonaise based products (like egg salad)." Every morning before school my son takes out one sandwich and by lunch time it is thawed and as fresh as the day I made them. Savings 50.00-100.00 a year. Note- Unopened bread and lunch meat can be frozen for up to two months so buy in bulk.
12. Many food co-ops give discounts to volunteers or members. Add this to the cost of bulk buying and see your savings soar. Start your own neighborhood co-op, see #4.
13. Is flavored oatmeal one of your familie's favorites? Flavored brands cost more and usually have all sorts of preservatives and too much sugar. Buy a few boxes of (the flavored kind, on sale of course) and add it to the regular (generic) brand. Usually 2-3 packets added to 1/2 canister of the regular brand is plenty. It lasts alot longer and cuts the cost dramatically. Plus your family is eating healthier also.
14. Extend your hamburger meat. Add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup plain oatmeal to 1lb hamburgr meat. Incorporate into browning meat, make bigger patties or create a giant meat loaf that will last for two or more meals. Feeds foour and they never taste the difference. Don't have oatmeal, use cornflakes (make sure it is the plain kind, no sugar added). One cup finely ground works really well.
15. Don't throw out the food. When bababas get brown make banana bread or muffins, after Halloween make pumpkin pie, bread or muffins and use the seeds the next day.
16. Volunteer agencies that feed the needy are alwways looking for volunteers. The stores that provide the bread products for these programs usually send too much. The surplus is given to the voulunteers to take home. The volunteers are providing a good deed and saving food, the store gets a tax break and the program doesn't have excess to deal with.
17. Flavored cooking and baking oils. A 1 oz. bottle of essential oil at a natural food store costs about 3.50, the same oil sold in the baking goods department costs 1.50 for 1/30th of an ounce. Essential oils can be added for flavoring icing and candies plus do double duty in homemade bath salts, bath oils and pot pourri. Also by buying concentrated flavorings and adding them to canola or vegetable oil you save on the more expensive store brands.
18. Some rocery stores have in house specials. If you find a wrongly priced item on the shelf you might get the item for free. Some offer discounts od dented cans or if you find an item with an expired expiration date they will replace it and give it to you for free. Always buy items on sale or special and use coupons when possible. Also buy store brands. They taste the same and are much cheaper than the name brands.
19. Meat tenderizer is expensive. You can cut cost by marinating meat in cola or beer. Add 1tsp of soy sauce or worcestershire sauce and a pinch of garlic or onion powder to 1 can of cola or beer. Marinade for at least 1 hour before cooking. The cola or beer burns off in the cooking and the meat is always tender and juicy. You can use diet cola if you are worried about sugar but never use un-colas like lemon lime or orange: they can leave a foul taste to your meat.
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