At a time when grocery shopping costs an average of $1245.60 for a 4-person family for one month, many are looking for ways to save on their grocery bill. Food is a necessity, so there will always be a “grocery” category in your monthly spending plan, but we want to share a few ways that you might be able to use to cut spending on groceries.

The Rising Cost of Food in America

Price Comparison List

One way to cut costs is to know how much you are spending on the items you buy. If you know the cost of different items at different places, you will know the best time to buy a particular item.

Use this Price Comparison Tracking chart to keep track of prices of items you commonly buy. If you are at another store, be sure to check out the same items and jot down the prices so you can make a comparison. When you see a sale, you will immediately know if that is truly a good deal or if you would be better off buying the store brand or heading to a different store.

 

Cheap Meals

Intentional planning for less expensive meals is another way to save some money, and there are inexpensive recipes that taste great!

My local WalMart ad has recently started including cheap recipes. Although they do not always look delicious or all that nutritious, sometimes there is a winner. Here is one that my family has enjoyed several times that only costs $1.64 per serving:

 

Easy Red Beans and Rice

Start to finish: 20 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 package (12-16 oz.) smoked sausage, sliced

1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained

2 Tbsp chili powder (I bought a packet of powdered chili mix instead, and it tasted great!)

2 cups Minute White Rice, uncooked

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese.

Instructions

1. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

2. Add beans, tomatoes, and chili powder; mix well. Stir in 2 cups water. Bring to boil.

3. Stir in rice and shredded cheddar cheese, cover. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until water is almost absorbed. Stir until cheese is completely melted.

 

Grocery Store Coupons

You can easily print or store coupons for items that you buy regularly or that would be a good deal for your family.

  • King Soopers – digitally download coupons to your Soopercard or use the print at home option. When you swipe your Soopercard at the store, it automatically applies all the coupons you have loaded. The nice thing is that when you load coupons, it gives you an option to print a list of them, and the printed list has lines for a shopping list so you can keep everything in the same place.
  • Safeway – offers coupons via email and the Just for U app
  • Albertsons – has a money-saving app for your phone
  • Target printable coupons
  • Walmart printable coupons

 

If you have ideas or easy ways for others to save money on their grocery bill, please leave a comment and share them!

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