5 Fail Proof Ways To Reduce Grocery Spending

It's so true these days - grocery shopping expenses can easily go through the roof. How do you not only plan, but actually shop for, healthy meals for the family without going broke? Here are 5 fail proof ways to reduce grocery spending that will change your life forever. Grocery spending can get out of control very quickly. You may try to cut corners in so many other ways, but when it comes to the grocery bill, quite often people will turn a blind eye until it's too late. But it doesn't have to be this way. With a little careful planning, and a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, you can save a lot of money and still eat well.

This first thing to do is always buy your groceries using cash. That's right � cold, hard cash, the kind we rarely see anymore. The rationale is that when we spend cash, we know exactly how much we are spending � it's not just a number on a screen or printed out on a piece of paper. We are spending something tangible, something we can see and hold in our hands. It's a good idea to put your entire grocery budget for the month in an envelope � stuff the envelope with the cash you need to buy food for the family for an entire month. This way, you know exactly how much you have, how much is left � and when it's gone, that's it for the month. This will help you learn how to work with what you have, and once you get this under control, you'll be amazed at how far you can stretch those one dollar bills. Another mini quick tip is to keep a second envelope with a quarter of next month's grocery budget in it to use for the last week of the month � but only use this back-up envelope if you absolutely have to!

The second tip is just common sense, but something that's easily forgotten. You need to know how much food costs. When you know what the regular price of multigrain bread is, for example, then you know when you're getting a deal if it's on sale. The best way to keep track of food costs is to make a list in a notebook � this will be your special price book that you can carry with you. Make sure it's small enough to fit in your purse or pocket � or, of course, you can put this list on your iPad or cell phone or, if you're really clever, carry it around in your head. Once you see these prices once, twice, or three times, you will naturally start to remember what they are anyway � so don't be concerned if this tip seems like too much work; it will actually save you a lot of valuable time, and money, in the long run.

The third tip is to buy food when it's cheapest, on sale, and in bulk if possible. If you're always comparing prices and looking for the best deals, you will ultimately find the best deals and save tons of money. On this note, it's always a great idea to have a large deep freeze somewhere in your home, if it's at all possible, so when you find these deals, you can literally stock up and store your perishable food in a cold space where it will keep for a long period of time. Another idea is to clear a closet or build a pantry in which you can store all of your canned and dry goods when you strike it big in the sale department. These are just a few of the five fool-proof ways to reduce your grocery store spending. You can find them all over at the �Don't Waste the Crumbs� website. Imagine what you can do with that extra hundred bucks you'll save next month on food.