How you shop for groceries can have huge impact on your budget.  Food accounts for 13% of our annual expenditures—only housing and transportation exceed that amount.  So, we all have a great opportunity to save on this line of our household budget.

Overall, plan meals in advance of your shopping trips, make a list and stick to it. Go grocery shopping alone, never when you’re hungry and limit food-shopping trips to once a week.

It pays to review the weekly ad circulars you get by mail.  Merchants will also often offer a coupon for those same items in Sunday’s paper.  Although many consumers have loyalty to one store over another, being flexible and willing to take advantage of temporary bargains will help you to save the most.

Sign-up for the frequent shoppers card at the various grocery stores in your neighborhood.  The savings can be great and the cards are now so small they’ll fit right on your keychain. Don’t forget to check the coupons at the end of your grocery receipts as well. Stores track your spending and encourage you make repeat purchases by giving you coupons for those items.

You’ll spend less if you buy fewer processed foods and do more cooking from scratch. Cooking in a slow cooker allows you to buy less expensive cuts of meat. Stretch ground beef with breadcrumbs, oatmeal and tomato soup. For breakfast, you’ll save by eating hot, cooked cereals, rather than the more expensive dry ones. Whenever possible buy generic or private-label (store brands) goods–especially for staples like flour, butter and soups. Prevent waste by using leftovers in soups or casseroles and freeze what you can’t eat in a timely manner to prevent spoilage. Also consider partnering with family or friends to buy in bulk at warehouse stores.

The extra money you save on food can be applied to other items in your budget, like paying down high interest credit cards, applying extra on student loans or simply putting the money aside in an emergency savings account.  One important thing to remember is that every little bit counts.  If you save $5 during one trip to the store, that’s $5 you can spend on something else you need. Our counselors offer many more ideas on ways to budget and save on everyday expenses. Check them out.