10 Ways to Spend Less and Eat Healthier
Learn how to save money at the grocery store and still come home satisfied
Any shopper who has navigated the aisles of his or her local supermarket in the past six months is well aware of rising food costs. As most grocery shoppers are habitual - choosing to buy favorites foods each and every week regardless of price - a bigger bill has accompanied even the most stable of diets.
With food being just one major necessity that has fallen victim to a major price increase, even the most disciplined shoppers, healthy and unhealthy alike, are looking for ways to cut corners at the supermarket without sacrificing taste or quantity. The good news is you might even end up with a slimmer waistline as a result.
"With just a little bit of time and concentration, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing your diet," says John Stanton, Ph.D., chair of food marketing at Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia. "And the good news is that once the economy bounces back, you will have developed skills in buying and preparing food to carry you through for future savings."
Here are Stanton's tips for saving money with each:
1. Plan your meals and stick to your shopping list
Consumers who use a shopping list save two ways. First, it keeps them focused on what they do need. Second, they don't make as many trips to the store (gasoline prices are going up faster than food prices).
2. Use the supermarket's online planning tools
Most supermarket chains have online meal planning guides. This tool offers consumers the ability to search recipes, and subsequently, the related ingredients. This reduces "over-purchasing," saving time and money.
3. Clip coupons and use loyalty cards
Consumers have overlooked this "free money" in the past (less than one percent are redeemed), but clipping can lead to big savings. Use the coupons in your local newspaper or search the Internet to find manufacturer coupons on your most frequently purchased items. And to ensure your getting the best prices, sign up for loyalty cards at every store where you shop. These cards are essentially electronic coupons.
4. Trade down
You don't need to stop buying meat. You can purchase a less expensive cut of beef, chicken or pork. For example, an eye roast costs as little as $1.99/ lb on sale at a Philadelphia supermarket while a T-bone steak costs $5.99. Slow cookers are also an efficient resource for meal preparation in this economy because they're great at cooking the less expensive cuts like short ribs, brisket or chuck.
5. Buy retail store brands (private label)
Today, most of the major supermarkets offer some of the finest foods available under their own brands. In days past, store brands were considered the "cheap" brand, but over the past 15 years, store brands are of equal quality as the name-brand products at a lower price.
6. Take your lunch to work
If possible use "planned-overs" - food from meals that you had intentionally made with enough for a lunch. For example, have meatloaf for dinner and the next day, make a meatloaf sandwich for lunch or roast a whole chicken for dinner, and take a chicken leg to work.
7. Avoid buying the pre-made meals and convenience foods
You sacrifice convenience, but these foods are often three times more expensive per pound.
8. Scan the whole shelf, not just what is right in front of you
Many of the second-tier food companies cannot afford to put their products at eye level so their products, which are often a little less expensive, are located on the highest or the lowest shelves. The shelf space directly around each corner of the aisle is considered less effective placement and often has the second-tier products. But don't let "second tier" scare you away. These are often locally produced, regional products or just smaller manufacturers that do not have the resources to get the "best shelf space."
9. Trade down at restaurants
No one wants to give up going out to eat, but you might be able to cut your food bill if you take a step down from the restaurants you have usually been visiting. Despite the economy, fast food chains are experiencing a surge in sales and for good reason - they're cheaper.
10. Buy seasonal produce in season
Although you cannot stock up on perishables, you can regularly buy local and seasonal produce. We have become accustomed to having any produce any time and have paid handsomely for it. Look for the citrus fruit when it comes from Florida, and not South Africa or the Middle East. Look for broccoli when it is from local farms and not Chile. Usually, these local and seasonal items come in fast and in a great quantity and have to be sold quickly - which means cheaply - to the consumer.
Matthew M. F. Miller, author of “Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story” (HCI, 2008), is a syndicated fatherhood blogger
 |
