Ever wonder how to save a little more dough at the grocery checkout counter. I’ll tell you, I sure have. In an article printed in the November issue of IDEA Food & Nutrition, they share 9 excellent cost saving tips that I felt obliged to share with you. Let’s get started. Here they are…..
1) Go green: Try paying for your groceries with cash. Why?, well this little strategy will help you minimize impulse buys.
2) Be in the moment: Supermarkets are carrying more and more locally grown items & when they are on the shelves they are helping to reduce your cost @ the checkout counter.
3) Raid bulk bins: With no packaging or advertising costs, bulk bins let you save big.
4) Embrace meatless Mondays: Find a fad you like and stick to it. Meats, always take a bigger bite out of your pocketbook, so if your looking for a reason to give it up, well here you go.
5) Try store brands: Store brands are often less expensive than the major national brands and the store brands can be equivalent nutritionally.
6) Watch out for greenwashing: Food labels like “hormone-free,” “free range”, and “all natural”, can raise the price tag. It’s often these nebulous terms lack any real muscle, so be sure to read those nutritional labels and evaluate for ourselves.
7) Know when to prioritize: Choose organic fruits and vegetables based concentrations of pesticides. For a ranked list of the most and least pesticide-laden produce check out www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php.
8) Avoid the up-sell: When grocery stores package those 3 for 5 deals, be sure to only get what you need. Regardless of how many you get on the “sale” labeled items, @ checkout they will apply the discounts anyway.
9) Speak up: Get to know your produce manager, butcher, etc. They can let you know when the sales are and when they are expecting the freshest of the fresh.
Enjoy! What are ways you save @ the check out line???? Leave your comments below.
