Grocery expenses slowly crept up this past year. Many of us have had to increase our budget to allow for the cost increase. It might be tempting to sacrifice quality ingredients for lower quality foods, but there are better ways to lower your grocery bill. You don’t have to eat unhealthy foods to save money at the grocery store.
Shop from your pantry first
Inspect the fridge to see what has to get used up before expiring. I really have to make a conscious effort to open the fridge drawers and make sure I haven’t forgotten about any fresh veggies or meat. Check the freezer and pantry shelves. You might be surprised with how many meals you can put together with what you already have.
Keep meals simple to lower your grocery bill
Who doesn’t enjoy a bowl of soup on a chilly day or the delicious aroma of a casserole baking in the oven. Meals with many specialty ingredients add up fast.
Skip the processed and convenience foods
Try to replace one item at a time with a homemade one. On the weekend, I usually make a large batch of waffles. After everyone has had breakfast I freeze the rest so that the kids can grab them for breakfast during the week.
Be openminded when buying meats to lower your grocery bill
A tip a good friend of mine shared was to put a whole chicken in the crockpot and then shred it. I can usually get two meals out of that when I use the broth too. Take a few extra minutes in the meat department to see what some of the prices are on different meats. Then decide what you are willing to try.
Add beans to your meals when possible
Most dry beans need to be soaked overnight except for lentils, dried peas and lima beans. I will often add cooked lentils to recipes with ground beef. By adding the lentils I can usually cut back on how much ground beef I use.
Don’t try to make too many changes at once. Make it a fun challenge for yourself.
