Penny Pinching: at the Grocery Store

There's no question about it; food prices are on the rise. Now, more than ever, penny-pinching is necessary every time we make a trip to the grocery store. Here, many of our friends over at the Simply Charlotte Mason forum give us their money-saving tips.

*Please notice that this post is filled with links to helpful Websites, recipes and more. Simply click and a wealth of information is right there!

1. Use dry beans instead of canned in recipes calling for beans. Use our Basic Beans recipe to make it even easier!
2. Make your own pizza doughs, bread, and other baked goods rather than buying them. It takes a little extra time, but it's worth the savings!
3. Aim for one or two meat-less meals a week.
4. Shop only once or twice a month. More trips to the store means more money out of your pocket.
5. Try to find a food co-op. Some co-ops are national and will deliver to your area; others are local. We will post more information about co-ops as we research them.
6. Become friends with the produce manager at your grocery store. You may be able to score a deal on produce that is about to be thrown out or go bad. Many stores will also gives discounts for groups of people, so ask your friends if they'd be willing to go in with you on a large purchase.
7. Talk to the store manager at your grocery store about bulk discounts. Whole Foods, for example, gives a 5-10 percent discount when you buy bags of food in bulk.
8. Make your own cleaning products. We have already posted recipes for laundry detergent and stain removers. More homemade cleaning product recipes are on the way!
9. Try growing a garden. 
10. Shop at your local Farmer's Market. Use the Local Harvest Website to locate the Farmer's Market nearest you.
11. If you do have excess produce either from the store or from your garden, preserve it. A few options are canning, dehydrating, freezing, and fermenting.
12. Shop at a salvage or discount store, if there's one in your area. It's hit-and-miss with what you can find, so stock up when you do find something you use often, especially at the great salvage store prices.
13. Make large batches of pancakes and waffles and freeze them. This is much less expensive and much healthier than buying pre-made, boxed breakfast foods.
14. When an item you use regularly goes on sale, buy a bunch!
15. Stock your pantry with the basic items you use often. Shop from there before making a trip to the store. Try to make do with what you already have.
16. Take an inventory of your pantry to see what staples you need before going to the store. Or, keep a running list of needs posted on your fridge or pantry door. By doing this, you won't have to make extra trips to the store, only to spend more once you get there.
17. Try keeping a price book. List the items you use regularly (with the brand) and the price you normally pay at each store where you shop. You may also be able to find your items online for less than in the store. When do you find a good deal, again, stock up.
18. Remember to eat your leftovers. A small amount may not seem worth saving because it won't feed everyone in the family again; but it will feed a child the next day for lunch.
19. Shop seasonally and stock up. Turkey is cheaper around Thanksgiving. Baking supplies like flour, baking powder, and chocolate chips are less expensive around Christmas.
20. When buying meat, consider the price per meal instead of the price per recipe. For example, buying something with bones (like a whole chicken) will also yield a soup by making broth from the bones. Add that "extra" meal into your price consideration.
21. Replace boxed cereal with hot, cooked cereals like oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, and grits. Those are much less expensive per serving, and you'll get more servings out of a box of Cream of Wheat than a box of cereal. 
22. Replace the soda and juice in your cart with bottled water. Better yet, instead of buying bottles of water, try buying gallons of water. You can save the gallon containers and refill them from your own water purifier or from a water store where gallons of water cost anywhere from 25-60 cents each. Good for the wallet; good for the environment!

This is quite a list, yes? If you implemented one of these steps a week, there's no telling how much money you'd be saving six months from now! Let's think outside the box and start penny-pinching even more!

All tips submitted by various members of the SCM online forum.