How to Save Money at the Grocery

​I'​​m passionate about a many things; one of those is using money wisely.

Idea #1: Recently, while at the grocery store looking at different cereals, I noticed that while Cheerios prides itself in being gluten-free and low in sugar, there’s another brand of cereal that I prefer.

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This brand, Nature’s Path Organic, is not only organic, but is also gluten-free, GMO free, and low in sugar. The bag is a pound bigger than most of the large Cheerios boxes, so I’m also getting more cereal per bag.

​It is a more expensive brand, but for what I’m getting, and for only a few dollars more, it was worth it to me.

What I find ironic is that while most of the cereals are all lined up nice and organized against one side of the aisle, the organic brands are on the opposite side, and this particular brand is on the bottom shelf! Go figure.

In other words, you have to search for it or ask someone to help you find certain items.

If you’ve been reading my blogs, you also know that I’m passionate about all natural and pure, and I find that in this brand I at least get closer to all natural than other brands.

Side Note: You can add sliced almonds, raisins, frozen organic blueberries or strawberries, and organic coconut flakes to your cereal to add more nutrition, besides adding more raw food to your diet for the day! It’s a win, win!

And as far as strawberries go, whatever you do, ONLY get organic! They’re one of the fruits that is loaded, and I mean loaded, with pesticides and other sprays during growth.

Idea #2: Most of you know that buying bulk is another great way to save! I have been re-enlightened, I guess you would say, even more so with this lately.

For example, I found a 25 lb bag of rice for $15.99. Now why would I buy the smaller 1 or 2 lb bags of rice, that’s less expensive, but over time is more expensive than a larger bag? That’s just not making wise money sense.

We are again ordering 50 lb bags of oats instead of buying smaller containers of oats at the local grocery. The initial cost is more, but over time we are saving quite a bit of money.

If you don’t want to purchase a 50 lb bag of oats or other food, consider 25 lbs. You’ll save way more money, and that is your goal.

Idea #3: Sometimes you have to look and pay more attention at the prices at your local groceries. For instance, when buying a bottle of mustard recently, I didn’t look for the cheapest name brand and purchase that one.

I looked, instead, at the price per ounce. I was surprised that certain bottles of mustard were actually less expensive than some of the others. It wasn’t always the cheaper name brand.
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Always compare the price and size too. Sometimes there’ll be two bags of the same item for the same price, but you’ll need to check the size of each bag.

Also did you know that certain pastas are more expensive than others, and I don’t mean the brands?

I found that Rigatoni, Bowties, and Rotini pastas are priced differently. The Rigatoni compared to the Rotini were priced quite different. I also found the Bowties much more expensive, as you can see in the photo. The Bowties in a 14.5 oz box was 13.4 cents per ounce, while the Rigatonis were 6.3 cents per ounce.

I bought the larger Bowties box 12 oz for $1.00 while another brand, that only had 2.5 ounces more, was almost $2.00. I saved almost a dollar on one box!

Then again, I could probably buy this pasta in bulk from a bulk store like Sam’s or Costco and save even more!

While Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is very inexpensive in a small box, I saved more and bought it in bulk recently.

We like Organic Frozen Blueberries, but in local groceries they’re much more expensive in a smaller bag. While in a bulk store, they’re about the same price for THREE times the size bag!

Now I know some of you are wondering where you would put such large quantities of food?

My answer is that somehow you’ve probably found a place for that large flat-screen TV and a shelf full of DVDs and CDs. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. If you really want to save the money while eating healthier, buying in bulk and observing those per oz prices, really is a wise choice!

So move aside some of those items that are not necessary, or better yet, give them away, and find a place for food in bulk. Not only does it save you money, but if you didn’t have electricity even for a few days, you’ll be glad you have all that extra food stored up!

What ways have you found to save money at the grocery?

Do you buy in bulk?

What’s been your experience?
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All the best!
~ Julie
                

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