Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store

Filed under: Food, Home, Shopping Guide, Tips

If you are feeling frustrated considering you want to buy organic, free trade, free range, grass fed or some other type of green food and your grocery budget is getting lower instead of higher, here are some interesting thoughts from Eat. Drink. Better. along with some ideas that have worked for me.

• Explore local options like a CSA, farmers market, produce stand, orchard, farmers, dairy, bakery, etc. You may find some things will be a little more affordable considering they involve fewer transportation costs. You’ll additionally be dealing face-to-face with folks who could be willing to manufacture you a deal on a larger purchase or would be happy to throw in a little additional at the end of the day.
• Visit the bulk bins. Stores like Whole Foods and others have a bulk section where you can purchase everything from sugar and grains to cereal and candy. Compare prices amoung the bulk bins and the packaged items and you will probably find some good deals. You can additionally buy as little or as much as you want, reducing the possibility of things going poor before they are used up. And, you can frequently bring your own containers to reduce waste.
• Don’t rule out the “regular” grocery store for organic items. My
  local regular Kroger has added many specialty items which don’t always have quite as much mark up as whether I shop at a more upscale market with more choices.
• Eat less meat. Beans cost much less than meat (and you can find them in the bulk bins!).
• Cook more things at home instead of buying convenience foods. You will save packaging, calories, and money.
• Do some research at the supermarket or farmer’s market. Some things may be grown organically but the farmer has not gone through the organic certification process yet. whether you don’t know quite what a label means, ask about it. You might find a good deal.
• Ask for coupons. More organic producers are offering coupons. You can sign up for newsletter newsletters from web sites and have them sent to your inbox and even writing or calling to say how much you enjoy the product with the suggestion that some coupons would be useful will get you on the mailing list to receive more coupons in the future.

Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store originally arised on Green Daily on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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[Source] Christina Clark