wilkes

Airwolf I wish you were my mommy...

thank u all so much these tips are great!

Stock up on can food when it is on sale. For example when the van camp porking beans on on sale for 3 for $ 1.00 or 4 for $1.00. I usually buy 2 cases at a time. I do my green beans and corn that way too.
Too help my son out when items are buy one get one free. I give my son the free ones. That makes him happy.

I check Lowe's Foods and Food Lion websites every Wednesday... they both are pretty easy to find the Weekly Circulars on... compare the sales. About 99% of the time, I think Lowe's Foods has better deals. Also, Lowe's Foods has e-offers online. All you need to sign up is the number on the back of your rewards card. You add an item to your card online, and the discountn comes off at the checkout.

I agree about the meat, don't be afraid that it's only got 2 days left on it... stock up on it anyway and freeze what you are not going to eat that day. I always have cheap freezer bags on hand to make sure nothing gets freezer burnt. EVERYTHING CAN BE FROZEN! When you catch shredded cheese or block cheese on sale, stock up and freeze.. they thaw fast. What do I do for ground beef? I actually go to sav-a-lot or Walmart and buy the ROLLS of ground beef, usually the 5 pound rolls. (they don't sell them at LF or FL). I cut the rolls into 1-pound sections. Put one pound in one sandwich bag, then I put as many sandwich bags full as I can into gallon freezer bags. When I need a pound of meat later, all I have to do is open a freezer bag and take out how many pounds I need, place in sink to thaw. You wouldn't believe how much cheaper it is to buy the hamburger meat in the roll (make sure it is at least 80/20 ). Plus, they don't have to inject as much gas into the meat to make it pinker, since it is not visible to you in the roll. the kind at Lowe's and FL are visible to you, and they know you will buy based on how pink it is, so they've got that stupid gas added into the meat.

When I catch London Broil on sale (beef roast meat), I buy about 8-10 pounds worth, and freeze. By the time it is all gone, it is going on sale again lol. I always save at least $25 dollars on the roast meat by doing this.

Also, I know everyone seems to think that Walmart has better prices, but I find that I save more money going to Food Lion or Lowes Foods, they always have sales, and sometimes you can get double savings when they have an item on sale and you have a coupon. Walmart always has the same prices. For example today I bought two bags of Oridea French Fries, they were on sale at food lion plus I had a 1.50 off coupon, so I got two bags of fries for 3.50, which was cheaper than buying two of the food lion brand bags.

Don't be afraid of reduced prices on meats, if they run out the next day take them home and throw them in the freezer. I just bought some chicken at FL for like 2 bucks a pack.

And don't be fooled by things that are on sale, sometimes its actually cheaper to buy the things that aren't on sale. Food Lion had Del Monte canned goods 10 for 10, which sounds like a good deal, but their store brand canned goods were only 69 cents, and to me canned veggies are canned veggies.

sometimes store brands are better than the brand names, but sometimes they are not. you really have to try different things to find out what you like.

for instance, I have found that the food lion brand canned spaghetti sauce is actually better than any of the brand names that I have bought before!

but some off brands of macaroni and cheese are just nasty!!

I think it helps to plan an overall menu for the week before you go shopping. go through the pantry and the fridge and see what you have first. then try to plan meals using those items, so all you have to get are the things that are missing from the recipes. you want to use up your older stuff before buying new ones.

Get a newspaper on Wednesdays and go through the ads for the grocery stores. Make lists for each store on the items they have on really good buys.

For the most part, store brands are just as good as name brands. There are a very few things that I prefer name brands....but you can save a lot of money buying store brands.

As others have said...COUPONS. Get an organizer and organize them according to type. Use them! It may seem like a hassle but you can save tons. Get a paper on Sunday. The paper will cost you $1.25 but you will get that back and then some on the coupons.

Don't go hungry, and only allow yourself one "impulse" buy per shopping session, as long as its under a pre-set limit (like 5 bucks).

Use the internet to get ideas for meals that take few ingredients. Cook from scratch as much as possible. Staples are cheap.

Stock up on stuff that you know you will use when its on a good buy. When spaghetti sauce is 3 for $5, I buy a bunch of it.

If you buy meat to freeze, ask the butcher to double wrap it for you. It will keep longer.

Look at the discounted items like meats, bakery, fruits/veggies.

That's all I can think of right now! If I think of anything else I'll add it.

Coupons. And don't buy just because you have them...only if you need the product or are stocking up on canned goods. Using a coupon on a first time buy is a good deal if you want to try the product if you buy the smallest size. Check the cost per ounce. Read the directions on the product. Go to the store only 1 or 2 times a month (milk and bread freeze. Milk has to have some head space.)

When shopping, remember that the highest priced items are at your eye level. Look at the bottom and top shelves. Don't buy from end of aisle displays until you check where the item is normally displayed...then check the competing products for best buy.

Make a list before you go, and most imporatantly, DON"T GO HUNGRY!

i need tips on grocery shopping!