5 Tips to Save Money on Groceries

Rising fuel costs have affected the price of the food that we eat. In fact, food costs are rising faster than any other sector of goods! If you are like many of us, you are looking for some ways to save at the grocery.

Here are 5 easy tips to save on your food costs without depriving your family of the things they like:

1. Clip coupons. It's worth buying the newspaper once or twice a week to clip the coupons for food and other household products that you use. Usually the coupons are in the Wednesday or Thursday paper, and almost always on Sundays. Check with your local newspaper publisher to find out what issues will be most valuable for you.
2. Shop at the big wholesale stores like Costco and Sam's Club. These are especially good for the cleaning and laundry supplies and paper products. But, you will also save on food products, too. Just be careful to purchase only those food items that you can use before they will go bad. You'll save big on condiments, rice, pasta, canned goods, and other items that have a long shelve life.
3. Buy in season. Normally produce that is in season will be less expensive than those that are not in season in your area. Also, don't overlook frozen food options. For example, frozen spinich is much more economical any time of the year than fresh spinich. If you are going to cook it anyway, use the frozen product, and save the fresh for salads.
4. Plan your meals in advance, and shop with a list to avoid impulse purchases.
5. Make your own snack foods, instead of purchasing the less economical prepared cookies, crackers, and other snacks. Get an air popper and make popped corn, or make your own cookies and cakes. In most cases you'll spend less, and you and your family will enjoy the snacks much more.

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