Saving Money on Groceries without Using Coupons

by Taya Knight

I'm a coupon user. I've gotten many great deals thanks to my coupon use. But, there are many grocery shopping trips where I don't use one single coupon and still manage to keep my grocery bill at $50 or less, per week! I also realize there are many people who don't really have access to stores that will accept coupons. Here are some of my strategies for saving money on groceries without using coupons:

1. Menu Plan - I credit my low grocery bill mostly to the 1/2 hour I spend a week planning our dinners. I choose meals based on what I have in the pantry already and sales the stores are running that particular week.
2. Make a Grocery List - I don't leave the house without my list! Not only do I find it easier to buy only what I need, it also saves me an extra trip to the store for an ingredient I've forgotten.
3. Shop Only Once a Week - The less you shop, means the less you spend. I find this to be very true for me. I like to go grocery shopping on Mondays, (because that works for me) and only buy what I will get us through the week. If, on occasion, I go to the store a second time for something, I usually end up buying a few things that I don't need just to boost my total!
4. Prepare Easy, Inexpensive Meals - Simplicity is a favourite word of mine. Simple meals save time and hard earned dollars. Of course there are times when a fancier meal is required, special occasions, guests...etc, but generally I like to make one-dish meals or prepare an easy meat dish served with vegetables and either rice or potatoes. I even like to go meatless once or twice a week!
5. Plan Your Meals Around Store Sales - Is chicken on sale at your local store? Then plan a few meals using chicken. Check all the flyers for the grocery stores in your city to see which store is offering the best deals. Shop at that store.
6. Use Store Brand Ingredients - Okay, there are times when I can't forgo the name brand because it just tastes way better. But for times when it doesn't matter, I always get the store brand. There's usually quite a substantial price difference!
   I hope some of my tips will inspire and help you to save in an area of your budget that you can easily change.

Coupon clipping, menu planning and deal hunting are a few things Taya is passionate about.  She lives in Beautiful British Columbia with her husband who supports her vision and strange tendencies for living a debt free life.

She can be found at SimplyFrugal.ca where she brings Canadians the latest store deals, coupons, freebies and money saving ideas - daily.