Groceries are one of the biggest money-drains you have, but you can save thousands of dollars a year just by making a few simple changes. For example, taking a minute or two to wash and cut your own fruits and veggies makes a HUGE difference. A bag of pre-washed romaine lettuce costs over a dollar more than a head of cut-it-yourself lettuce. By ditching the pre-packaged produce, you’ll save over $400 a year. Here are some other ways to slash your grocery bill, courtesy of the researchers at Real Simple magazine.
- Reduce your meat. Melissa d’Arabian is a host on the Food Network. She says that a recipe calling for a pound of ground beef – which is 16 ounces – can easily be made with just 13 or 14 ounces. Those few dollars of savings will add up quickly.
- Befriend the managers. The folks in charge of the produce, meat, dairy and seafood departments can tell you what time of day the food is marked down, so you can get the best deals.
- Buy more fruits and vegetables. When families add more produce to their diets, their waistlines get smaller and their food budgets shrink by 25. That translates to more than $900 saved on average each year.
- This last tip is very important: Make a list and stick to it. Research Studies show people who avoid impulse shopping save big – spending up to 23% less on grocery bills. That’s an annual savings of more than $860.