Could you use an extra $1,200? That’s exactly what you'll have in a year if you can find a way to whack just $25 from your food bill each week. But there’s not one single way to reduce food costs. The key is to use a combination of strategies.
Eat the Sales
Build your grocery list from the sale ads. If it’s not on sale, don’t buy it—at least, not this week.Use Coupons
The secret is to adopt a couponing method and then stick to it religiously. I regularly shop at a market that doubles my coupons, but I hold onto them until the item goes on sale. This way, I get the best bang for my buck when I match a cents-off coupon with items that are on sale. Now we’re talking bargain prices.Shop Aldi
Aldi is a discount grocery retailer, specializing in its own private-label products. Prices are so low it’s like having a double coupon on everything. Instead of managing 25,000 different items like a mega-supermarket, Aldi has under 1,000 of the most-needed, most-often-used food products, including produce and frozen meat. There are more than 1,900 Aldi stores in the United States across 36 states (so far, none where I live). To find a complete list of locations, go to the Aldi website or call Aldi headquarters in Batavia, Illinois.Think Seasonal
Pound for pound, fresh produce can be much cheaper than prepackaged, preprocessed convenience items— if you buy vegetables in season. sydney Rae/Unsplash
