So one of the big crossover issues in the diet/budget continuum is grocery bills. How to buy the best and healthiest food for less.
On a talk show yesterday I saw the mother and father of America's Cheapest Family. This family of 7 (although only 3 kids still live at home) live on $350 a month in groceries.
It was a talk show segment so there wasn't a ton of info. They gave some tips that I have given before like meal planning and list making, not buying individually portioned things, shopping the sales, etc.
They only shop once a month, which I cannot quite bring myself to do for numerous logistical and psychological reasons.
They do not rely heavily on coupons, which is nice (side note a saw a woman on local news that saves hundreds of dollars a month by clipping coupons, but it is like her full time job and I do not have that kind of free time).
One really clever idea, which they admitted they got from a reader of their website, is to put a hand basket in the seat of your grocery cart and anything you pick up and consider buying that is not on your list goes in the basket. Before oyu check out you decide if it goes back on the shelf or if you are really willing to pay for it. They sited a statistic that grocery stores expect you to by 6 impulse items for every 10 scheduled items, that's a crazy amount!
They have a new book out about cutting your grocery bill. My library does not have a copy yet, but you can order it on their website. Which brings me to their website...
I only spent a few minutes clicking around, found some interesting tips from readers, etc. I was put off though by the marketing of their products. I realize this is their business now, but it seemed odd to be asking readers to spend so much money in the name of saving money. Maybe that is just me. In any case I am sure there are some helpful ideas for everyone there, so check it out and let me know if oyu have any money saving tips for the grocery store!
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