Even though I make a number of budget-friendly swaps at the grocery store, there are some items that are worth the splurge to me. Greek yogurt and almond butter, in particular, are pricey, but I can’t seem to live without them. I rationalize their high price by saving money in other ways at the grocery.
Here are my favorite tips and tricks for stretching every last grocery dollar:
Poke around the fridge
The first thing I do in my meal-planning process is take stock of what I already have in my kitchen. I take the time to move things around in the refrigerator and scour the cabinets to see what I have on hand. Most of the time, I am surprised by what I find—a jar of marinated artichoke hearts, a can of pinto beans, a half-used bag of coffee… you get the idea. Instead of buying these items again or letting them go to waste, I incorporate them into the coming week’s menu.
Consider my schedule
Before I visit the grocery store, I look at my calendar as well as my husband’s for the upcoming week and create meals around when we will be home for dinner. We typically plan a meal for each night at home and make sure to take into account meals with lots of leftovers—like casseroles or homemade pizza. I keep in mind that Fridays and Saturdays are usually “wing it” nights because we’ll often end up going out to dinner or meeting friends for appetizers and drinks, so I don’t buy extra food for those nights.
Don’t be afraid of bruised produce
I always check out the reduced produce area with the hope of finding some good deals. Usually, this produce has a single bump or bruise that can easily be cut off. But, I only buy produce that I plan to use right away or have something in mind for. It’s not worth buying damaged produce if I don’t end up using it. Lately, I’ve been buying a bunch of bananas that I immediately peel and freeze for smoothies.
Stock up on staples
Sure, you’ve heard of the “make a list and stick to it” tip when grocery shopping. It’s a great piece advice, and I usually keep it in mind. However, I also make sure to stock up on my favorite products when they go on sale. My husband and I plow through peanut butter and oatmeal like it’s our job, so when they go on sale, I make sure to buy them even if we haven’t run out yet. I know that we’ll use these items at some point, so I might as well stock up and save a little money.
Use Reusable Bags
Most stores will take $0.05 or $0.10 off your bill for each reusable bags that you use for your grocery shopping. In addition to benefiting the environment, I’m saving money. Saving just $0.20 is usually enough to splurge on some of my favorite foods. If you always forget your reusable bags at home, try leaving them in your car. I leave all of my reusable bags in the backseat of my car, so I never forget to bring them to the grocery store.
What items do you “splurge” on at the grocery store? What are you favorite tips for saving money on other items?
Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the 
I love poking around my kitchen for some weird food items that I didn’t even know we had! My mom buys the strangest things sometimes. Our fridge is always stocked… I guess I need to borrow some tips from her as well!
Wei-Wei
We splurge on organic milk.
I sometimes splurge on a quality loaf of fresh bread especially if it is for a planned dinner. Gotta get my sour dough and ciabatta fix!
Last week I discovered the value of breaking down whole chicken breasts instead of buying skinless boneless. If anyone is interested here are a few of the other ideas I had… http://flfoodsnob.blogspot.com/2010/08/you-stretched-your-what.html
I used to leave my reusable bags in the car but someone gave me a Reusable Bag Reminder Kit as a gift for my bday and now I never forget them. It came with a reminder for the house and also one for the car and a great reusable compact bag so I always have it with me. Go to http://www.grabyourbags.com and check it out!