Ten Great Ways to Save on Groceries

Grocery shopping is that chore you do each week, whether you feel like it or not. For most it never fails to surprise them how much it costs to feed a family of four. We've put together a list of ways to save that might help you put your grocery budget back on track.

1. Buy Store Brands. Store brands tend to be less expensive yet on par or above par for quality. There are large manufacturers that produce foods for both the high end brands and the store brands at the same facility under different labels. The only difference is the package and price!
2. Buy Your Protein in Bulk. You will save 20 to 50 percent on larger packages of chicken and beef when buying more at a time. Just separate and freeze what you don't use right away.


3. Clip or Download Coupons. The coupons may not be for your preferred brand, but if you're going to save 30 to 40 percent on another brand of yogurt or spaghetti sauce, go for it!
4. Join a Savings Warehouse or Club. By becoming a member of one of these companies you might go home having spent a small fortune but over the course of the year will discover that you saved. Add up your cash register receipts for the year and divide by 52 to see the savings.
5. Avoid Buying Non Grocery Items. Health, beauty and paper goods should be purchased at other stores other than grocery stores. You generally pay a premium for the convenience of getting it at the same place you get your groceries.
6. Purchase Produce in Prepackaged Bags. When buying apples, potatoes and onions the best deals are for the five and ten pound bags. If they are foods that your family eats up quickly it is well worth it.
7. Bring the Competitions Coupons with You. Most stores are being as competitive as possible and will honor the competitors coupons unless they are for their own store brands.
8. Check Up High, Down Low and the Per Unit Price. Very often the larger packages placed at the top or bottom of the shelves are priced at a lower amount per unit/ounce. But be sure to verify it as it is sometimes misleading and the smaller package is actually a few cents cheaper.
9. Frozen Fish, Seafood, Vegetables, Fruits and Berries. You can save a lot by buying frozen. The bonus is that the produce is often flash frozen at their peak freshness, even fresher than what you might find in the produce aisle.
10. Forgo the Prepared Convenience Foods, Fresh or Frozen. Anything that has been prepared for you is going have a premium price tag attached and probably contains more sugar, sodium and other unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients.

Bonus Tips
If you move into a new area, find out if the stores are offering savings club memberships which are generally free. You can also save by preparing your meal plan in advance while checking out the circulars for what's on sale the current week. Never go grocery shopping when hungry because you will easily surpass your budget - everything looks appealing! And always keep a calculator and the competitors' fliers with you to see if your store will meet or beat their prices. If we've missed some tips, please share with us on Twitter @MBMmoves. MBM Moving Systems reviews are a great way to save time when looking for the best mover for you.