With the economy still in a state of flux, we are all looking for ways to save money here and stretch our food dollars a little further. The good news is the savings are out there and with some simple planning and a little commitment, you can make the most of what you spend.
Cash in on good deals and stock up on non-perishables and perishables that freeze well. This is a great time of the year to stock up on sales at all grocery stores to fill your fridge, freezer and pantry.
In general, the grocery store sales cycle is about 6-8 weeks. In other words, if your favorite cereal is on sale for $2.99 this week, your likely to see a similar sale on the same product in about 2 months. Additionally, when new products are released, manufacturers generally release higher value coupons, which you can combine with the store's sale price to save even more money.
Check out the weekly ads in your Sunday newspaper (if you don't get the newspaper, check store's websites for the weekly ad). Make lists of what is on sale at each store. Even though you may find bread on sale at one store, it may also be on sale at a different store for even cheaper.
Similar to stocking up on sale items, you may also want to consider buying from bulk bins. Many of our local grocers have great bulk foods sections. For many items, the bulk foods price beats both brand and generic items.
So what are the best foods to stock up on? Based upon sales prices and shelf life, we recommend the following. With these items on hand, you will have a great base for cooking from your pantry!
- Cooking oil
- Cereal
- Soup
- Canned vegetables and fruits
- Beef, chicken or vegetable broth
- Oatmeal
- Canned tuna
- Pasta (Meijer has their pasta on sale for $0.79 this week!)
- Butter
- Dried herbs and spices
- Rice
- Condiments
- Spaghetti Sauce
Equally important to stocking up on items is making sure you use them in a timely manner. You will need a method to keep track of what you have and when you need to use it. Here are some tips to keep that well-stocked pantry functional and organized:
- Add dates to your weekly planner or calendar of when you will purge your pantry. Do this at least twice per year and prevent your pantry from housing expired or unwante
d items.
- Place a list of pantry staples on the back of your pantry door and put an "x" next to each item to indicate if you have it in stock (place multiple "x" if you have more than one of an item). Each time you use an item, erase and "x." You will be able to see at-a-glance how many of each item you have in your pantry. A dry-erase board works great for this!
- Arrange the items in your pantry from least to most often used. Put the least used items in the back and the most often used within easy reach in the front of the pantry.
- Take advantage of the vertical space in your pantry by stacking things. Place lesser used items on the bottom and stack more frequently used items on top.
- Purchase a set of stackable food storage containers to use for items that come in large or bulky packages. Transfer the food to storage containers and you will be able to stack it all up and keep it fresh at the same time.
Do you stock up when your favorite foods are on sale? Where are the best grocery stores to find sales around the area?
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