Mammoth AwardsThere are plenty of ways to pay less for your food. The problem is, most of us don’t know they exist.
What do we often rely on instead? Coupons, and while they can secure some savings, there are many other ways to achieve that same end goal. Here they are:
If It’s Prepped, Don’t Put It in Your Basket
You can make shopping at the grocery store super simple by making it your goal only to buy whole foods.
What’s the purpose of this? To avoid all of the added labor and convenience costs tossed into prepared foods.
For instance, let’s say you’re craving some fresh pineapple. Buying it in nicely chopped chunks may sound tempting, but you’ll pay a premium for being able to eat it in finished form.
Buy the pineapple whole, and you’ll still get all of those juicy chunks once you chop it yourself. And that holds for other forms of produce, cold sandwiches, and foods prepared so you can grab them on the go.
Is it okay to purchase prepared foods when you’re short on time? Sure, just know that making it a habit can get quite costly.
Choose Frozen Over Fresh
While frozen foods may not sound as delicious as their fresh counterparts, you’ll enjoy them more once you start cutting costs.
Seafood, for example, ships to the store frozen. What do they do to make that fish “fresh”? They thaw it, and you can do the same at home by buying it frozen, paying less, and still enjoying that same great flavor.
Frozen produce can save you plenty of cash, too, while adding the benefit of a longer life in your kitchen.
Buy frozen, and you won’t have to worry about wasting fresh produce and other foods once they go bad. Instead, you can set out what you plan to eat, freeze the rest, and save it for a rainy day while keeping those costs down.
Cut Your Meat Costs
Want an easy way to save 25 percent or more on your meat costs? Only buy items that are on sale. And there’s always something on sale if you look closely enough.
Another quick tip to get the most bang for your meaty buck is to opt for lean cuts of meat. The leaner it is, the less fat. In other words, you’ll only be paying for the good stuff, and not fatty fillers that only add weight to your purchase (and possibly your waistline).
Go Local
Do you always drive by a farmer’s market, but never stop to check it out? The next time you see it, stop and look at what they have to offer.
Not only will you notice high-quality produce and other foods at local stands and farmer’s markets, but you should also see lower prices than large grocery stores.
Save 25 Percent by Shopping Store Brands
Does your go-to grocery store have its own line of products? It probably does, and many of them will taste just as good as more expensive brand names.
By making this simple switch to the store brand, you can knock 25 percent or more off the price of the products you put in your cart.
