According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 12.5% of a family’s spending is food on an annual basis. Over the last decade food prices have risen at a higher rate than expected. In combination with the economic troubles of recent years, the need to save money on groceries is at a high.

 1. Coupons

Every week in the paper hundreds of dollar’s worth of coupons are given away. These can be used on groceries and home items to reduce price. Recent increased awareness of how the store policies work has led to an abundance of information available on the web. Coupons are available for download onto a mobile device and printable. Stores may also offer doubling of coupons. This means that the value of the manufacturer coupon is doubled. At the register, stores also issue random high value coupons called “catalinas”. These are not only usually high value but also have longer expiration dates than traditional ones. Using coupons is one of the fastest and most effective ways to save on groceries.

2. Shop in Bulk

Buying groceries in a large size package generally results in a lower per unit price. Since purchasing in bulk costs more money upfront, an initial investment is required. If expecting a time of future financial time, preparation can be made to provide groceries while saving. Money received as a lump sum from a source such as Payday Loans can be budgeted so that bulk grocery items allow the amount to be stretched further.

3. Buy Generic

Today’s grocery store may have up to 50,000 products, providing an overwhelming amount of choices. Many of these can be purchased from the house brand which is also known as generic. Generic products can be bought at a discounted rate and are many times found directly next to their brand name counterpart. A review of the ingredients list will show that they are comparable with some even manufactured at the same company as the name brand option. While shopping at the store there may be additional sales that are marked with stickers that are also available for members. A store may also have a points program that issues a redeemable certificate after a certain amount is spent. Another benefit is that stores with fuel stations use points accumulated to reduce the cost of gas. An increasing amount are now releasing coupons exclusively to rewards members that are accessible via their mobile device. Overall, loyalty pays when it comes to saving money on groceries.

Im lucky because my kids adore vegetables, and I contribute that to the fact that I am always looking for new ways to eat them. This creamed peas recipe is a really good example they LOVE peas, but lets face it peas get boring after a while. I can make this recipe and it is guaranteed that my kids will have seconds (and sometimes thirds). This is one of my recipes that the kids really get excited about.

- Bag of frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons of margarine
- 1 cup of milk
- dash of salt (to taste)
- dash of pepper (to taste)
- 2 good tablespoons of flour

In a nice sized pan put your melt your margarine. Once the margarine is melted stir in your flour until smooth(think of how you would do if you were making gravy). Once the flour is stirred in, slowly add all of your milk. Now add the salt, pepper and sugar. Now that everything is stirred very well cover your pot and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.

There are recipes out there that use the canned peas, and they are okay, but I found that my family enjoys the sweetness of the frozen peas.