Monday, August 11, 2014

Tip of the Week: Planning Meals Around Sales*

My savings tip this week is inspired by Jeffrey Strain, creator of the "Eating Well on $1 a Day" blog at GroceryCouponGuide.com.


“Food is one of the biggest costs a family must face and one of the toughest to cut back. Unlike a regular bill that comes once a month in the mail, grocery costs change with each trip to the market.
Many people start their grocery trips with this question: "What do I want to eat this week?"

"If you do that, you've already lost," says Jeffrey.

“Instead of deciding what you want to eat and buying groceries accordingly, do just the opposite.  Making this one change will save you well over 50 percent.”

I agree with Jeffrey.  Plan your meals around the weekly ads, and also be open to incorporating close-dated items that you can use immediately.  It’s OK to not know what’s for dinner until you get to the store—you will likely end up finding something totally unexpected but economical and delicious.  A cut of meat you would normally consider too pricey for a week night dinner, for example, can become the centerpiece of your meal when it’s marked down by half.


Sometimes a special occasion dictates that you have to just grit your teeth and pay full price, but for the most part it’s easy to create great meals out of what’s on sale in any given week.

*Originally distributed December 2013

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