Money Saving Tips!

Hey everyone! =D

It's Day #4 and I am SO super excited about today's post! Who doesn't like saving money or who doesn't need to save money in this world?

Now something you all need to know about changing your lifestyles for the better and living healthy is that there is usually a higher cost. Fresh meats, fruits, vegetables and healthier snack choices over the junky ones. I know for a fact that if you go into a grocery store you an get a box of those Little Debbie Nutter Butter bars or whatever they are for $1.50 or less and there's probably 6 or 8 packages (servings) within that box. A Chobani yogurt cost about the same price but is only for one serving! Let's look at some price comparisons from my local Stop & Shop current circular.

Coca-Cola (12-pack cans) 5/$11.00 - That's 60 cans of soda!

SALE: Poland Spring (24-pack bottles) 3/$11.00 -  72 bottles of water, WOO!

Lay's Potato Chips   ~$3.99 - BOGO

Seedless Watermelon (1) - $4.88

Barilla Pasta (1 lb. box) $0.88

Fresh Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (1 lb) $1.99

Pizza Rolls (15oz. Box) 4/$5.00

Fresh Strawberries (2 lb. container) $4.99

So this is just based on sale prices and not normal prices some of these items are pretty comparable. This is when it get's tricky - If you can get 4 boxes of Pizza rolls or 1 2 lb. container of strawberries for $5.00… which one will you choose?

Now that we've gone over some pricing… Let's talk about those tips!

I think it's UBER important to make a list before going to the grocery store. Something that’s helped me lately so I don't miss things is to actually use a magnet to hold a piece of paper on the fridge so when you run out of something during the week or think of something you need you can write it down right away. Making a list will help ensure you don't end up buying unnecessary items at the store and you can focus on what you need. Having a meal plan in place for the week will not only help you stay on track with your goals but will also help you make your shopping list much more effective. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten home from the store only to realize I've spent $150.00 and got quite a bit, but as I was putting them away I realized I didn't really have anything to make real "meals" out of… Learn from my mistakes - I have (:

Another tip is to get up early on Sunday morning and go get your local Sunday newspaper with the circular ads in it - or if you always go to the same store just go onto their website and chances are you can view it online.

One good thing about getting up early to get that paper is not only for the circulars but for the COUPONS! Coupons are so popular these days you can even  find them online and print them out at home. Other than the Sunday paper and online you can also sometimes get coupons buy going directly onto the manufacturer's website(although this can be time consuming if searching for many items)!

Try saving money in other areas so you have a little extra cash for groceries. If you use stop and shop you can accumulate points throughout the month on your rewards card and at some gas select gas stations you can get $0.10 off/gallon of gas for every 100 points (you get 1 point for every dollar spent).  If you shop at a Big Y, you can collect the infamous coins and select gas stations will take those for various amounts off of gallons of gas. Most grocery stores with rewards cards with print coupons at the end of your receipt as well so don't forget about them!

I hope these tips help you in some way and if you have any other questions or any other ideas on how to save money at the grocery store while trying to eat healthy please leave them in the comments. Remember to follow my blog to be updated and stay tuned in to my 30-days of blogging challenge and more!

As always,

xoxo