15 Ways to Save Big Bucks on Healthy Groceries

Good article, especially for newbies; and some good reminders for some of us who know better, but slip now and then. - 4/29/2013 1:04:12 PM

My fiance loves to look at the price lables on the shelves. Where we are they list the cost of each item per 100g. So sometimes that sale item is actually not such a great deal and we go for the regular price item because, in the end, we're actually saving. We're huge on no name generic brands as well and grab the discount meats and breads and shove them in the deep freeze. (i don't eat much bread anymore myself but it's good for the kids to have around).
- 3/12/2013 12:29:45 PM

I do once a month big shopping with a list organized by the layout of each store and a time schedule to get done and then fresh foods weekly the rest of the month. Being on a schedule helps me not stray. I'm willing to shop at several stores and break my list out based on what I buy at each store. I've switched my vegi and fruit shopping away from the local chain stores and to a smaller place and am always pleased with how much I get for my money. I don't always shop the sales since we live out of town. Often times buying in bulk and re-packaging things at home saves me enough money to balance out more gas to shop the sales. - 3/12/2013 12:19:39 PM

When you are gluten free, everything triples in price. Hard to save. ; ( - 3/12/2013 12:10:17 PM

I agree with Bluekitty. Nothing I don't already do here. The suggestion on checking clearance can be a setback too. I recently was looking at a package of close to date ground chuck that was discounted from $3.99 lb to $3.59 lb, yet it was on sale for $3.49 lb. I started checking other "discounts" and found this practice was quite common! - 1/31/2013 9:16:39 AM

I have yet to read one of these articles that teaches me something new. I keep hoping for it. - 12/1/2012 5:49:57 AM

Another money saving tip is to peruse the clearance section of the bakery, meat, and seafood counters of your local grocery store. Items that are near the experation date are often 1/2 off or better. I just repack in single servings (ziplock bags) and freeze. I save tons of money this way :-) - 12/1/2012 12:01:43 AM

Have always shopped like this. Keep whole wheat flour, oatmeal, steel cut oats, etc. in freezer so can buy in larger quantities. Freezers and cupboards are full because I buy when on sale. And I don't leave food there too long, just keep rotating. - 11/30/2012 7:59:59 PM

Also! My local Asian grocery has fruits and vegetables, many unique and tasty, for cheaper than the chain grocery store. - 11/30/2012 10:25:51 AM

The Kroger stores I shop at always list price per ounce on the shelf tag...it helps me decide when bulk is cheaper or if the "on sale" product is going to save me any cashola! - 11/30/2012 10:24:16 AM

Great article and comments here! My thoughts:
1. I use a free Android phone app called "Out of Milk" where I can keep everything I buy, then build a shopping list from the history. It also has a bar code reader and I can check the current price against the price I've entered - "usual" price or competitor price.
2. "Buying in bulk" can mean getting the giant containers, or it can mean measuring out the amount you want from a bin (so you can get even a tiny amount). Both have different advantages
3. For fruits and vegetables, I make it a game with myself to use them up before they go bad - the competitive streak in me comes out! - 11/30/2012 10:11:04 AM

I would say also visit you local market for fruit and veg, on the market i can get a courgette, a massive mushroom 8 tomatoes and a big onion all for for bout a 1.50 in total and the fruit although more expensive also has deals like sometimes i can get HUGE mangos for 40p :P healthy and cheapey - 8/15/2012 5:10:57 PM

One of the greatest normal expenses in any household is food. There are a lot of ways to save on groceries and put a little back in one’s pocket. - 4/24/2012 1:25:53 AM

Grocery Outlets are totally worth it - with a few caveats.

The main this is that it's a dice roll as to what they have, as they tend to get the stuff that's not moving well at other stores, seasonal items after the season is over (Valentines candy in nid-March) or stuff close to expiration date.

Produce? Unless it's hardier stuff like apples, carrots, and potatoes, you're probably better off not bothering. A lot of the stuff is past its prime.

Frozen foods? This is where they do a jaw-droppingly good job. Amy's Kitchen frozen dinners will be about $5 apiece at a grocery store, and they'll be $2 here. Frozen fruits and vegetables also are about 50% off. Frozen fish, if they have some, is also a great score.

Milk alternatives (Soy, almond, rice)? You can score at least one of the three for about $2/gallon. Much of the time, they're in the shelf-stable packs, for those of us who have small fridges.

Regarding bulk sizes and such: It's not a good deal if it goes to waste. This is doubly important for singles and city dwellers who don't have anywhere to store the 20# bag of brown rice or massive tub of peanut butter. - 3/12/2012 10:07:27 PM

Shredded cheese is normally cheaper than block cheese now, because they can use bits of odd sizes to send through the shredder.

When using the store's unit pricing, make sure they are comparing the same units. Many times I've seen similar items having the unit prices in pounds, ounces, and by the package.

Some items are still cheaper to buy pre-made than to make it yourself, but the nutrition normally plumets on those items (such as bread). It cost about $1.25 a loaf to make a healthy loaf, or I can buy a sugary/hydrogenat
ed/who-knows-
what loaf for only 89 cents. - 3/12/2012 9:20:23 PM