Groceries for two on less than $200 a month. How to save money on groceries.

One of the biggest expenses in the household is usually the food budget, which increases as the family size increases. Shopping for groceries can be an extreme chore that eats up a significant portion of your income. According to the U.S. Census, in 2010 a family of four spending moderately paid about $800 per month on groceries alone, this excludes eating out. That’s a whopping $9,600 per year on just groceries. So if you can cut back on the grocery bill that would free up a lot of money for other things. I have managed to keep my grocery bill under $200 a month (for a two person household). Below are a few tips on how to save money on groceries and lower your grocery costs.

1) Club programs:
One of the tools that nets the largest savings on groceries is opting into the store’s club program. You can load coupons directly on your card and take advantage of special deals. I save 30-40% off my groceries using coupons through the club program at my grocery store. Also, find coupons from other sources for items that you need, such as online sites. Don’t fall into the trap of cutting coupons for items that you don’t need. If you weren’t planning on buying the item then it doesn’t matter how great the deal is, you’ll still be spending money that you originally weren’t going to spend.

2) Check circulars:
Look through store circulars to see what is going to be on sale at which stores. I know people who must stop at three different stores in order to get everything they need (usually quality organic items). If you normally shop at more than one store to get all your groceries, plan your trip so that you can get everything in one outing and you’ll know which other items to pick up at each store. For example, say you are going to store A specifically for fruit, but also need to pick up fish. If you know the price for fish is cheaper at store B then you can wait until you get to store B to purchase the fish.

4) Bargain shop:
Use bargain shopping skills to compare prices and brands to make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Do this ahead of time so you don’t waste time in the store, linger around any tempting merchandise, or get frustrated and just pick up the closest option.

5) Generic brands:
Test out generic brands of your favorite products. There are some items where the generic brand just doesn’t cut it, the taste is off or the consistency is weird, and it’s not worth it because you don’t like eating it. However, I find that’s only for a few things (only one that I truly can’t stand). Try out the generic brand of different items you buy and see what works for you. You may be pleasantly surprised.

6) More fiber:
Eat more fiber rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Yes, eating healthier will keep you full longer so that you end up eating less food throughout the day. This will result in you buying less food as it lasts longer. I’m not so great at eating my vegetables so I’ve been making fruit veggie smoothies. I know what you’re thinking, but they really are delicious. Who knew eating green could help you save green.

Implement these strategies and think of more to see how much money you can save on groceries. As you see above on the receipt from one of my trips to the store, they work. What do you normally do to cut costs on your grocery bill? Let me know in the comments section, via Facebook or via Twitter.

Photo credit: Dan4th Nicholas