Buy Store Brand

Most of the time store brand is just as good as name brand.  In fact, sometimes I’ve had store brand food that I much preferred to name brand.  If there’s something that’s really that much better than store brand and you can’t live without it, then you can give in, but avoid it whenever possible.

Use Coupons and Store Loyalty Cards

Some stores brag that they don’t need coupons and discounts because they always have low prices, but many don’t.  If the store you shop at has coupons and uses loyalty cards, take advantage of them.  You might as well get the lowest possible price.  Some people have even been able to get things free using lots of discounts and different coupons.

Buy Less

Sometimes we just buy too much food.  If you keep complaining that you’re gaining weight because you’re eating too much or you just plain eat too much food, buy less.  There’s no reason to eat too much and spend too much.  You might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Eat Leftovers

In conjunction with the previous point, if you do have leftovers, eat them.  Don’t let them sit in the fridge for a week and then throw them away.  This is a huge waste of food and money.  If you never eat leftovers, try to get as close as you can to only making as much as you eat.  You’ll save a bundle.

Eat Fresh

When the season is right, go to farmer’s markets.  You can get the best fresh food plus it is cheaper.  When there are no markets, buy freshly frozen vegetables.  They are at least comparable to the fresh stuff and much cheaper.

If you have any more tips, use them!  You don’t have to eat beans and rice everyday to save money on groceries, just be a smart shopper!

Cut Back your Bills

I know you can’t stop paying your bills, but you can cut them down.  Take all your monthly bills and find ways to cut them down.  If you have a huge cable package with thousands of channels, or even just a lot more than you need, cut it down.  Cut it down as low as you can stand it.  You could probably stand to watch less television anyways.

Look at your cell phone and land line.  First of all, do you need both?  Second, see if you need the plans you are on and whether you do or not, try to negotiate a lower payment for whatever lowest plan will work for you.  If you’ve been with the same phone company for a while, call them up and see what you can do.

Try to save on gas, electricity, and water by conserving.  Take shorter showers, turn off the lights, and put on a sweater.  Even the small things can help a lot.

If you’re living in a big house that has more room than you need, rent out a room or consider downgrading to something smaller.  There’s no reason to be paying for something you don’t need.

Cut Back Unnecessary Spending

How often do you go out and spend money without thinking?  I’m not going to tell you to never go out and I’m not going to tell you to carry around a tiny notebook and calculator to make sure you don’t overspend.  Just take a brief look over what you do.  Don’t eat out, go to the movies, or do something else like that unless you really want to and try to do it as inexpensively as possible.

You might be able to cut back a lot of grocery spending.  Buy store brand and use coupons.  It might seem cheap or tacky, but it can save you a lot of money.  Also, make sure you only buy food you will eat and eat your leftovers.  You might even consider buying less to eat healthier.  Sometimes just eating less is going to be healthier, you don’t need to buy all fresh fruits and vegetables and expensive foods to go on a diet.

Think carefully and you can find even more ways to save money.