Coupon clipping is a one way to get started with your savings.
With food prices constantly in flux, grocery budgets can soar, even if you buy the same things every week. Feeding your family without going into the red in your checking account may seem next to impossible, much less doing so for $100 a week. However, the latter is quite doable. A few tweaks in your grocery routine will reveal that $100 is more than enough.
Instructions
1. Compromise on which brands you prefer. One huge hurdle to saving money is when you insist on a particular name brand. Stores have occasional sales on the specific things you like from a company, but you and your family have to eat and can't necessarily wait on those to be discounted. Open your mind to all sorts of brands, as many times there isn't a huge difference in quality between sale items and the more expensive items you usually prefer.
2. Clip coupons. This may seem a bit time-consuming at first, but it is a relatively simple procedure. The best part is that you only have to do so once a week. Take your Sunday paper and look for the best bargains. Don't be afraid to shop at various stores. A few extra pennies of gas money is worth the savings. Once you get used to clipping, you'll get good at it and can do so in less than an hour.
3. Plan each meal and snack. Just like with making a budget, everything must be accounted for. Make a meal schedule for the whole family. You may have to customize things a bit for those who are busy with school or sports. The key thing is to forbid any on-the-fly snacking, especially take out. Even if you're tired, resist the temptation to call for pizza delivery. When planning your meals, make note of which items will spoil first and use those before you use the non-perishables.
4. Utilize cheap, bulky staples such as beans, rice and pasta. A little goes a long way with such items, and they can be used in a variety of meals. Avoid prepackaged meals that are ready to eat after microwaving, as they provide less bang for the buck, given that convenience always comes at a cost. To feed your family for $100 a week, you may have to prepare more meals, but the savings will be worth it.
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