10 ways to save at the grocery store.

sara's herb garden, summer 2008 (see #4 below)

....a different kind of blog topic for me, for sure! but I'm thinking it could be time to take some of this good advice and put it into action. money saved at the grocery store = money for yarn!

1. buy what's on sale. stock up if you have room (our freezer isn't very big, but when chicken breasts are $1.99 a pound, or frozen vegetables are 10 for $10, we buy a lot!)

2. use coupons. my mom taught me this. she told me the sunday paper more than paid for itself if you used the coupons. we stopped getting the paper last year, but we still get coupons from kroger and from costco in the mail.

3. buy produce that's in season. not only is it cheaper and tastier, but it's better for the environment when we don't have to ship food around the world.

4. grow your own. oh my, homegrown vegetables are the best! sadly, I barely manage to keep rosemary and basil growing, but that helps a little bit.

5. plan your meals, make a shopping list, and stick to it. those one-off trips to the store for an item or two really add up.

6. buy just what you need...and can eat. it's been a real lesson for me this past year to get used to shopping for two, and often one. I'm embarrassed by what I've had to throw out some weeks.

7. buy the store brand. (except for paper towels and toilet paper :-)

8. make your own spaghetti sauce. cheaper and tastes much better!

9. bring your own bags. another one that's good for the environment too.

10. buy personal items like shampoo and lotion someplace other than than the grocery store; I'm not sure why, but they're always more expensive there.

I'm looking forward to seeing tips from everyone else this week. I'm sure I'll learn a few things!

Go here if you would like to sign up for the Ten on Tuesday mailing list.