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Healthy savings: The art of frugal food shopping
These frugal food tips will help you achieve healthy savings on your grocery bill.
By Mayo Clinic staffFrugal is back. People are cutting costs by eating more meals at home. Of course, you can still spend big at the supermarket. But with frugal food shopping, you can cut your grocery bill — and still eat healthy.
Skeptical? Don't be. You can find plenty of resources to help you become a frugal food guru while still paying attention to nutrition. For instance, the Department of Agriculture has created a "thrifty plan" for feeding a family of four — two adults plus two children between the ages of 6 and 11 — that meets the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and costs only $135 a week.
You say you're not the frugal type? Try easing into it with a few of the frugal food tips below. You may discover that being frugal isn't so tough — and can even be tasty.
Before you leave home
Frugal food shopping starts before you hit the supermarket. Take some time at home to review your staples and make a game plan:
- Check the pantry. Use up your supplies rather than letting them gather dust. Grab some canned beans and tomatoes to make chili, or whip up a fruit salad from a couple of cans of fruit.
- Plan ahead. Make a menu plan for the week and then buy only the items you need. Having a list helps you avoid expensive impulse purchases, as well as the frustration of getting home with groceries, but with no plan for using them.
- Change the focus. Meat needn't be the main event every night. Try one or two meatless dinners a week. Build the meal around vegetables, beans and grains — they're cheaper, lower in fat and higher in fiber than meat is. Stock up on legumes and whole-grain staples, such as beans, lentils, brown rice, bulgur and whole-wheat pastas. Use them to make filling soups, stews and casseroles.
- Weigh time vs. money. Can you make time for some prep work in the kitchen? Investing a little time can mean big savings. Consider this example: Pre-cut broccoli florets are twice as expensive per pound as whole broccoli.
- Clip coupons. If you aren't using coupons for items you regularly buy, you're missing out on savings. Check the fliers that come in the mail or with your newspaper — and check online, too.
- Sign up. Shopper cards, also called bonus cards, are the surest way to save at most grocery chains. Sign up at the supermarkets you frequent.
- Join the club. Discount clubs can save you money on bulk items. If you can't use up the big quantities, consider splitting them — and the cost — with family or friends.
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- Recipes and tips for healthy, thrifty meals. U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/MiscPubs/FoodPlansRecipeBook.pdf. Accessed July 20, 2009.
- Thrifty food plan, 2006. U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/MiscPubs/TFP2006Report.pdf. Accessed July 20, 2009.
- Shop smart and save big. Consumer Reports, May 2009. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/may-2009/may-2009-toc.htm. Accessed June 26, 2009.
- Nelson JK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 1, 2009.
- Zeratsky KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 1, 2009.
- Sofi F, et al. Adherence to Mediterranean diet and health status: Meta-analysis. British Medical Journal. 2008;337:a1344.
