WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Sticker shock at the grocery store — prices on everyday food items keep climbing higher. It's getting harder to afford everything you need.
But there are several easy ways to save, without clipping coupons.
Kiva Williams knows a thing or two about saving money at the grocery store. She loves sharing her tips on her blog, The Fun Foodie Mama.
"My first tip is to make a list. Because if you don't have a list, you'll be wandering around the store grabbing stuff and then you come home and you don't have a complete meal," she said.
That means you'll need to do a bit of meal planning before you go, and it's a good idea to write those meals at the bottom of your list.
"The next tip is to use the weekly ad. You can go online and check it out or grab the weekly ad [in store] and they're going to have specials. They're going to have discounted produce, what they're featuring and you need to know," she said.
Also, look for sales on pantry staple items that you know you'll use, and have a long shelf life.
"The third tip is to shop the local brand, the store brand. Sometimes depending on the store, the store brand isn't that favorable, but most times — nine out of 10, the store brand tastes just as good as the top brand," she said.
Name brands can cost two or three times more than the store brand.
"Here's the bonus tip guys: leave your kids at home. I noticed that when I shop without my kids, my grocery bill goes down dramatically," she said.
You can find lots of great, easy recipes on Kiva's blog and you can also watch her cook some of them on her Youtube page.
Kiva's 3 tips to save you money
- Make a list (meal planning is a bonus)
- Use the weekly ad
- Shop the local/store brand
- Bonus: leave the kids at home (if you can)