• Set a food budget.
• Keep track of what you are buying each week and how much you are spending. Save your receipts for a month to observe your habitual spending patterns.
• To see how much you are spending just on food, subtract miscellaneous items such as toiletries from your bill.
• Then, analyze which foods you are wasting and which products you can buy in bulk or as a store brand.
• Based on the above and other bills, set a weekly food budget.
• Avoid impulse buying.
• Make a weekly menu and grocery list and stick to your food budget. Only buy what is on your list and avoid buying impulse items.
• Don’t go to the store with an empty stomach. Studies have shown that going to the store hungry can increase impulse buying by 15 percent!
• Buy food on sale.
• Many grocery stores advertise sales in the newspaper. Check online and in your newspaper for stores near you that are holding sales.
• Don’t be shy about shopping in the sale basket. Products are often put on sale because the store now stocks the same product with new packaging.
• Don’t buy a product just because it is on sale. Sale items can still push you over your weekly budget. Just because something is “2 for $4” doesn’t mean you need to purchase two of that product.
• Buy the store brand.
• Store brands are often produced in the same factories as name-brand products. Most store brand items are the same quality as name brand products.
• Buy products at specific stores.
• Buy food only at grocery and bulk stores. Convenience stores make money off the assumption that most costumers buy two more items than they originally plan to purchase. If you want a Coca-Cola at the gas station only buy the soda, resist the candy bar and chips to go with it.
• Do not buy toiletries at the grocery store. Grocery stores tend to inflate the price of items, such as toilet paper, by approximately 25 percent. Purchase toiletries at the drug store, a bulk store, or Target. 
• Use coupons.
• Remember to look for coupons for item that are on your list. Don’t buy food just because you found a coupon!
• Newspapers print grocery store coupons every day. Most coupons are valid for a week. Clip them out and save them in an envelope until your weekly shop. Then, bring them with you to the store.
• Websites are great sources for coupons. Many grocery stores offer coupons on their individual websites. Other websites that offer food coupons include:
• PPGazette.com
• Pronto. com
• Coupons.com
• Don’t waste food.
• Are you contributing to the 40 to 50 percent of food harvested in the United States that is wasted? Are you like the average American who tosses almost $600 worth of food per year? (Data from studies by University of Arizona-Tuscon and UA Bureau of Applied Research, respectively).
• To avoid excess waste, carefully plan your menus and grocery list.
• Be aware of what you already have in your cabinets and refrigerator. Plan meals around ingredients you already have or that will expire soon.
• Remember that many items can be refrigerated or frozen for later.
• Buy food in bulk.
• Well-known bulk stores include BJs, Sam’s Club, and Costco. Most of these require a one-time membership fee. Make sure you will buy food there regularly to offset the membership cost.
• Be sure that your family enjoys the product, as you are buying in large quantity.
• It is also important to make sure you have storage, including cabinets, fridge, and freezer space for all the food.
• Divide large amounts of food into smaller portions for easy storage and cooking.
• Know how long food lasts to make sure you don’t waste food. The following are estimates for how long frozen, uncooked food will keep:
• Chops (pork, lamb): four to six months
• Chicken, turkey: nine months
• Ground meats: three to four months
• Butter, hard cheese: six months
• Milk: three weeks
• Ice cream: one month
• Herbs: six to twelve months
• Pasta, noodles: two years
• Frozen fruit: one year
• Beware of discount cards.
• Remember that grocery store discount cards will not save you a significant amount of money, especially if you are a comparison shopper.
• Although studies have shown that these cards may save you some money, stores often use them as a way to track your spending habits. Many consumers see this as an invasion of their privacy.
• "Where’s the beef?"
• Red meat tends to be more expensive, but you can work beef into your food budget. Here’s how to cook less-expensive cuts of red meat:
• Use low-heat and cook for longer to make the meat tender.
• For stews, cut top round meat yourself.
• Use chuck, rather than ground beef, for hamburgers.
• Food Stamps
  You may find that you qualify for receiving food stamps. Food stamps are government subsidies that allow low-income people to purchase food. You must be a U.S. Citizen or have status as a registered alien to be eligible.
  *See the upcoming article on food stamps for more information. 

Sagal Radio Guides

HEARMe Today! Voice of Today's Youth Blog

Summer Internship Program