Many people now spend more money every month on food than they do on their car!  That makes buying groceries the second-highest monthly expense after paying your mortgage or rent.  Many people don't think to include food in their financial planning because it's a necessity and we need it to survive; however, this is one area where people lose control every week and overspend.

Saving just $20 a week on your grocery bill can save you more than $1,000 a year.  Saving $60 a week could help you save more than $3,000 a year.

Use Coupons

I recently watched a new show on TV all about coupon clipping.  One woman's grocery bill was over $1,000 but with the coupons she clipped she only paid $53.

Imagine saving that much money on your grocery bill!  Now, most of us don't have the time or the desire to hunt for and clip enough coupons to amount to those savings but we can learn to start paying more attention to the flyers in our papers and the advertisements in our grocery stores. 

If you don't get the paper, not to worry, sites like www.flyerland.ca showcase the flyers and available coupons for all of our local grocery stores. 

To stay organized keep your coupons in a small folder that you can easily bring with you everytime you visit the grocery store.  You may not use all of the coupons in one visit but you'll sure be glad you have the ones you can use.

For food like pasta, rice and other non-perishables, consider buying in bulk when the sale is on.  Your initial cost may be high but it will save you money in the long run.

Discount Grocers

Most grocery store chains have an associated discount grocer that sells the same products for 30% cheaper.  The discount stores carry the best selling prepackaged goods, in season produce and fresh meat.  The lighting may not be as bright and the displays may not be as pretty but the food all comes from the same warehouse as the pricier counterparts and it's significantly cheaper!

Check out No Frills (Loblaws), Price Chopper/FreshCo (Soberys/IGA) or Food Basics (Metro, A&P).

Reward Programs

Take advantage of the many reward programs out there.  For example, Presidents Choice Rewards can be used at Loblaws, Now Frills and The Superstore for free groceries!  It doesn't take long to rack up your points and cashing them in once a month can save you hundreds of dollars a year.

Buy Generic

When you get to certain items on your list you probably notice that there are many options of the same thing available for different prices.  The generic brands are always cheaper then the national brands and they usually always come from the same place.  With the national brands you're not paying for a better product, you're paying for prettier packaging and ad campaigns.  Try the cheaper brand, if it tastes the same then stick with it!

Plan Ahead

This is hard to do for many people.  We have busy lives and the thought of planning Friday's meal on Monday seems ridiculous.  You don't have to plan your meals for specific days but as long as you have an idea of what you are going to need for the week you will avoid filling your cart with food that may go to waste.

Make a list!  Venturing into the grocery store without a list is the fastest way to spend too much.  If you know exactly what you're there for you will be less likely to make those impulse purchases.

Don't Shop Hungry

You know you've done it - we all have.  We show up to the grocery store 30 minutes before lunch time and wonder why our cart is filled with pizza pockets, kraft dinner and bags of chips.  Avoid overloading on novelty food and shop on a full stomach.

Freezer Pack Your Meat

Invest in a food saving vacuum packaging system.  Your intital cost of a few hundred dollars will be well worth it when you notice how much money you're saving.

Once you have your vacuum packaging system only buy your meat in bulk when it is on sale.  Vacuum packed meat will stay good in your freezer for months, even years!

Think of how much you can save if you load up on packages of chicken breasts when they're on sale for $8 instead of buying them only when you need them at the regular price of  $18.

Try out a few of these things the next time you hit the grocery store.  You'll be amazed at how much you can save!

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