5 Ways to Save Money on Groceries, Part 2

Last week I started this series by talking about comparing price per pound.  Now I'll share the rest of my favorite ways to save money on groceries.

2. Cook from Scratch - Processing your own food, instead of buying packaged stuff in the grocery store will save a lot of money.  I can regularly feed my family of 5.5 for under $5 a meal.  We eat bread, fruit, veggies, pasta, meat and simple sauces.  To save time I make large batches and freeze them.  That way I'm working once and eating several times.  Making your own freezer meals, bread, buns, cookies and muffins then storing them to be eaten in smaller batches later saves time and money.  

3. Stick to a List - I am a huge impulse shopper.  Having a list and really focusing on only buying what is on my list is a big help with my grocery budget.  Occasionally I do make exceptions for mark downs or unadvertised deals, but I have to have money in my budget to pay for them.  Taking cash into the store and leaving all the credit cards and the checkbook in the car has really helped me learn to pay attention to what I'm placing in my cart.  I keep an estimated running total written on my shopping list.  When I'm out of money I stop shopping.  Trust me.  Once you get to a cashier and you realize you don't have enough cash on hand to pay for your basket you'll never do it again.

4. Ad matching Sites - These aren't just for folks who clip coupons.  The awesome people over at Savvy Shopper Deals also alert you to great deals on products without coupons.  Products like fruit, veggies, meats and dairy.  Stuff we rarely get coupons for.  I've added a new tab on my blog that will take you directly to their lists of best weekly deals.  Check it out!

5. Stockpile - When you find a great deal STOCKPILE.  That way when the price goes back up you can eat your food from your storage at the cheaper price.  Storing food purchased at low prices truly cuts the grocery bills.

Those are my top ways to save money *without* using coupons.  What types of things do you do to keep the grocery bills low?