Spare Your Budget on Groceries

Spare Your Budget on Groceries
Since coupons are not much of an option anymore, it’s becoming more difficult to save the way we did in years past.

Watch Local Sales
There are still things you can do, such as keeping track of sales at your local markets and taking advantage of them when you can. I know it means you may have to go from one store to another, but I’ve found that store‑hopping has saved quite a bit on my budget — especially when it comes to meat.

Try Shopping at Aldi
Another option is to shop at Aldi, where prices tend to be lower. Many of their generic products are actually made by name‑brand companies. They don’t advertise that, of course, because they want to make money from both ends of the shopping world.

If you look closely at some of the products at Aldi, you’ll notice that many of them come in boxes and cans that look almost identical to the name‑brand versions. It has made me do a double‑take more than once.

Generic Brands Can Save Money
Kids tend to be rather finicky — and I can’t blame them — but many generic brands taste just like the name brand. You just can’t let the kids see the box. I will add, however, that I’ve tried generic/store‑brand macaroni and cheese, and those have been a fail.

Going out and buying a bunch of generic brands at once isn’t the best idea until you know whether your family will actually eat them.

Use Cashback Apps
One app I like to use is Ibotta. It works with many stores, including Aldi, Walmart, Dollar General, BJ’s Wholesale Club, and even Sheetz. All you need is your cell phone to join and download the app. You can start earning cash back on items they offer and cash out at $20 intervals — or let it grow.

I’m sure there are other apps out there that do something similar, but Ibotta has been around for a while and has a lot of happy users.

Another app I use is Upside. This app helps me save on gas, and you can also earn a bit back when eating out. Although we’ve stopped going out to eat, I specifically use the Upside app to save a few cents at the pump.

Every Penny Counts
Be wise and shop for savings — every penny counts!