Saving on Meat and Produce

Disclaimer: This article was originally published by I Am That Lady

One question I am asked on a regular basis is how do I save on meat and produce. Meat and produce can be quite expensive, and rack up your grocery bill every week. Studies show that most Americans spend 80% of their grocery budget every week on the inside aisles of the grocery store, and 20% of their budget on the outside perimeter of the store. Studies also show that the healthiest foods in the grocery store are located around the outside perimeters of the store, and that most American spend less of there money there because of the price.

If we were to cut back on the amount of money that we spend on the inside aisles of the store by up to 50% using coupons, then automatically we will have more money to spend on the outside perimeter of the store without sacrificing our nutrition and budget. Still, meat and produce can be expensive, but using coupons to get the non-perishable items will free up more money to be spent on the healthier things.

Here are the things that I have done to help keep down my costs on meat and produce:

* Call your local grocery store and ask them when they mark down their meats. My local grocery store does this every morning around 8am. Monday mornings being the best time to go in, there is usually more meat being ordered for weekend shoppers since it tends to be a busier shopping time, thus more markdowns on Monday’s. My local store places big black stickers on the fronts of the meat packages with $$ off amounts. The discounted meat needs to be used that day, or thrown in the freezer to be using within the next few weeks.
* Use coupons and stock up! A few times per year I stock up on meat, and freeze it. My local Price Chopper runs a meat coupon on their Facebook page a few times per year. It usually is a $5/$15 meat purchase. I print off a few of these coupons and stock up on things that are on sale, then throw them in the freezer.
* Plan your meals around what produce is on sale for that week. I love menu planning, it takes most of the stress out of my days as a stay at home mom. I plan my meals around the produce sales, that helps keep my out of pocket costs down.
* Check your discount racks. Many grocery stores have discount produce racks where they sell bruised bananas, apples, and other damaged fruits. These are still great to eat, you just have to cut the bruises out. I would stock up on bananas this way when I lived in Charlotte, NC and had a grocery store that did this.
* PLAN PLAN PLAN your meals and your grocery trips. A lot of produce used to get thrown away around my house, because I would buy it on auto pilot. I started planning meals around what produce was on sale, and this problem got solved rather quickly. I also got some of those ‘Debbie Meyer Green Bags‘ that help keep the produce fresher for longer.
* My grocery store also runs a promotion a few times per year where they offer $5/$15 produce coupons on their Facebook page. This helps cut down the costs that week. I can also stock up on things that freeze well, like berries and green peppers for fajitas.

Coupons are not just for processed/unhealthy foods, and honestly I am getting a little sick of that argument. With the availability of organic and low fat foods these days, the rise of organic and low fat coupons are following. There are many ways that you can coupon AND stay within a budget, while eating a lot of fresh fruits and veggies! I would love to hear what other ways you have to save on produce and meat too, I am sure I could learn even more!

About the Author: I have often been referred to as ‘that crazy coupon lady’. You know…the one who will wait in line for hours for a good sale, and will frustrate anyone who gets in line behind me at the grocery store because of my mound of coupons and separate transactions. I have chosen to embrace this title. I Am THAT Lady!