groceries

6 Ways Brand Loyalty Costs You Money

Kentin Waits — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 08:00:13 +0000

Loyalty is usually considered a virtue. In romance, in friendships, in business — loyalty typically wins. But when it comes to brands, blind loyalty can actually be a bad thing. Stand by your brand? Always and forever? I don't think so. Here are six ways brand loyalty costs you money. (See also: How We Brainwash Ourselves Into Brand Loyalty)

1. It prevents you from discovering new products

Consumers who rigidly stick to one particular brand never discover what else it out there (and let's face it, there's always something else out there). With that degree of loyalty, you may miss out on new products or more efficient options that can save you money in the long run. (See also: 7 Grocery Store Habits That Are Making You Broke)

2. It discourages price comparison

From cellphone carriers to bulk cereal, brand loyalty discourages objective price comparison. If you never consider other options, you miss out on special promotions, deep discounts, and other money-saving opportunities.

Venture beyond your go-to brands. In the grocery store, compare the unit price of products and the value that generics and store brands offer. For services such as cable, internet, and phone, check out new providers who may have more flexible pricing options. (See also: 7 Generic Beauty Buys Better Than the Expensive Originals)

3. It limits flexibility

Though brand loyalty works best when it's voluntary, many companies prefer something a bit more binding. Think about brand-specific software, tech accessories that aren't universally compatible with other devices, and smartphones that lock out all carriers but one. Are the manufacturers nurturing loyalty by supplying a superior product or service, or are they simply benefiting from a captive consumer base? Remember, when a brand limits your flexibility, it limits your opportunity to save. (See also: 5 Smart Ways to Save on Smartphones)

4. Store brand credit cards may not offer the best terms

Store cards or co-branded credit cards may make you feel like you're part of an exclusive club, but they don't always offer customers the best terms. Many charge an annual fee, impose higher than average interest rates, and offer limited options for reward redemption. Unless you shop frequently at a particular retailer, store cards can't beat cards with more flexible rewards programs. Instead, choose a general cash-back credit card with a competitive interest rate and no annual fee. (See also: 5 Store Card Pitfalls to Watch Out for)

5. Loyalty and reward programs trade nominal savings for big data

Loyalty plans and retail reward programs don't give you discounts out of the goodness of their hearts; they trade it for detailed data on your buying habits. In turn, that data is analyzed to cross-sell similar products, suggest accessories and upgrades, and predict what you'll buy in the future. Once you sign up, you become part of an alarmingly sophisticated marketing machine — one that's designed to sell you more products more often. Where's the savings in that?

6. Many membership benefits don't last

Building brand loyalty is an expensive endeavor. Perks, upgrades, and discounts are used strategically to draw new customers into rewards programs. However, those benefits cost money and don't always last. Once your loyalty is firmly in place, privileges have a way of gradually disappearing. In fact, new customers often get far better deals than those who've stuck around for years.

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This article is from Kentin Waits of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Here's What You Can (And Can't) Buy With SNAP

Carrie Kirby — Tue, 03 Apr 2018 08:30:13 +0000

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, has always been controversial. It's meant to help ensure that everyone gets enough to eat, and the program assures applicants that they have the right to be treated with "dignity, consideration, and respect." Yet, the program also imposes lots of complicated rules on users, and many people have shared opinions about whether users are making "acceptable" choices with their SNAP dollars.

Recently, SNAP has been in the news — and in the middle of countless social media debates — because of three developments.

First, Amazon opened its first automated grocery store, Amazon Go, where you can simply enter the store on the app, take the items you need, and leave without checking out as part of their Just Walk Out shopping experience. However, it doesn't accept SNAP.

Second, a petition has been circulating advocating that SNAP benefits should cover food for pets as well as human household members.

And third, the Trump administration Office of Management and budget director, Mick Mulvaney, proposed replacing food aid to low-income families with a "Blue Apron-style" box of canned goods and other non-perishables.

Which made us wonder what you can currently buy with SNAP, and what you can't.

What you can buy with SNAP

SNAP and its beneficiaries have plenty of critics, often people who feel that low-income individuals should be limited in what they are allowed to purchase with public funds. Critics of those critics would say that prescribing their shopping lists is intrusive. Generally, the rules limit SNAP purchases to food products, with some limitations and exceptions.

Energy drinks

Energy drinks such as Red Bull have been available for purchase with food stamps since 2013, when companies making them began changing their labels to list "nutrition facts" instead of "supplement facts." Critics have tried to have them removed from eligibility, but as long as they are classified as a food item, they are likely to stay.

Luxury items

Since they are clearly food items, you can, in theory, buy steak, lobster, shrimp, or any other high-end food with food stamps. Legislators have proposed removing such items from the program, but in reality there is no need: Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that people in the income group low enough to qualify for SNAP hardly buy any beef or seafood (only about 10 percent of the average monthly grocery bill), because it's too expensive.

Junk food

There is some truth to the impression that a lot of SNAP recipients buy junk food. A 2011 USDA analysis found that 23 cents of every SNAP dollar goes to sweetened beverages, desserts, salty snacks, candy, and sugar. (The other 77 cents goes toward meal ingredients, such as milk, bread, meat, cereal, and vegetables.) However, non-SNAP households spent 20 cents of every dollar on those same sweet treats. So shopping habits were similar, regardless of payment method.

Nutritionists have expressed concern about the amount of junk food purchases funded by SNAP, which is meant to improve health, not to contribute to health problems such as obesity. But attempts to cut junk food from SNAP run into problems both with complexity and with the discomfort of making the government the judge of which foods are worthy and which aren't.

Birthday cake

While you can't buy hot prepared food items, you can buy baked goods. Muffins, cakes, and cookies purchased at grocery stores and some bakeries are fair game.

Holiday items

Since they are technically edible, you can buy your Halloween pumpkins with SNAP — but not decorative gourds. Gift baskets, prefilled stockings or prefilled Easter baskets can be purchased as well, but only if at least 50 percent of the contents are edible items and the basket contains no prohibited items. For example, you could buy a holiday stocking with a few small toys and a lot of candy, but not a large stuffed bear holding a small box of chocolate.

K-Cups

You can purchase coffee to make at home, in any form, with your SNAP card. This includes single-use pods such as K-Cups, instant coffee, cappuccino mix, whole bean, or fresh ground coffee.

Taco Bell (sometimes)

The vast majority of SNAP recipients are limited to buying groceries with SNAP. But in some states, elderly, disabled, and homeless SNAP recipients can participate in the Restaurant Meals Program. In Arizona, participating restaurants include Taco Bell, Denny's, Subway, and others.

Seeds

In 2014, SNAP began allowing participants to purchase seeds and plants that produce food, and launched a site to encourage gardening.

Produce at the farmers market

You can legally buy fresh fruits and veggies, as well as homemade jams and honey, at farmers markets. The only catch is that most stands only accept cash, while SNAP functions as a debit card. The government is working with local markets to change that, including publishing a directory of farmers markets that accept SNAP and setting up incentive programs such as bonuses for SNAP users.

Food from online grocers

The USDA is operating a pilot program allowing SNAP users to order groceries online. This could be a boon to people living in food deserts and homebound elderly and disabled people, not to mention parents of small children and those who work long hours and can't get to the store. (See also: 6 Ways Having Your Groceries Delivered Can Save You Money)

Cocktail mixers

While you cannot use SNAP for alcohol, you can buy mocktails, bloody mary mix, tonic water, or margarita mix.

Things you can't buy with SNAP

Despite the fact that we just listed a wide range of items that you can buy, there are actually plenty of things you are not allowed to purchase with SNAP benefits. Some make perfect sense; there's no way taxpayers are going to fund cigarette or alcohol purchases. But there are valid arguments that some of the following items should be covered.

Rotisserie chicken

Those hot roasted chickens in the deli are sometimes cheaper, pound for pound, than raw chicken. And for people who don't have access to a kitchen, they could be included in many healthy meals such as chicken tacos or chicken salad. However, most SNAP recipients can't purchase any hot prepared foods, including these.

Toiletries

Since they are not food, you can't use SNAP to buy household items such as soap, laundry detergent, diapers, sanitary napkins, or toilet paper. Since these items are essential, this restriction can be a hardship for SNAP recipients.

Pet food

As mentioned above, a petition asking the federal government to include pet food in the SNAP program recently received more than 230,000 signatures. While there's a valid argument to be made that pet ownership is a luxury that the American taxpayer shouldn't have to support, the counterargument is that pet owners that fall into poverty are more likely to give up or abandon pets if they can't feed them — and housing these pets in shelters or euthanizing them costs the public money.

Grocery bag fees

More and more local governments are discouraging waste by requiring stores to charge for grocery bags. SNAP cannot be used to pay those fees, and the local law may not exempt SNAP users. So SNAP users should either bring their own bags or be prepared to pay for disposable bags with cash.

Food shipping charges

SNAP users participating in the trial of online grocery ordering must pay any delivery or convenience fees in cash.

Live animals

While you could buy live crabs to cook at home, you can't use your SNAP card to buy a piglet to raise or a cow to milk — even if it would save you money and provide more nutritious food in the long run. Livestock just isn't part of the program.

Alcohol and cigarettes

Alcohol and cigarettes aren't food, they're not nutritious, and the public doesn't want to pay for them.

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This article is from Carrie Kirby of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Keep Food Waste From Spoiling Your Budget

Carrie Kirby — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 08:00:06 +0000

How much food do wealthy nations waste? More than all of Sub-Saharan Africa produces, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In the United States alone, from the farm to your kitchen, half of all produce ends up in the trash, according to a report by The Guardian.

What does that waste mean for your household budget? If you're like the average family of four, you're literally throwing away $1,800 a year, the National Resources Defense Council estimates.

So a melon is a terrible thing to waste. We've heard it before. But what can we really do about it? Here are six ideas for taking action by quantifying food waste. (See also: You're Wasting 1/3 of the Food You Buy — Here's How to Stop)

Weigh your waste

The Environmental Protection Agency suggests that households spend two weeks separating "preventable food waste" garbage from inedible scraps as part of its Food: Too Good to Waste Challenge.

At the end of each week, weigh and record the food you could have eaten but tossed instead. Then, spend three weeks using the EPA's tips to improve your planning, shopping, and storage practices. Finally, measure what you waste during the sixth week, and share the impressive progress you've (ideally) made on social media. (See also: Waste Not, Want Not: Stop Throwing Away Your Food!)

Get the app

So often in busy households food goes to waste because you forget it's there. The iOS app No Waste allows you to scan the barcodes of stuff in your fridge, enter expiration dates, and track everything you've got. If you don't mark a food item as "eaten" before its expiration date, the app marks that food as wasted. It keeps track of the percent of your food that you waste, and shows you a cute little tree that loses its green if your waste increases. It also allows you to compare your waste percentage with other app users, and gives you an estimate of how much money you're saving by eating the food you paid for.

Create a food diary

This printable food waste diary prompts you to record not just the amount of food wasted at each meal, but also the reason and estimated value. This should be helpful to put a weekly dollar figure on your waste and motivate you to consume foods that are about to go bad.

Impose consequences

Whether you used a printable from, a smartphone app, or simply scrawled the amounts and values of your waste on a scrap of paper stuck to the fridge, what do you do with this data? Why not use it to (gently) punish yourself? Take the total value of this week's waste, and deduct it from next week's grocery budget. Chances are, the pain of passing up buying the steak you wanted might help you remember to use up that meatloaf next week.

Track it publicly

Recording your food waste alone in your kitchen is OK, but wouldn't it be more fun to inspire others by planning a Watch Your Waste Meal? In the days leading up to your event, you're supposed to track your waste and share photos of your discards, which a celebrity chef might use as inspiration for a new dish.

Take a picture, it'll last longer

Are you more of a visual learner? Then follow The Frugal Girl's example and photograph every bit of food you waste. If you really want to push yourself to improve, share it online like she does! But even a private gallery of moldy horrors should be enough to encourage yourself to save the kale.

Beyond your kitchen

Once you've got a handle on what you throw away at home, turn your attention to the millions of pounds of food that gets thrown away by businesses before you even get a crack at it.

Buy ugly

In California and Portland, Imperfect Produce delivers weekly boxes of vegetables and fruits that are not cosmetically perfect enough to be sold in stores but still fresh and wholesome.

Take-out the trash

Still in beta, the app Food for All will allow you to purchase unsold food from restaurants at the end of the day, at discounts as steep as 80 percent. Lucky Bostonians get to try this super frugal service first.

Save a mint

If you work in or own a restaurant, try the app MintScraps to track and reduce food waste.

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This article is from Carrie Kirby of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Best Money Tips: 5 Ways to Waste Money at the Grocery Store

Amy Lu — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 08:30:17 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found articles on ways you may be wasting money at the grocery store, smart ways to grow your savings, and the best deal sites for coupons and discounts on everything.

Shop the Salad Bar and Other Ways to Save Big on Groceries

Mikey Rox — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 08:00:13 +0000

Feeling the pinch at the grocery checkout line? You're not alone. Food prices have risen an average of 2.6 percent a year over the past 20 years, according to The Balance. And though inflation has slowed recently, you can bet food prices will be back on the uptick when contributing factors change, like fluctuating oil prices, weather conditions, and good ol' supply and demand. In the meantime, give your budget a well-deserved break by adopting these supermarket-savvy practices to reduce your grocery overhead.

1. Shop the salad bar for almonds, bacon bits, and more

You might avoid the salad bar at your local supermarket because of its outrageous prices — my local Wegmans cold salad and fruit bar is a whopping $9.49 a pound — but there are deals hidden among all that overpriced produce.

Six ounces of name brand Diamond of California slivered almonds retails for $4.99 at the store, or roughly $13.30 per pound, compared to the flat rate of under $10 at the salad bar. Bacon bits are another big win for your wallet. A three-ounce bottle of Hormel Real Bacon Bits come in at $2.49, making a pound's worth more than $13, but who needs that when you can cop a full pound of the really "real" stuff at around 59 cents per ounce?

To do your own investigative work into how you can save at the salad bar, visit your local grocer's website and compare packaged products and fresh produce to what you might find in the salad bar. (See also: 7 Grocery Store Habits That Are Making You Broke)

2. Break off just the right amount of bananas from the bunch

Did you know that you don't have to buy the whole bunch of bananas? Most stores price the fruit by the pound, but don't require that all the bananas in a bunch stay together. If the bunch is too big for what you think you'll eat, just break off the amount that suits you and be on your way.

3. Compare bone-in and boneless chicken pound-per-pound

Boneless chicken is most people's go-to protein these days, but we're paying quite a markup for the convenience of skin-and-bone removal.

My store doesn't even carry nonorganic bone-in chicken breasts anymore, but nonorganic bone-in chicken thighs (store brand) are 99 cents per pound compared to their boneless counterparts at $1.99 per pound. More than double is quite a leap just to be bone-free.

You also may be able to shave a few bucks off your bill by buying your fresh boneless chicken breasts with rib meat instead of the hand-trimmed cutlets. Those prices are $1.88 per pound and $2.79 per pound, respectively, at my store, which is enough of a difference for me to learn to love to the rib meat. (See also: Great Summertime Grilling for Any Budget)

4. Ask for a rain check on out-of-stock sale items

If the shelf is empty on a sale product, you may be able to still get the deal with a rain check. You can usually obtain these at customer service, but be sure to have the sales circular or your mobile device showing the deal to expedite the process, just in case the cashier is unfamiliar with the promotion. (They shouldn't be, but it happens often when I'm shopping.) Your rain check will allow you to buy the product for the sale price even after the sale is over once the item is back in stock.

5. Stick with frozen seafood

"A lot of time the seafood you find frozen in the store is the same as the thawed stuff on display, which can be marked up by as much as 40 percent," says nutritionist and health coach Jamie Logie, author of the blog and podcast Regained Wellness.

Turns out, she's right. Farm-raised EZ-Peel Raw Shrimp at my Wegmans is $10.99 per pound, but the same exact shrimp frozen and bagged is only $8.49 per pound. Plus, with the frozen stuff there's no rush to eat it before it spoils; it's there whenever I want it.

6. Segment your shopping between grocery and drugstores

By and large, drugstores like CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens have higher-priced items compared to the same products at the supermarket, but you can save in these stores on certain things. My local Rite-Aid offers coupons, sometimes up to 25 percent off, and it often has Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) deals on the snacks we all love, like chips and ice cream. When I wrote this, Rite-Aid had Cheez-It crackers BOGO for $3.29, whereas two boxes of the same would cost $3.96 at Walmart.

At CVS, I've personally saved $139.33 using coupons, which are plentiful if you're a member of the ExtraCare Rewards program. I also took advantage of a one-time offer to try out its new curbside service to save $10 off a $15 purchase. These promos really add up if you use them the right way.

7. Make spices with your unused vegetables

Think twice about throwing away that half an onion you don't think you'll use before it rots. Yvonne Sanders, from healthy-eating and weight-loss program Slimming World, explains how to turn them into spices.

"Simply dehydrate onion or garlic, then crush it up to make garlic or onion powder seasoning," she says. Same goes for your herbs and hot peppers. Dehydrate them before they start to decay for more fresh and flavorful cooking.

8. Turn nearly expired milk into ice cubes for your morning coffee

If you know you're not going to drink all the milk before it expires or spoils, make milk ice cubes for your morning joe.

"If you're wont to drink coffee with some milk, this is a great way to preserve cartons of milk in your fridge," Sanders says. "Just use an ice tray to freeze and drop into your next coffee or even smoothie."

9. Ditch the cart and pick up a basket

It's scientifically proven that shopping with a large cart compels you to buy more than you actually need. Marketing consultant Martin Lindstrom told USA Today, "We did an experiment with that, and we actually doubled the size of the shopping cart," he said. "And you buy 40 percent more."

Don't let the psychology of shopping cost you. Opt for the smaller cart, or pick up a basket and head to the register once it's full.

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This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

7 Smart Money Challenges You Can Totally Do

Paul Michael — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 08:00:08 +0000

Are you up for a money challenge? How about several?

Make no mistake, some of the savings challenges below are tough. Some may even drive you a little bonkers. But they are all achievable if you put your mind to it, and can leave you with more money for your financial goals — in some cases, considerably more. They may even leave you healthier and happier.

So, if you think you have what it takes, here are seven money challenges. Which ones will you take on?

1. Use thrift stores whenever possible

Of course, there are necessities you can't get at a thrift store, like groceries. But for clothing, household items, electronics, and a whole host of other products, thrift stores are a gold mine.

Thrift store clothing is usually in excellent condition, and sold for a fraction of the price you'd pay at a retail store. Simply pop the garment in the wash when you get home, or get it dry cleaned, and you're good to go. Thrift stores also have special offer days — Goodwill runs 99-cent tag days every week. You can actually pick up a winter coat, a great watch, or a coffee maker for less than a buck. Do this challenge for one year, and see how much you save.

2. Do the 52-week savings plan

Often known as the "52-week money challenge" or "a dollar extra every week," the plan eases you into saving a substantial sum of money over the course of one year. It's simple enough, and very easy to stick to, at least at first.

In January, at the end of week one, you'll put $1 into your savings account (or jar). At the end of week two, you pop in $2. Week three, $3. And so on for the whole year. By the time you reach the end of December, you'll have saved almost $1,400.

The only drawback to this plan is that the amounts get larger and larger as the year goes on, and they're the most expensive during the December holidays. But stick with it, and you'll have a nice chunk of money to celebrate with. Even if you bail at the end of November, you'll have collected over $1,100. That could pay for a lot of those gifts and special events.

3. Cancel Amazon Prime

Look, we all know how good Amazon Prime is: free two-day shipping, a massive library of free movies and TV shows, and some great prices on thousands of items. But, and this is a big but, for some people it can become addictive. Having instant (or almost instant) gratification is incredibly satisfying. Admit it, how many times have you casually hit the "Buy now with 1-Click" button when you saw something you liked?

The website and app are designed to make impulse buying easier. One woman recently documented how she spent over $41,000 on Amazon Prime from 2008 to 2016. In 2015, she bought 427 items — more than there are days in a year. And not only did she find it very easy to do, she was at a loss as to what most of these items were.

So if you feel like you are too often tempted by Amazon Prime, then try giving it a miss for a while. See how much you save. You may find it is a temptation that sucks money away from you.

4. Stop eating out, and no more fast food

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2015, the average American family spent over $3,000 on takeout and dining out. That's $250 every month!

That same year, the average family spent just $4,015 on groceries. And the gap between those figures continues to narrow. As a nation, we're addicted to quick and easy meals and it's really hurting our wallets.

So, make a pledge right now to give it up for a month or two. No more restaurants. No more quick stops at the drive-thru. For at least two months, give up the notion of getting food from anywhere but your own home. Bring lunches to work. Pack lunches for the kids. Plan meals for every night of the week, and get creative with leftovers. You will miss the quick fix and the ease of eating out, but you will save hundreds of dollars. Furthermore, you will not be eating all those preservatives, fats, and chemicals that come with fast food. You'll be healthier and richer.

5. Do your shopping on just one day of the week

When I was growing up, Friday was grocery shopping day. My parents would take us all to the local supermarket with a list of things to buy, and that's what we bought. That would have to last us for the week, and there were no exceptions. If we ran out of fruit or cereal, we'd find substitutions. If we wanted candy or soda, and we ate what we had by Tuesday, then we had to wait to get more.

This taught my sister and I that we had to ration what we had, and that we could not simply rely on an endless supply of whatever we wanted. Plus, every time you pop into a grocery store, even if it's just for bread or milk, you inevitably get caught up in special offers and eye-catching deals, and come back with more than you need. So, set a day of the week to shop, even if it's done via a home delivery service, and stick with it. What's more, this challenge makes it much easier to budget for the month.

6. Spend one month haggling over as much as you can

This one is tough for people who don't like confrontations or talking to customer service. However, if you persevere, you will come out of it saving a whole lot of money.

Spend the first week haggling with every service provider you have. Your cable, internet, and phone providers have something called a customer retention department. Their role is simply to keep you as a customer, and they have some significant discounts to offer just to keep you on board. All you have to do is call and say you want to cancel, and you will be offered rebates and lower rates almost immediately.

Next, hit up your credit card and banking providers. Can they lower your interest rates?

After that, start haggling in stores. If you go grocery shopping in the evening, you will be able to make the manager some offers on food that is about to expire. Sometimes, perfectly good food destined for the garbage can be acquired for pennies on the dollar.

Be brave. Aim high, and if you get nothing, guess what? You've lost nothing. But chances are, you'll come out on top most of the time.

7. Clear out the pantry and fridge once a month

Take a look in your fridge, freezer, and pantry when you finish reading this article. You will probably be amazed at what you find in there. For a start, many of the items at the back of the pantry and fridge will be expired. That is cash in the trash. You will also find things you completely forgot you bought, and perhaps a few items that should never have been in there in the first place.

Sort through everything and then stick to using up everything in the pantry and fridge for one week. Don't go to the store. Don't eat out. Get creative! You will come up with all sorts of weird food concoctions, but that's half the fun. You can also search recipe sites, input what ingredients you have available, and receive recipe suggestions that use those ingredients. Some people do this religiously, and it leaves them with a well-organized kitchen and very little food waste each month.

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This article is from Paul Michael of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

31 Foolproof Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill

Nick Wharton — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 08:31:05 +0000

Americans are spending more on food now than they have over the past decade, according to the Food Institute. That doesn't mean buying groceries has to break your budget. Here are over 30 ways to cut costs at the supermarket.

1. Use the best credit card

One often overlooked but simple way to cut costs is by using the right credit card for your groceries. Imagine getting 6 percent of your purchases back as cash back, without a single coupon. (See also: Use These Credit Cards at the Supermarket)

2. Set a budget

Take a look at all of your grocery expenses over the past few months — or even the past year, if you have the records — and figure out how those expenses mesh with your other financial goals. Could you cut back and make more room for other items in your budget, including savings? Come up with a target grocery budget and then track (and adjust) your spending to make sure that you stick to that budget each week.

3. Shop at home first

Purchasing items that you already have at home can be a waste of both time and money. Be sure to quickly inventory your pantry and refrigerator before you hit the supermarket so you haven't forgotten about purchases you've already made.

4. Plan your meals

Once you've taken stock of the ingredients you have at home, come up with a few meals that make use of them with the addition of as few ingredients as possible. Then you can pick up only the items that you need, and reduce weekday stress of figuring out what's for dinner.

5. Shop the circular

Look through the weekly deal list put out by most supermarkets (you can typically find them online) to see what's on sale and plan your meals around those items. Typically the items on the front page of the circular are "loss leaders," or merchandise that's offered at an extra discount in order to lure customers into the store.

6. Make a list

Once you've got a meal plan, it's easy to make a list of exactly what you need for the week. Shopping from a list also reduces impulse purchases and insures that you won't forget items, which could require another trip to the store and present another opportunity to overspend.

7. Play the coupon game

Whether you're clipping them from newspapers or downloading them online, coupons are an easy way to find savings on items that you're purchasing anyway. Keep an eye on expiration dates, and look for stores that will double coupons for extra savings. But don't get tempted to buy things you don't need, just because you've got a coupon. It's not a bargain if it's unnecessary.

8. Switch up stores

Different grocery stores offer better discounts on different categories of purchases. Over time you may have come to know where to get the best deals on different items. But make sure you keep an eye on changing prices and sales. Once you've planned your list, look through the various circulars to figure out which store is offering the most compelling deals for you this week and shop there. Next week, you may find it worth trying your luck somewhere else. (See also: 10 Affordable Alternatives to the Grocery Store)

9. But show some loyalty to all of them

Join the loyalty programs of the various supermarkets where you shop to get additional discounts and coupons at the register. Follow them on social media, too, for notice of special sales or discounts.

10. Stock up on deals

Pay close attention to the prices of nonperishable items you purchase often. Then, when you see a good deal, purchase as many as you have room for.

11. Ask for a rain check

If you see a great deal advertised in the circular or the store but the item is sold out, you can still get that sale price. Most stores will give you a "rain check," or a voucher to purchase the item at the sale price at a later date.

12. Cut back on meat

Meat is one of the most expensive items that you put in your grocery cart each week. If going completely vegetarian won't work for your family, consider adopting Meatless Mondays or making meat the side dish instead of the main course for some meals.

13. Stay in season

Fresh produce costs less when it's in season, so try to time your purchases accordingly. You'll get the best prices on berries, for example, in the summer, while oranges are cheapest in the winter months. Planning your meals around what's in season ensures you'll get the best flavors, too.

14. Put your freezer to work

If you have a hankering for off season fruits or vegetables, see whether they're available in the frozen aisle. Frozen produce is typically picked at its ripest and immediately frozen, locking in many of its nutrients. You can use your freezer to reduce other grocery costs as well, freezing meat purchased at a discount or extra portions of meals you've cooked before they go to waste.

15. Call in the subs

Swap out high-cost ingredients in recipes for lower-cost substitutes that can reduce the overall cost of the meal without sacrificing taste. Try turmeric rather than saffron, for example, or cream cheese in place of goat cheese.

16. Hit up a warehouse store

Warehouse stores often have lower per-unit prices than grocery stores on items like paper goods, cleaning products, and toiletries. They may also have good deals on food items, but make sure that you're not buying so much food that it could go bad before your family eats it all. (See also: Best Credit Cards to Use at Costco)

17. Bring your own bag

Some grocery stores offer a discount to shoppers who bring their own reusable shopping bags. Bonus: You'll be helping the environment while you shop.

18. DIY

Some of the most expensive items in grocery stores are prepared foods or those where some of the prep work has been done for you. If you can take the time to chop your own fruits and vegetables, grate your own cheese, marinate your own fish, or boil you own eggs, you can pay significantly less.

19. Don't go all in with organics

In general, produce that has a thicker skin (things like avocado, mangoes, and grapefruit) have lower levels of pesticides than those without (such as strawberries, spinach, nectarines, and apples). Consider spending extra only for those foods that have higher pesticide levels.

20. Drink (tap) water

In addition to being expensive, drinks like soda and juice are full of sugar, so eliminating them is better for both your budget and your body. Bottled water is healthier, but it's also an unnecessary expense when you can drink water from your faucets for free. If water quality is an issue, a low-cost filter can help. Cutting down on bottles reduces hassling with heavy items and reduces your environmental impact as well.

21. Don't wander

Rather than walking through every aisle in the grocery store, don't even turn down those without items on your list. That will save you time and prevent unnecessary impulse purchases.

22. Become a gardener

Vegetable seeds are relatively inexpensive, and just a few plants can yield dozens of fresh veggies that you won't have to purchase later at the supermarket. If you're not up for a full vegetable garden, consider starting with an herb garden. That will allow you to pick and use herbs as needed, rather than being forced to purchase more than you need for a particular recipe at the grocery store.

23. Take it back

Didn't notice the mold on those strawberries in the store? Rather than throwing the whole container away, return it to the store. Most grocery stores have relatively generous return policies and will be happy to exchange your item for a fresh one.

24. Divide and conquer snacks

Single-serve snack portions cost a lot more than those purchased in a single large box or bag. Instead, purchase the larger size, and divide it into smaller portions at home.

25. Crunch the numbers

Check the price tag to see if it includes unit pricing (price per ounce, for example). If not, use your cellphone calculator to figure out the unit price and then compare that to other sizes and other brands to make sure you're buying the one that offers the most value.

26. Use apps

Your calculator isn't the only feature on your smartphone that could save you money at the grocery story. Try Ibotta, which will give you cash back on featured products if you submit a photo of your receipt; and ShopKick, which sends you rewards and discounts when you walk into a store and buy certain items. (See also: 8 Apps That Actually Pay You to Shop)

27. Try out the store brand

Many name-brand and generic products are literally the same thing with different packaging, and considerably different price tags. Compare ingredients lists to see if there are any noticeable differences. If not, go with the store brand.

28. Ignore checkout displays

Keep your eye on the register, your shopping partner, or your phone at checkout, rather than on the candy or other items on display. There's a reason the checkout line is filled with easy-to-grab items. A shopping list can help lower "decision fatigue," but you'll still need to be on guard to get through that final gauntlet of temptations.

29. Eat (a healthy snack) before you shop

Shopping on an empty stomach can lower your resistance to impulse purchases and make you end up spending more. But it matters how you fill that empty stomach. Researchers at Cornell University have found that consuming a healthy snack before grocery shopping can increase the likelihood that you'll make healthy food choices while at the store.

30. Check sell-by dates

Look for items with the furthest-out sell-by date (often in the back of a display). That will give you more time to consume the product at home and reduce the chances that it will go to waste.

31. Consider subscription services

A local CSA may offer a monthly box of fruits and vegetables that cost less than it would at the supermarket. Other services like Amazon Fresh and FreshDirect may offer discounted items that save you money, even after their monthly fee. Check out the options in your area and you may be surprised to find that these services can save you both time and money. (See also: 6 Ways Having Your Groceries Delivered Can Save You Money)

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This article is from Nick Wharton of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

How to Save a Ton by Eating Soup Every Day (and Never Get Bored!)

Max Wong — Fri, 19 May 2017 08:00:08 +0000

In January I found a sale on Progresso Soup for 99 cents per can, down from it's normal $3.29 price at my local grocery store. It was a huge savings on something we usually buy as a last-minute lunch backup. And since I love soup, this sale was extra exciting to me. It's a veritable soup coup!

So, naturally I had to call my husband, Mr. Spendypants, about my glorious, souper duper find.

Yes, this is what passes as exciting in our marriage. Don't judge us.

Taking full advantage of our soup savings

We fell into this yummy life hack by accident. My husband and I are currently working opposite schedules, so it's hard to make a more complicated meal that is hot and on the table when both of us are home and hungry. January was so overbooked with work that we agreed to simplify suppertime. Instead of our typical, fancy multicourse dinner, we'd just split a can of soup and eat some homemade bread. To round out the meal, the person who got home first would make a vegetable side from whatever we already had in the fridge.

At the end of the week, we were shocked to find that we'd only spent $20 on food for two people.

We decided to make our bread and soup dinner a nightly habit for the rest of 2017 as a part of our ongoing budget challenge. You don't have to go to that extreme to realize advantages from a scaled-back version of our plan. And you can improve the nutritional profile by sticking with low-salt, vegetable-laden, and no-cream varieties of canned soup, or making homemade soup. Beyond the price, there are a lot of benefits to our limited menu.

1. It's flexible

My husband and I are committed to bread and soup dinners for a year, but I know our meal plan sounds a little hard-core and weird to anyone who isn't a big soup aficionado already. However, canned soup has a long shelf life, so it's great to have on hand for those particularly busy weeks when every minute counts. Consider stocking your pantry with two weeks' worth of these timesaving dinners to get you through rough patches in your schedule.

Also, if automating seven meals a week is going to cause whining at the dinner table, you could always start by automating just one meal a week, to give the family cook a break.

2. It's not boring

One of the reasons why this meal hack works so well for us is that it doesn't get boring. There are approximately a bazillion canned soup varieties to choose from, and even more recipes for homemade soup, so we don't get tired of eating the same thing.

To keep dinner costs at a minimum, we have also been careful only to buy produce that is both on sale and in season. This shopping limit has had a secondary effect of keeping our side veggie plate interesting because we can't rely on eating the same fruits and vegetables year-round.

3. It's simple to make

Because we are using canned soup, this is such an easy meal that a 10-year-old could make this with very little supervision. It requires no special tools or cooking skills. Dinner can be ready and on the table within 10 minutes.

Want to try homemade? Even if you are a novice cook, it's hard to ruin soup. Ease yourself into cooking from scratch by practicing with some basic soup recipes.

4. The numbers are easy to track

The automation aspect of this meal plan makes it easy to budget around. The soup costs about $7 a week. The bread ingredients cost less than 50 cents per loaf, or less than $2 per week. Since we have access to cheap or free produce in our area, we've managed to keep our side salad budget to around $5 per week. Our grocery spending is much more predictable now.

Pro Tip: My mother eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple every single day for lunch. She knows not only the cost of her lunch, but also the nutritional value and the calorie count. If you want to be super calibrated with your calorie counting and grocery budgeting, you can automate one meal each day to this basic level. (See also: 4 Easy Ways to Automate Your Everyday Life)

5. It works with almost any budget

We've managed to keep our dinner budget to about $2 per day for two people, but you can make the meal even less expensive if you are in a budget pinch by making your own soup. I saved even more money on our grocery budget this week when a friend gave me a turkey carcass to turn into turkey broth. Also, this month we've been using the weeds out of our backyard as salad ingredients.

6. Homemade soup can be made in bulk in advance

We are currently dining on a lot of canned soup in part because our tiny freezer is packed with food. As we eat through our freezer stash, we are making room for homemade soups. Obviously it takes longer to make soup from scratch than it does to open a can, but it's still very easy to make a huge amount of soup in advance and then freeze it in individual portions. And, because we own a slow cooker, soup is one of those dishes that we can actually make while we sleep!

7. It's easy to scale

Do you have company coming over? Thaw more soup. Are you eating alone? Open a can and put half in the fridge for later.

8. It works with most diets

Because this meal is basically soup and salad, you can tailor it to your own dietary needs or available pantry supplies. If you don't like bread, substitute potatoes, rice, or another inexpensive grain dish for the bread.

9. It increases vegetable intake

Since my husband and I are borderline vegetarians, our new canned soup habit has actually increased our meat consumption. That said, the average American does not eat enough vegetables, and soup is an easy way to up your vegetable servings. Obviously, vegetarian soups like gazpacho or Turkish lentil soup will increase your vegetable intake the most, but even canned chicken noodle soups provide between 10 percent and 50 percent of the daily value for vitamin A.

10. It reduces stress

There's no decision fatigue with this meal. The only thing we have to think about is finding another sale on soup before we run out. Luckily, soup goes on sale pretty regularly, so we've already re-upped our supply twice.

Also, because our menu planning is simple and clear, shopping requires no forethought. Our shopping list consists of: milk, coffee, soup, tea, bread-making ingredients, and the least expensive vegetables in the store that week.

11. It saves on food waste

One side effect of our extremely tight dinner budget is that we are not tempted to buy more food than we can eat in a week.

Also, soup is the perfect vehicle to transform leftovers into a delicious second meal. Even unattractive food like wilted lettuce, broccoli stems, and stale bread can all be converted to soup or added to pre-made canned soup to stretch it further.

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This article is from Max Wong of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

8 Hot New Food Trends — The Frugal Way

Ashley Marcin — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 08:30:13 +0000

It seems there’s always a new health food trend going on, and companies are quick to capitalize by conveniently packaging and offering them on store shelves for us to try. Unfortunately, trying what's new and different isn't always affordable. You're in luck, though. Here are the trends, and how you can enjoy them on the cheap.

1. Wellness beverages

The chilled beverage sections at your grocery store are probably teeming with new tonics and juices. Many of them include ingredients like turmeric, vinegar, and maca. There are even beverages that contain medicinal mushrooms! While this is all very interesting and even quite tasty, these drinks come at a premium — costing anywhere from $5–$14 per bottle.

I make my own vinegar-infused beverage at home. It actually tastes a lot like kombucha, just at a fraction of the cost. First, I crack open a can of my favorite sparkling water from Aldi, usually lemon or lime. Then I pour it over a tablespoon of Aldi's organic apple cider vinegar. Mix and enjoy.

2. Oily byproducts

A company called Eco Olea has made a variety of house cleaners using the water that's left over after making olive oil. Another company is using the liquid from cooking chickpeas to make vegan mayonnaise. Incorporating byproducts into new products is definitely on the rise, and it's great to see that less is going to waste.

How can you try this trend at home? Stop before you toss the liquid you drained from that can of chickpeas. That gooey stuff is called aquafaba, and there are many good things you can make with it. Try this vegan chocolate pudding made from aquafaba. Sounds strange, but when you combine it with dark chocolate, maple syrup, and vanilla extract? Delicious.

3. All things coconut

You've probably tried coconut water and coconut oil to see what all the fuss is about. This year, the coconut is expanding its horizons. You can buy coconut flour, coconut chips for baking, and a whole host of other products. While coconut flour costs about $3 a pound, prepackaged foods made with this ingredient are even steeper.

Here's an easy recipe for homemade coconut flour tortillas. You need just three ingredients: coconut flour, eggs, and nondairy milk. It only requires a half cup of flour. Whisk the ingredients together. Then heat a skillet and cook it like a very thin pancake, flip, and fill with your favorite hummus or whatever else you like wrapped up. (See also: The Best Credit Cards for Groceries)

4. Purple foods

You may have heard that you should eat the rainbow — vibrant, fresh veggies that come in all colors. In 2017, the color everyone seems to be focusing on is purple. You can find purple cauliflower, purple potato chips, purple corn, purple asparagus, and much more at your local grocery store.

If you want to try this one at home, try making this gorgeous purple sweet potato pie. If you don’t want to deal with the almonds and dates for the crust, you can always stick with a traditional pie crust out of flour and butter. It will still look gorgeous.

5. Healthier pastas

You can find pasta made from chickpeas, lentils, and quinoa on shelves at the store. If you take a walk around the produce section, you may even see some varieties of spiralized vegetable "pastas" that are healthy alternatives to the traditional noodles we all know and love. I'm especially flabbergasted by the price of the spiralized noodles because produce can be quite cheap when it's in season.

The up-charge is all about the noodle-making process. And that's an easy at-home thing you can do yourself. Invest in a spiralizer, and you'll be set with beet and zucchini noodles for life.

6. Unique condiments

My husband and I are addicted to interesting condiments. But I can't say it's good for our wallets. These days, you can find anything from ghee with pink Himalayan sea salt to pomegranate molasses to chipotle adobo sauce. One way I like to save on these splurges is to check out what our local Home Goods (a discount store) has on the shelves. I can often find condiments a few dollars cheaper than they might be at the grocery store.

Making your own cool condiments is another option. Buying ghee at the store can cost around $1.20 an ounce. You can make it at home for around 67 cents an ounce. Just get eight ounces of a good-quality organic butter and heat it over low heat in a medium saucepan. Continue cooking until the milk solids turn brown and fall to the bottom of your pan, around 10 minutes. Then pour through cheesecloth into a glass jar for safekeeping. This makes five ounces of ghee.

7. Meal kits

Eating out can be expensive. But making everything from scratch can be time-consuming and messy. Many people are turning to meal kits you can easily toss in the oven. You can find some awesome vegetable mixes in the freezer section that won't break the bank. Others include pasta and even meat for a no-fuss meal. Just check your prices carefully and take advantage of coupons and store sales when you can.

You may also want to try make your own meal kits. Sure, the process takes some effort — but it will save you time and money in the long run. I actually tried this method out last month when I made a bunch of "dump meals" to stash in my freezer. I'm hooked. It's seriously as easy and opening cans, chopping stuff, and tossing it in a bag to freeze for later cooking in the Crock-Pot.

8. Japanese food

Japanese foods are becoming more popular, as well. But move over sushi, the trend this year is going beyond the roll. Check out ingredients like miso, seaweed, and mirin. Have you ever heard of Japanese-style pickles? I hadn't either, and now I'm utterly intrigued.

My own family regularly eats udon noodles with our stir-fries. This ends up being cheaper than buying Japanese takeout because we get a huge bag of stir-fry veggies in the freezer section and buy tofu in bulk. We also like incorporating miso into our meals — a little goes a long way. Try a miso-tahini dressing on anything from roasted sweet potatoes to salads. Combine a quarter cup tahini with just one tablespoon miso. Then add in lemon juice, warm water, and cracked pepper. You'll enjoy the flavor every day!

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This article is from Ashley Marcin of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

The Easy Way to Save Up a Big Travel Budget

Amanda Gokee — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 08:30:13 +0000

Traveling is an undeniably amazing experience, but as with so many of the finer things in life, it does come with a price tag attached. Cost is unfortunately one of the biggest factors that prevents people from traveling.

However, if getting to see the world is a serious goal of yours, this may be the perfect time to renew your focus on savings so that you can afford to pay for your wanderlust. (See also: 15 Ways to Save for Your Dream Vacation)

Set a goal and deadline

To help you get motivated to save more, set a clear goal and a timeline. The more specific the goal, the better, since it will allow you to visualize your trip and get excited about it. For instance, if you've dreamed about taking a trip to Europe for years, decide on your top destinations and how long you want the trip to last. That will help set a ballpark budget figure to aim for.

Next, attach a savings deadline — for example, decide that you will buy your plane tickets within the next six to 12 months. Don't give yourself much more time, or you'll lose the urgency to put money away now.

Having this type of a clear savings goal will help you stay motivated and make your trip feel more like a reality and less like a distant dream. It will also give you a schedule for your savings, allowing you to calculate how much you need to set aside each month to be able to afford your upcoming trip.

Slash unnecessary spending

Your goal will help you find the motivation to make some of the sacrifices that come with putting more money toward savings. You will want to shift your mindset from the short-term gratification of an immediate purchase (whose charm almost always wears off quickly) to the long-term gratification that comes from an experience that will leave you with memories for a lifetime.

You may be surprised to realize how much of your spending is discretionary. Think of anything you are spending money on that you could live without. For instance, you can save a lot of money by cooking for yourself, instead of going out to eat. Even less-than-fancy meals at restaurants like Panera or Chipotle can cost $7 and up. If you indulge in this convenience three times a week, you're spending $84 a month. Substitute each of those meals with frugal home cooked meals and save.

A car can be a significant expense, so if you can do without it you are setting yourself up for big savings. According to AAA, it costs the average American car owner around $8,558 to own and maintain their vehicle each year (this includes $3,759 in depreciation but doesn't include car payments). Even if you factor out the depreciation, that still means Americans are averaging $4,799 a year just to run our cars.

In contrast, Numbeo.com reports the average cost of a monthly transport pass in the United States is around $70, or $840 a year. If you live in an area with good public transportation, you could potentially pocket more than $3,900 a year by giving up your car.

If you can't completely forego having a car, you could still reduce your transportation expenses by driving less often. Walk, bike, carpool, or take public transportation instead. You'll not only save on gas, but also parking.

Need inspiration to cut costs? Consider this woman from the U.K. who essentially spent nothing for an entire year. While that may sound drastic, her savings while living in notoriously expensive London added up to nearly $27,000. Even half that amount would make a significant travel budget.

Work more, spend less

During one six-month period of my life I saved $12,000, which then allowed me to travel comfortably for the next six months without any income. I was able to do this by ensuring that my costs were as low as possible

I split a $500 studio apartment with a roommate, so my rent was only $250 a month. Living quarters were cramped, but I was hardly ever there. I worked three jobs so I could make more money (around $2,500 a month). My 50-60 hours-a-week work schedule also meant that I had less time to spend my earnings.

I was able to keep grocery costs to $100 a month because I was working in the food industry at the time. My other main costs were gas ($50 a month), and the cheapest cellphone plan I could find ($30 a month).

For fun, I mostly did free activities, taking advantage of the fact that I lived in the mountains in California. I could go hiking and biking for free and there were often free concerts in the evenings. When I needed new clothes for work, I would get them from the local thrift store for $10–$15.

Get rewarded for your purchases

There are many ways to use various types of credit cards so that you get rewarded for your necessary expenditures. Especially for major expenses such as gas, groceries, and plane tickets, selecting the appropriate credit card can help you save a significant amount of money. (See also: How to Save an Extra $1,095 a Year)

Grocery credit card

Groceries are a big expense for most people. Since you can't avoid spending at least something on groceries, you may as well get rewarded for your spending. Use a credit card that gives you extra rewards points for every dollar you spend at supermarkets. (See also: 5 Best Credit Cards for Groceries)

You may even be able to stack rewards by using a loyalty card from the supermarket chain where you do most of your shopping. Often these loyalty programs offer you cash discounts that can help cut your overall grocery bill.

Gas credit card

If you just can't live without a car, you can still save on the cost of gas by opening the right credit card. Cards that are co-branded with a particular gas station give you discounts at the pump, usually a few cents per gallon. These cards tend to have high interest rates, though, so if you tend to carry a balance, you'll usually be better off with a rewards credit card that gives you bonus points for purchases made at gas stations. If fuel is one of your bigger expenses, it's worth opening a gas rewards card. (See also: 5 Best Gas Rewards Credit Cards)

Travel credit card

Although you may not be traveling a lot while you save up for your big trip, it's worth getting a travel rewards credit card well in advance of your trip. By using your travel card for everyday purchases, you can rack up points toward free flights or hotel stays when it comes time to hit the road. (See also: 5 Steps to a Free Vacation in 9 Months or Less)

What's more, most travel cards offer significant points bonuses when you spend a certain amount within the first few months after opening the account. These bonuses can be worth hundreds of dollars in travel, but you'll need time to meet the required spending amount and wait for the bonus points to be posted to your account.

Finally, airline cards often come with free checked baggage and other perks such as free rental car insurance, lost baggage coverage, and trip interruption insurance. (See also: 6 Types of Travel Insurance That Credit Cards Include)

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This article is from Amanda Gokee of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Flashback Friday: 53 Grocery Shopping Tricks That'll Make Your Life Easier

Chrissa Hardy — Fri, 24 Mar 2017 09:30:40 +0000

You head to the grocery store, armed with a list and a plan to be as efficient as possible, and then somehow you become an aimless browser. You fall victim to impulse buys and overpriced salads from the deli. And when you get home, you spent more time and money than you should have, and you forgot one of the key items you need for upcoming meals. No more. Here are 53 grocery shopping tricks that'll make your life easier.

21 Fresh Food Delivery Services That Can Save You Big — Skip the trip to the store entirely and have all your food delivered! Sound like a dream come true? It is. Here are all the best services to try.

5 Checkout Line Tricks to Finish Shopping Faster — When you just want to get in and out of the grocery store, follow these smart shopping tricks. Avoiding chatty cashiers and opting for the checkout lanes on the left could save you lots of precious time.

5 Offseason Foods That Are Destroying Your Grocery Budget — A really easy fix to staying on-budget is to avoid the sections of the store with foods that are currently offseason. Stick to what's in-season and you'll save time and lots of money.

6 Ways Having Your Groceries Delivered Can Save You Money — You might assume that getting your groceries delivered is a luxury only the rich can afford. Not true! If you shop smart, you can actually save money by having your food delivered to your door.

9 Ways You Are Sabotaging Your Weekly Grocery Budget — The best way to improve any skill is to learn from your own mistakes, right? Take a look back at your previous grocery receipts, give meal planning a try, clip those coupons, and your grocery budget will remain intact.

The Best and Worst Times to Go Grocery Shopping — A big part of making grocery shopping easier is knowing when to shop in the first place. Because there are certain times — weekend afternoons, for example — when you shouldn't go at all.

This article is from Chrissa Hardy of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Flashback Friday: 122 No-Fuss Dinner Ideas That'll Save You Money

Chrissa Hardy — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 10:30:39 +0000

Your workday is coming to an end and your stomach is starting to grumble. You aren't motivated to cook a meal from scratch, and you also don't want to spend your hard-earned money on takeout. What to do? The solution is a delicious one-pot or one-pan meal that is both filling and budget-friendly. Here are a bunch of ideas you (and your tummy) will love.

10 One Pot Meals That Will Transform Dinner — There are few things as satisfying as throwing all of your dinner ingredients into the same pot and letting it cook. These one-pot meals are super convenient to make and absolutely delicious. You'll never need to make an excuse to order takeout again.

25 Delicious and Easy One-Pot Meals — One-pot meals don't always consist of pasta or stew. This flavorful list of meals includes stuffed peppers, breakfast options, and even sushi!

12 Instant Pot Recipes That Will Save You Money — If you have an electric pressure cooker, dust it off and put it to work, because instant pot meals are the future of dinner. This dinner method helps you salvage soon-to-be expired ingredients, delectably resurrect leftovers, and cook healthy meals without the effort and hefty price tag.

Save Time and Money With These 15 Delicious Sheet Pan Meals — Ever cooked a full meal on just one sheet pan? If not, now's the time to give it a try. Pizza, salmon, chicken parm, and stir fry can all be made in a single sheet pan, and there are so many more options!

35 Slow Cooker Recipes for Busy (or Lazy) Vegetarians — We're all busy, and sometimes we just want to be lazy, because we've earned it! But both situations make dinner preparation extremely difficult when you could easily order food to be delivered. These vegetarian slow cooker recipes are perfect for a busy lifestyle, and for those lazy weekend days.

25 Great, Cheap, and Easy Crock Pot Recipes — What's better than an easy, delicious dinner? A cheap, easy, and delicious dinner! It's hard to stay on budget with food, especially when you're trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but these crock pot recipes fit the bill, and you will love every single one of them.

This article is from Chrissa Hardy of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

Bought Milk? Today's the Deadline to Claim Your Settlement Money

Lars Peterson — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 19:39:52 +0000

Modern Farmer reminds us that today is the last day to claim your fair share of the settlement of the Fresh Milk Products Antitrust Litigation. If you bought milk or other fresh dairy products — cream, half-and-half, cottage cheese, etc. — any time between 2003 and 2010, and lived in a handful of U.S. States, you're entitled to a $5 to $15 refund. All told, the settlement is worth $52 million.

How to Claim Your Money

First of all, you have to be a resident of a handful of U.S. states: Arizona, California, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, or Wisconsin.

Next, you have to have purchased milk or other fresh dairy products between 2003 and 2010. Don't worry, you don't need to provide receipts or box labels as proof of purchase. Just be honest about your dairy purchases seven or more years ago, and you're good to go.

All the details are available at the settlement website: BoughtMilk.com. Act fast, though! The deadline to claim your refund is midnight tonight, January 31.

What's the Settlement for, Anyway?

Back in September, 2016, the dairy lobbying group National Milk Producers Federation and a bunch of dairy cooperatives settled a lawsuit that claimed the Federation and the dairies oversaw a herd retirement program that sent hundreds of thousands of dairy cows to early slaughter. (Usually, only "spent" dairy cows are sent to slaughter to be ground up into low cost ground beef.) The early retirement had the effect of reducing the supply of milk — and thus increasing prices on milk and fresh dairy products.

The industry denies any wrongdoing, although the numbers are pretty clear: The program, whether intentional or not, boosted milk prices by about five cents a gallon.

This article is from Lars Peterson of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

11 Good Money Habits That Will Keep You Out of Debt

Mikey Rox — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 10:00:11 +0000

Staying on the straight and narrow, especially when it comes to your finances, can feel like a struggle. Recreational activities, impulse buys, monthly bills, and unexpected expenses lurk around every corner, and if you're not careful, you can slide into debt without really trying.

If you practice good money habits as a general life philosophy, however, you're giving yourself the best chance of staying in the black consistently — and perhaps even making those coveted savings gains. Here's how.

1. Create a Budget Based on Life Goals — Not Numbers

Every article you read about how to improve your personal finances includes creating and maintaining a budget. That's because actively keeping track of what's coming and going helps you manage your money more responsibly than simply throwing caution (and cash) to the wind. But your budget is only serving a single purpose when it's strictly rooted in numbers opposed to relating to your personal activity and short- and long-term goals — like an upcoming vacation or contributions to your retirement fund, for instance.

As such, instead of living your life around your budget, you'll find much more satisfaction in building your budget around your life. By planning ahead for expenses, even frivolous things, you can identify the areas where your budget is lacking and (hopefully) close those holes by either amending your plans to accommodate your cash flow or increasing your income to afford the things that make you happy.

I recommend the latter, of course — because you only live once.

2. Charge Only What You Can Afford to Pay Off Every Month

Let's get something straight here: Credit is not as dastardly an institution as you've been led to believe. Yes, there are credit cards with astronomical APRs. And, yes, there are credit cards with ridiculous late fees. But at the end of the day, you're responsible for reading the fine print (you know it's there!), and nobody is forcing your hand in accepting an offer.

Still, credit is attractive because it allows us the freedom to have more than we can afford. But whose problem is that when you can't pay the bill? All yours. Avoid this downward spiral by making your credit card payments top priority each cycle.

"Credit cards are not evil, but they can make a mess of your finances if used unwisely," says savings expert Kendal Perez. "Ultimately, you should only charge what you can afford to pay off every month. Using your credit card to pay bills is a smart strategy since you have to pay these expenses anyway, and using credit means accruing points, rewards, or travel miles to offset future expenses."

3. Look for Savings on Everything You Buy

I personally save many thousands of dollars every year by being a smart shopper, because there are few things I buy for which I don't have a coupon or discount. From dining out to going to the movies to the clothes I wear to the gas I put in my vehicle — everything comes with savings.

It's not hard to get into this habit, either. I save by using loyalty cards, clipping coupons, redeeming cash back deals, signing up for promotional emails, waiting for items I want to go on sale, shopping clearance sections, and buying secondhand, among a myriad of other strategies. It's like a game for me, and I hardly ever spend money on something for which there are no savings; I look for a cheaper alternative instead. It's a major reason why I always have enough money in the bank to cover my bills, plus add to savings while still doing the things I like to do every month.

4. Buy Groceries Based on What's on Sale and in Season

Groceries are one of the biggest spending categories for Americans, next to mortgages and insurance. Instead of buying what you're craving, buy groceries based on what's in season and what's on sale. (See also: The 5 Best Credit Cards for Groceries)

"This will require some meal planning, but you can craft similar meals based on what's on sale each week," explains Perez. "Use a tool like Flipp.com to easily compare grocery sales and deals between stores in your area, and consider looking for grocery coupons for items on your list through CouponSherpa.com."

Another trick I use to cut my grocery bill is to shop the clearance section. Most supermarkets have these sections with drastically reduced prices on damaged or about-to-expire food that's still perfectly good if you get to it in time. Ask your grocer where these items are located in your store.

5. Organize Your Bill Payments to Avoid Lateness

As soon as a bill arrives, I grab my checkbook (yep, I'm old school), write out the check, and prepare the envelope. On the back of the envelope I write the dollar amount that's inside as an at-a-glance reminder, and I organize the bill on my desk according to when it's due. Then I stagger the mailings — sending each payment out about five days before it's due — to ensure that I can reconcile all the bills with my bank account.

Consumer finance expert Kevin Gallegos offers more tips on how to avoid late payments.

"Open all mail — including bills — upon receipt, deposit all checks and cash immediately, and set up a system for payment that works for you and that you'll use consistently," he says. "This might be automatic online payments, a spreadsheet, a reminder on your cell phone, or a list on the refrigerator."

6. Map Out Your Long-Term Financial Goals

The only way you'll get ahead in your finances is if you know where you're going. Take a look at what's coming up in terms of required expenses and also think about some of the things you'd like to do with your money. Do you want to go back to school, on vacation, or purchase a new car or home? Set these milestones as goals and calculate what it'll take financially to reach them, then start saving in increments along an established timeline.

7. Review Your Finances on a Regular Basis

Reviewing your finances on a "regular basis" is a relative term, but I typically suggest once a month. There's value in doing it more often, however — like once to twice a week — according to personal finance expert Larry Jacobson.

"You need to set regular intervals to stay on the right path," he says. "That way, you can course correct, if necessary, before it's too late."

When reviewing your finances, be sure to cover all your bases. Browse your credit score for any errors, review bank and credit card statements for inconsistencies, and make sure all checks have posted. It's also a good idea to call your service providers once a year to inquire about better deals, like cheaper mobile phone or cable plans.

8. Treat Savings Like One of Your Monthly Bills

Instead of regarding contributions to your savings as a chore, start considering it a requirement, says Gallegos. Treat your savings deposits like a monthly bill; find that extra money somewhere in your budget (a reasonable amount that you can handle) and tuck it away as if you'll be penalized if you don't. You may have to make a sacrifice somewhere else, like in your "fun" fund, but, well, that's life.

9. Learn to Live Below Your Means

If you're one of those people who responds well to logic, here's a pro tip on staying debt free: Live below your means.

"Know exactly what you have to spend each month — and spend less," says Gallegos. "Living beneath your means goes further than living within your means. It means taking responsibility and choosing where your money goes instead of being influenced by whims, advertising, habits, or peer pressure."

If this is a tactic you'd like to try, you'll need to re-evaluate your budget entirely. Find items you can reduce or eliminate altogether to free up funds, like subscriptions and memberships that you aren't using to their full potential, cutting back on dining out, and reducing your monthly fuel bill by carpooling with a coworker or using public transportation more often.

10. Switch to a Cash-Only System

Here's another piece of practical advice that leads your wallet away from debt: Only pay for things in cash.

"You can't go into debt if you don't borrow," says Mike Sullivan, a personal finance consultant with Take Charge America, a nonprofit credit counseling and debt management agency.

I recognize, of course, that that's easier said than done, so Sullivan offers a couple more strategies for holding yourself cash-accountable.

"Save with direct deposit at out of town banks," he says. "You don't want your savings available on a whim; Internet banks are a good choice. And don't sign up for overdraft protection. That's agreeing in advance to spending more than you have and paying for the privilege."

11. Make More Money

One of my own personal money manifestos is to always have at least two sources of income. I'm self-employed, and I consider my media business my main source of income, but I supplement that with several side gigs, like renting out rooms in my homes on Airbnb, watching other people's pets through DogVacay, and driving for Lyft and Uber. That's three extra sources of income right there, but I'm always eager to find more ways to make money.

I feel personally satisfied when all my bills are paid on time, money is consistently going to my savings account, and I'm cash-positive enough to enjoy life the way I want to. If you can't seem to get ahead, use your resources and carve out time to make more money. You'll achieve your financial goals and alleviate the burden of debt faster, and that can only lead to good things.

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This article is from Mikey Rox of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

5 Smart Ways to Meet a Rewards Card Minimum Spending Requirement

Nick Wharton — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 10:00:13 +0000

If you're new to chasing credit card rewards, it can feel like there's a lot to learn at once. One of the fastest ways to earn credit card rewards points is through a sign-up bonus. This is a big slew of points you'll get from a new card if you spend a certain amount on that card within a specified period of time — often the first three months. The spending requirement could be anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the card.

Of course, the whole idea for earning points that translate into travel rewards is to spend less. It's counterproductive to go into debt just to meet a minimum spending requirement. That's why the tips below relate to things you're likely already spending on, not additional expenses that will break your budget. You should never let a balance accrue on a credit card just to get rewards. You will never come out ahead. (See also: 5 Steps to Getting a Free Vacation in 9 Months or Less With Credit Cards)

1. Start With Everyday Expenses

Chances are you can get a significant fraction of the way to meeting your minimum requirement just by putting your regular expenses on your credit card whenever you can.

If you're conditioned to paying for things in cash, it's time to break that habit since you're missing out on tons of potential points-earning opportunities. This means putting all your grocery purchases on your card. Same for when you pay for gas, dry cleaning, prescriptions, or any of your other regular expenses. (See also: Best Credit Cards to Use for Everyday Expenses)

2. Pay Your Bills With Your Card

The same is true for monthly bills like your Internet, Netflix, cellphone, cable, etc. If you have automated payments set up, update them with your new card. For any other bills, see if there's an option to pay with a credit card instead of a checking account. Watch out for any fees charged for credit card payments, though. It's usually not worth it.

3. Let Little Things Add Up

If you use Uber or Lyft to get around, make sure you update your payment method so that it is linked to your new credit card. The same goes for other apps that you are using to make payments, as small as they may be. If you use Venmo to pay individuals or iTunes for the occasional song download, you'll want to link them to your new card, too, so you'll be earning points toward rewards even when you're not thinking about it.

4. Prepay Current Subscriptions

If you have the extra cash to pay for subscriptions up front, you'll not only help meet the spending requirement, but may score a discount in the process. Many services offer a discount for prepaying.

5. Buy Gift Cards

Buying gift cards is a straightforward way to earn points toward reaching your minimum balance. You are spending money now by purchasing the card, which you can then use later. Due to fraud concerns, many brick-and-mortar retailers no longer take credit cards for gift card purchases, but many e-tailers, including Amazon, will.

Again, the most important thing to remember is to only spend what you can pay off every month. Make your payments on time, so you don't accrue interest or late payment fees that will obliterate any rewards you get for your purchases. (See also: 7 Ways Anyone Can Travel for Free)

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This article is from Nick Wharton of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

groceries

6 Ways Brand Loyalty Costs You Money

1. It prevents you from discovering new products

2. It discourages price comparison

3. It limits flexibility

4. Store brand credit cards may not offer the best terms

5. Loyalty and reward programs trade nominal savings for big data

6. Many membership benefits don't last

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Here's What You Can (And Can't) Buy With SNAP

What you can buy with SNAP

Energy drinks

Luxury items

Junk food

Birthday cake

Holiday items

K-Cups

Taco Bell (sometimes)

Seeds

Produce at the farmers market

Food from online grocers

Cocktail mixers

Things you can't buy with SNAP

Rotisserie chicken

Toiletries

Pet food

Grocery bag fees

Food shipping charges

Live animals

Alcohol and cigarettes

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How to Keep Food Waste From Spoiling Your Budget

Weigh your waste

Get the app

Create a food diary

Impose consequences

Track it publicly

Take a picture, it'll last longer

Beyond your kitchen

Buy ugly

Take-out the trash

Save a mint

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Best Money Tips: 5 Ways to Waste Money at the Grocery Store

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Other Essential Reading

Shop the Salad Bar and Other Ways to Save Big on Groceries

1. Shop the salad bar for almonds, bacon bits, and more

2. Break off just the right amount of bananas from the bunch

3. Compare bone-in and boneless chicken pound-per-pound

4. Ask for a rain check on out-of-stock sale items

5. Stick with frozen seafood

6. Segment your shopping between grocery and drugstores

7. Make spices with your unused vegetables

8. Turn nearly expired milk into ice cubes for your morning coffee

9. Ditch the cart and pick up a basket

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7 Smart Money Challenges You Can Totally Do

1. Use thrift stores whenever possible

2. Do the 52-week savings plan

3. Cancel Amazon Prime

4. Stop eating out, and no more fast food

5. Do your shopping on just one day of the week

6. Spend one month haggling over as much as you can

7. Clear out the pantry and fridge once a month

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31 Foolproof Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill

1. Use the best credit card

2. Set a budget

3. Shop at home first

4. Plan your meals

5. Shop the circular

6. Make a list

7. Play the coupon game

8. Switch up stores

9. But show some loyalty to all of them

10. Stock up on deals

11. Ask for a rain check

12. Cut back on meat

13. Stay in season