by Kim Perrone

“Would you like your receipt in the bag?” asks the supermarket clerk. “Er ... yes, please,” you reply. There’s no way that wad of paper, the length of Rapunzel’s braids together, fits in your purse. Eager for a smaller grand total? Chew on the following tips.

COUPON CLIPPER
You say you don’t have time for a super-duper-coupon-clipping-flyer-researching marathon before a shopping trip? Give it one try, anyway. You might find it more do-able than you thought. At the very least you could discover a supermarket with better prices or brands with better value.

Don’t wait for coupons to find you via newspapers, magazines, or coupon envelopes stuffed with deals for products other people buy. Contact companies whose products you need and join their mailing list or provide commentary (good or bad). Often, you’ll receive coupons as a thank you for your loyalty and/or opinion.

Check out www.save.ca and Frugal Shopper Canada’s in-store coupon directory at www.frugalshopper.ca. Simply choose coupons for products you want, then print and save!

SUPER(IOR)MARKET
Is your tried-and-true supermarket truly super, or merely a super-short drive? Might a different store or the same store in a nearby neighbourhood have lower prices?

To find out, Healthy Alberta, www.healthyalberta.com, says, “Read flyers that highlight sale items, and compare prices between stores before you leave the house.” Make the job easy by browsing current, local flyers online (www.smartflyercanada.com).

THE LONG STRETCH
Plan meals for a week or longer, stretching the period between grocery trips, thus saving time and money. Food budgets stretch even further when you change the way you serve proteins.

Rather than serving slabs of meat or poultry on your family’s plates, Dieticians of Canada (www.dietitians.ca) suggests using smaller chunks of meats and poultry (pricier foods) as a complement to less expensive ingredients. Suggested meals include stews, casseroles, meat sauce with pasta, and stir frys. The organization notes, “Protein is in plants, too.” So, make use of nut butters and pulses in place of meat periodically.

PURCHASING POWER
Supermarkets can be a bit sneaky. Ever notice how “fun foods” are eye-level to your child? Let the whining begin! At your eye-level (the middle shelves), most stores stock expensive brands because they’re banking on tired moms being reluctant to crouch down and investigate the lower (cheaper) shelves. Seek out or ask about specials on products that are near their expiration, because such sales aren’t always advertised. See? Kinda sneaky.

Still, we sabotage ourselves sometimes by shopping on an empty stomach or without a list. Use the shopping cart seat for impulse buys. Before you check out, review those items to see if you truly need them.

Remember that produce costs less in season. (View a harvest calendar at www.chomparoundalberta.com/harvestcalendar.cfm.) Plus, you can often find better deals at farmers’ markets. Find locations in Alberta at www.albertamarkets.com/Shoppers/tabid/54/Default.aspx.

PERSONAL CHEF
Overscheduled days can make cooking from scratch as reasonable as washing the car at 2 a.m. Sometimes busy parents must trade savings for sanity. The trouble comes when we rely on convenience meals such as pre-packaged products and restaurant fare too often.

For those crazy days, rely on a repertoire of simple, low-cost recipes with ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. At a loss for ideas? Be inspired at www.cheapcooking.com/recipes.htm, and www.cheap-and-easy-recipes.com. Stock up on ingredients for those economical meals when they go on sale.

Does your family crave Montana’s or other popular eateries? Visit www.topsecretrecipes.com for well-cloned franchise recipes. Some are free, while others are available for under $2 each. Experiment with the kids for fun and save restaurant bills for special occasions!

Better still, batch cook for the freezer. Is ground beef on sale? Buy more than a recipe calls for and cook up the rest for pre-cooked taco nights. Pick up a copy of The Big Cook (www.thebigcook.com) and check out Recipe Zaar, which offers hundreds of Once-A-Month-Cooking (OAMC) recipes, at www.recipezaar.com/recipes.php?q=oamc.

Last but not least, if you cook economically with the kids, you can explain your savings methods and teach them culinary skills. You’ll save money, time, your child’s math grade and his future spouse’s sanity all in one shot. Whew! Bring on that grocery bill!

For more Family Focus articles, visit our Archives!

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