Wednesday, Mar. 26, 2008

10 ways to save big on groceries

1. Put an erasable board on every refrigerator and freezer to keep track of what you have and need to use.

2. Visit international markets. Things like rice, spices and produce often are much cheaper.

3. Eat a meat-free meal at least once a week.

4. Make a price list of things you use a lot and take it to the store, so you'll know when prices go down -- or up.

5. Make a weekly meal plan and a shopping list, then stick to them.

6. Never shop hungry.

7. Set up one week a month as Use-It-Up week: Plan all your meals using only what you already have.

8. Don't throw away stale bread (unless it's moldy). Grate it into crumbs in a food processor, then freeze. Or butter leftover hamburger and hot dog buns, sprinkle with garlic powder, broil and serve with pasta dishes.

9. Use every bit of leftover food. Grate several kinds of leftover cheese and melt with skim milk over low heat to make cheese sauce. Or grate and freeze to make a cheese mixture for topping dishes. Cut up leftover baked potatoes and add to scrambled eggs for breakfast, or saute with diced leftover meat and vegetables for hash.

10. Keep a plastic container with a tight lid in the freezer for storing leftover vegetables and the cooking water. Save them until the next time you make soup.