The average family spends between $750 and $850 per month on groceries, according to the Department of Agriculture. Stephanie Nelson, founder of CouponMom.com, says she stopped working when her second son was born and had to embrace frugality in order to stay home. One tip she has for other moms (and dads) regarding grocery shopping? Advance planning.
"Plan your meals around what's on sale," Nelson says. "I'm flexible about the store I go to. Look at three circulars and go to the store that has the best deals."
This sort of flexibility also works in the grocery aisle. "Be flexible about your food brands," Nelson says. "Be willing to try the other brands. And certainly consider the store brand."
Nelson says another great way to save is to stock up on on-sale items -- even perishable ones, as you can freeze the excess for later. This is especially true of "buy one, get one free" sales.
Coupons can be a great asset to frugal moms, but Jonni McCoy, author and founder of MiserlyMoms.com, warns fellow moms not to go coupon crazy -- these are often for brand-name or convenience items, she says, and may not save any more money than switching to the store-brand version.
« Back to 4 places moms save money.
Bankrate wants to hear from you and encourages thoughtful and constructive comments. We ask that you stay focused on the story topic, respect other people's opinions, and avoid profanity, offensive statements, illegal contents and advertisement posts. Comments are not reviewed before they are posted. Bankrate reserves the right (but is not obligated) to edit or delete your comments. Please avoid posting private or confidential information, and also keep in mind that anything you post may be disclosed, published, transmitted or reused.
By submitting a post, you agree to be bound by Bankrate's terms of use. Please refer to Bankrate's privacy policy for more information regarding Bankrate's privacy practices.