Word Count: 600 words
Copyright Date: 2002
Autoresponder email: food-save1@sendfree.com
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Want to spend less on food? Today my family is spending on
average, one-third less on our grocery bill than we did last
year. We are also able to go to the grocery store every other
week and still have plenty of food in the house. How did we do
this? This article is the first installment of a three part
series on how we made these significant savings in our food
spending.

In order to save money on groceries we first took a long look
at our shopping habits. We occasionally took advantage of sales,
yet had no organization to our menus, food storage, or shopping.
We went to the store "between trips" and often ate poorly if
both of us were sick at the same time. We wanted a change.

Our first purchase was a food sealer. I had been looking at
sealers before, thinking we threw a lot of food away. We often
had left overs three days in a row. I thought there had to be a
better way without cooking more meals or ordering delivery. The
purchase of a food sealer has been very helpful in saving money.
We use leftovers when we want and not just the first few days
after the meal is cooked. The food can be saved in meal size
packages and micro waved or boiled.

Saving money on groceries will in all likelihood mean you need
more pantry space. Modern kitchens rarely have enough. We
started with a small closet in our kitchen but it was not
enough. A wooden storage cabinet left over from a previous job
ended up being perfect. Look around your house and find a closet
or some other space that is dry and dark.

Our third step in saving was to purchase an additional freezer.
Luckily my husband received a one-time bonus at work just after
we decided to make a change. We decided to buy a new freezer
with this money. We owned a twenty year old freezer and wasn't
sure how much longer it would last. After some time researching
we bought an upright version with no bells or whistles; just a
simple freezer. Some bulk buying of frozen stuff is needed to
save as much as possible. How much freezer space do you have?
Where can you put a freezer? Shop around and see what specials
are available. Most families only need one freezer. Maybe you
can share one.

Our goal was to save money, stockpile a certain amount of
groceries in case of bad weather or illness, and still eat well.
The vacuum sealer, freezer, and additional storage space are
three wise choices that help us save money. While these steps
worked best for us, adapt our suggestions to your situation. Not
everyone can or should start with these ideas first.

Author info: L. C. Peterson is a writer and web marketing
consultant. Need or Want to Save Money on Your Food Bill!
Save 30%-50% weekly. Need something? Go to the pantry.
No more "extra" trips. Unexpected company! No problem.
http://www.grocerystoresavings.com