Fight the rise!

It's not secret that energy prises are rising. But did you know that the spike in those costs can also affect other things you are buying? According to a recent article published by TheState.com, last year Americans paid four percent more for groceries than they had in the previous year. "Go to the grocery store with a plan- and lots of coupons" takes a look at how to make the most of your grocery and food spending. It isn't as hard as it looks...

The article follows Cheri Beesburg who has a family of four. She says although she is a careful grocery shopper, she still spends about $300 to $350 a week on food. These numbers do include the cost of dining out twice a week, but still they are very high. She says that she has noticed an increase in many different products from produce to Kleenex. She was quite surprised to find that at some stores a gallon of milk was almost $5 dollars!

An economist with the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ephraim Leibtage, says the 4% increase from 2006 to 2007 was the highest increase since 1990. The end isn't in sight either. The prices are not likely to return to their original state. We cannot stop buying groceries so we will just have to adjust. Cheri Bessburg shares a few of her tips. First she vows to cook at home at least four out of seven nights a week. She also says that she utilizes her Crockpot to have dinner ready when her family is very busy. Secondly, she focuses her shopping trips on meal plans that she develops after checking the Sunday coupons and store sales. And lastly, she shops at only two stores, one that has the best prices on staples and one that she trusts for her meat and produces purchases. Beesburg also reveals that she uses both store discount cards and coupons religiously.

Beesburg suggests to make a plan and stick to it. Purchasing larger quantities during weekly shopping trips will also make you less likely to make those short, expensive runs just for a few items. By following these tips you may even be able to reduce your monthly shopping by one week, like Beesburg has. The money you save could be put toward other family necessities.

Another smart shopper, Candace McMenamin, stocks up on sale items like chicken stock, that she uses all the time. She buys canned goods and freezes vegetables when they are on sale during the holidays. McMenamin also tips that if you are cooking for a smaller number of people to simply halves the recipe. Instead of throwing away leftovers, she saved money and cooked just the right amount.

Saving time and money are just a few perks of clipping coupons. If you follow the steps that fellow shoppers have shared, you could be a part of the savings too. It only takes a few minutes to glance the ads and coupons to see what you could be saving on this week. I know that if it meant a few extra dollars for clothes or textbooks I sure would! (And I do already for the record. I'm only in college but I think that it's never too early!)