Some people tell me they don’t have the extra $20 a week to fit in a date night. Eighty to a hundred dollars a month is a big chunk of change. Squeezing in a 20DollarDateNight on a weekly basis just isn’t possible.
Or is it?
Angela, from thecouponproject.com paves the way for date night success with her tips below on how to slash your grocery bill. Why not find out what you can do to go out with your spouse again, and save money while you’re at it?
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Seven Ways to Save $20 on your Grocery Bill
If you’re struggling to find even $20 a week to go on a date night, let me make a suggestion: cut it from your food budget! For most families, grocery costs are the biggest variable expense, so it makes sense to find extra money from this category first. The good news is doing so may be easier than you thought.
Here are a few simple ideas for reducing your weekly grocery bill by $20:
- Nix the impulse buys. According to several studies I’ve read over the years, impulse buys account for over half of all grocery purchases made. Scary, huh? It’s easy to want to reward yourself (or your family members!) with a special treat, but make sure to set a limit. Pull out your last few grocery receipts (if you have them handy). How many item were impulse buys and how much did they cost you?
- Shop with a plan. Customers that shop with a meal plan and store list tend to spend less money. When you have a mission, you’ll spend less time in the grocery store wandering those aisles aimlessly! If you can take time out to plan your meals once weekly, you’ll avoid those little middle-of-the-week trips.
- Shop with cash. It sounds so simple, but I really do spend less money when I bring cash with me and leave the debit card at home. I pay closer attention to every item I toss in the cart and if I’ll have enough money to cover it at checkout. This is perhaps one of the surest ways to make sure your $20 date night money is set aside!
- Plan your meals around seasonal produce and store sales. One thing that I like to do is pay attention to what’s on sale at my store for the week ahead. If I spot a deal on pasta and pasta sauce, I may plan a dish around that. In May, I may include more Mexican dishes in my menu as those ingredients often go on sale for Cinco de Mayo.
- Discover the bulk foods section of your store. Stop spending $4-5 on those little bottles of spices and instead opt to buy them in bulk! Last weekend, I picked up whole peppercorns, a few bay leaves, and dried oregano for mere pennies. At my WinCo store, I can buy oatmeal in bulk for $0.60 per pound right now (and that includes steel-cut!). They also sell cereal, whole grains, flour, sugars, and pet food. Take some time to explore this valuable section of your grocery store (and if yours doesn’t have one, find one that does).
- Clip those coupons. Pay attention to the coupons that come out in the Sunday paper or online, such as at
Coupons.com. Sometimes even a few high-value coupons can offset the cost of the paper. It’s not uncommon at all for coupons to yield me very cheap and even free items. For example, men’s deodorant was recently on sale for $1 at my local Fred Meyer. The week prior, the paper had put out a $1 off coupon for the same brand. As I get four copies of the paper so I can stock up on good deals, I was able to walk out with 4 name-brand men’s deodorant having only paid sales tax. - Buy ahead when the price is right. To keep a well-stocked pantry, you needn’t drop $300 at your Costco. Instead, build your pantry up slowly and sensibly as your budget allows. Snagging cheap and free non-perishable food items, dental care items, OTC medications, shampoos/conditioners, and feminine products yield big savings later because you aren’t waiting to run out of the item only to pay full price at your store.
The truth is you don’t need to become an extreme couponer to enjoy some quick savings on your grocery bill! While these ideas will certainly take a little bit of effort to implement, remember to keep your eye on your goal: enjoying a $20 date night each week.
Angela Russell blogs at The Coupon Project and has been a freelance writer for 6 years. She and her family have saved 50% on their grocery bill by using coupons and shopping sales. She resides with her husband and two small children in Tacoma, Washington.
Angela J. Russell
Blogger/Freelance Writer
The Coupon Project
Angela Russell, Copywriting Services
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“Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor.” – Samuel Johnson
