WSU Extension report: Savings here, savings there, soon you save big

YAKIMA, Wash. -- It is possible to save money shopping for groceries without cooking everything from scratch. Here are some cost-cutting strategies that can add up to big savings.

Keep a grocery running list of needed items where it's easily accessible, such as on the fridge, and take it with you to the store. Stick to your list but stay flexible for sale items.

Check the grocery store specials. What is on special that you can use? For example, buying meat on sale can save you $2 or more per pound. Buying vegetables on sale can save you $1 or more per pound.

The less you shop, the less likely you will make impulse purchases. Gas for an extra trip to the store easily can add a dollar or more to your grocery bill. An impulse purchase of snack crackers is additional $2.50 spent.

We lose money whenever we toss spoiled food. Freeze leftovers immediately if you don't think you will use them for a while. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables if you plan to use them immediately. If you toss a half-bag of salad greens, you are tossing a minimum of $1.50. Avoid pouring a half-gallon of soured milk down the drain and save another $1.65. Make planning to avoid tossing foods a priority.

Don't shop when you are hungry. Everything looks good on an empty stomach. and you will end up spending more. Buying an energy bar to tide you over until you get home is another $1.50 spent.

Brown-bag it. If you normally eat out at noon, consider brown-bagging it one or more days a week. A fast food meal out can easily cost $5 or more. Take leftovers from an evening meal to work the next day, such as a wrap with chunks of leftover meat and salad veggies. By eating a sack lunch twice a week, you can save $5 or more; eating a sack lunch five days a week saves $12.50 or more.

Convenience foods are more expensive. Think about how much time you will really save when using convenience foods. For example, how much time do you really save when you microwave a bowl of regular oatmeal rather than pouring hot water over a premeasured package? Buying a carton of old-fashioned or quick oatmeal that provides 30 servings versus buying three boxes of instant oatmeal that contain 10 packets each will save you $5.50. You save a minimum of $1.50 when you purchase frozen orange juice concentrate instead of orange juice in a carton.

Remember, you will always pay more for products that are prepared for your convenience -- like ready-to-eat salads, cut melons, prepared vegetable sticks.

Store brands can save you money. They are comparable in nutrition to name brands, and tastewise there may be little difference. Shop for store bands when you haven't a brand preference. Buying just two store brands and saving 50 cents on each results in saving one dollar.

Always check unit pricing (price per ounce or price per pound). You will usually find it displayed on the shelf tag. Looking at the price instead of the unit price can be very misleading. For example, check the coffee cans next time you go to the store. You will be amazed at the weight and price differences in the same-size cans. Always compare the unit price. Sometimes the larger size is a better buy, but checking the unit price will let you know for sure. For example buying a five-pound bag of rice instead of a one-pound bag may save $1.50.

Clip coupons only for products you would normally buy. Using the coupon may not be the best deal. Some coupons are printed for highly packaged convenience foods that will not be bargain-priced even with the coupon.

However, don't miss out on potential sources of valuable coupons. Check your grocery receipt; sometimes there are great coupons on the back. If you have a computer, check online at the Web site of the store where you shop or products you use. Often, the Web site address for many foods is given on the product label. For example, using two 50-cent coupons for items you use saves you $1.

The more of these tips you can use, the more you can save. If you were able to use each of the preceding examples in one shopping trip, you would save as much as $26.65 a week. Multiply that by 52 weeks and the savings would be nearly $1,400 yearly.

* Sheila Ryan is an agent for family and consumer science with the Yakima County office of Washington State University Cooperative Extension.

* For answers to food safety or food preservation questions, call the Master Food Preservers at 574-1600.