Don't Fear The Rising Cost of Food - 14 tips to take the scary out of your grocery bill

I live in Kentucky and we were effected like much of the rest of the country by the droughts this summer. Unfortunately, we are seeing the prices in our stores rising on anything that is grain based, dairy and even meat because, well, animals that produce these products are fed grains. Check out this video of the news clip that Elisabeth from Kentucky Savings Group participated in Monday with a few tips on saving on dairy products then read on for other suggestions on savings on meat too!

1. STOCK UP NOW - Prices are just going to get worse, so if you have room to store and freezer space, buy as much as your budget will allow!
2. Remember, HEALTHY FOOD IS CHEAPER FOOD - eat more veggies
3. Think FROZEN, CANNED OR DRIED (dried will be the cheapest) - these will be cheaper than fresh
4. SUBSTITUTE foods such as bean and legumes for meat
5. Make a MEAL PLAN and stick to a GROCERY LIST you make from that plan. Quit flying by the seat of your pants at meal time. You will almost always spend more on something you want NOW rather than what you planned for and shopped smart for.
6. CUT BACK on usage. We use 3/4 pound in recipes that call for 1lb of ground meat.
7. By LARGER PORTIONS that are cheaper by the pound and have the butcher cut them (this is becoming increasingly a FREE service). Or you may want to buy a fryer chicken rather than chicken pieces this could save you as much as 50% in the meat department.
8. Buy and cook in BULK - Cook a large batch and split into family portions. Freeze the extra for later use.
9. Go GENERIC - Many private labels will offer a 100% cash back guarantee if you don't like their product.
10. Use PRICE TAGS - Look for sale items marked with brightly colored tags and take a calculator to calculate price per ounce or pound to ensure you are getting a better deal over another brand.
11. Gather SEEDS - Plan you garden now for next year stocking up on cheap seeds now and being prepared for spring.
12. SHOP LATER in the day to score meat cheap. The butcher will often mark meat down throughout the day to clear the coolers before expiration.
13. Use COUPONS. While there aren't many manufacturer coupons on meat, milk, eggs, or fresh veggies, there are lots of coupons for other things you purchase. So pinch a penny on items such as toilet paper, toothpaste, and convenience foods to take the sting out of things that are hard to save on daily.
14. PRICE COMPARE Peruse your sales ads to find the cheapest products and purchase at those stores. There are stores, such as Walmart, that may save you a special trip by allowing you to price match the cost of products at another store. For example if milk is $2.69 at Walgreens this week just ask your cashier at Walmart while you are there picking up other items to price match the price at Walgreens. 

Money Saving Tip of the Day: Money Back Guarantee

Very often I can get name brand much cheaper than store with the right sale and coupon; but what about the times that we need something right now and we don't have time to wait?

Usually I'm not scared of store brand products, but there are somethings that I've always used because my mother did and I'm still a little afraid of change. The day I moved and shopped for Windex ended my love affair with the high priced toothpaste splatter remover, the price was outrageous and although I had my coupon, it wouldn't even allow me to come close to the store brand price.

So, I decided to take advantage of the Money Back Guarantee on the store glass cleaner. The great thing about this is the cleaner worked great! But what if it didn't??

The big thing you want to do is 

SAVE YOUR RECEIPT!!!

Get a manilla file folder and put ALL receipts that have products you may want to return to the store and file them! That way if there is a disclaimer that this product will last 5 years and it only makes it through one summer.... you can take it back! But you NEED THE RECEIPT!

Over the years, I've taken back lots of things including bug sprays, cleaning products and even FOOD! 

So, what's the most harm that's going to happen by trying a store brand? You don't like something? You can always return it (if the label says you can) and you may even find you enjoy the cheaper store brand as well or even better than your favorite!

Hey Cinderella: Stopping The Money Flush - Toilet Paper Trick

Feel like you're always changing the toilet paper roll?
Is there a weekly call for Dad The Plumber to unclog the commode?

If it seems your constantly putting toilet paper on your grocery list, try this easy trick.

Step on the new roll, creasing the cardboard roll. When you put it on the roller, the paper should flip (not roll) just a few times before it tears off. No more free-rolling limiting usage

This will also deter the toddlers from taking off down the hall with a long strip unraveling behind them savings a mess and a ton of money!