Feeling the pinch at the supermarket: save some money

1. Shop alternative stores such as Aldis Savealot and dollar general.
   
2. Ditch the prepackaged small items and buy these in bulk
   
3. Take advantage of sale and clearance items.
   
4. Be willing to loose a few of your former "basics" that are not necessities.
5. Be willing to loose the name brands and try the store brands instead.
6. Pre-plan your meals before you shop so you have what you need and no more or less.
   
7. Coupons. I know this one is a throw back but the right ones can really get you a good deal.
8. Don't shop when you are hungry you are more likely to buy impulsively and irrationally
9. Use what you already have until it is nearly gone. We let food go to waste over purchasing.
10. Bake your own breads.  cookies cakes etc flour eggs buisquik chickpeas yeast sugar water or milk
    
11. Shop the lowest shelves the most expensive items are eye level.
    
12. Bring a list and a calculator with you. Set a budget and stick to it.
13. Limit impulse buys even if they are on sale if they are unnecessary
14. Don't buy too much food so that some of it may go to waste before you can finish it.
15. Dehydrate, freeze, and otherwise properly store your foods to get the ultimate shelf life from them.
16. Eat in order of what goes bad first not what sounds best in the moment.
17. Get creative. Sometimes the best meals come when theres little in the house.
18. Skip organic for now
19. Pack your pantry items not with chips and snacks but with non perishable real foods like tinned veg and meat
20. Relearn a love for grits and oatmeal.
21. Frozen fruit is just as healthy as fresh but lasts longer.
22. Know what you have in the house before you shop and end up with duplicates and incomplete meals.
23. Grow your own little garden. sprouts peppers tomatoes strawberries chives and the like.
24. Steer clear of the fast food use the money for the grocery bill
25. If you are truly facing food scarcity and an inability to pay there are food banks available
26. Consider alternate protein sources such as beans and yogurt soybean eggs and tuna
    
27. Shop with a basket instead of a cart or a smaller cart it forces you to be more thoughtful of your purchases.
    
28. Use the time to be more of a mindful and intentional shopper. So that when this time has passed and the prices have fallen back to a normal range your way of shopping may have changed enough that you can use some of that money you would have otherwise spent on food on other things.