How to Shave 40% Off Your Grocery Bill (Without Coupons)

From Yahoo News.

"Here are tips to pare 40 percent off your grocery bill. Some of these tips are traditional; others are a little unorthodox. But they work.

Don't bulk shop (on everything). Bulk shopping works to save money only if you can actually use what you buy. If you buy bulk perishables, be sure that you use it or freeze it. Don't stockpile over-the-counter medications and health and beauty aids that have expiration dates.

Don't buy foods nobody will eat. I'm very picky about what my family eats. In an effort to clean up our eating habits, I bought soy, non-hydrogenated fat sesame snacks. Being a tightwad, I bought a five-pound bag. Everyone in the family hated them. The dog hated them. We couldn't give them away. It was not one of my better purchases.

Reduce your meat spending. Meat is expensive. Twenty years ago, you could buy hamburger three pounds for a dollar on sale. Now you're lucky to find it for two dollars a pound. Recommended daily allowance of meat is only two four-ounce servings. Yet meat is the biggest expenditure in most families' grocery budgets. Replace meat with less expensive protein sources: fish, beans, legumes, rice, couscous, pasta, falafel and nuts. You'll save money because servings sizes of these protein sources are only one-quarter to one-half cup.

Wenchypoo's additions: powdered milk, cottage cheese, organ meats (cheaper than muscle meats), quinoa, eggs, chia seeds, flax seeds, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, and sprouts.

Buy fewer sweetened or alcoholic beverages. Soda pop, flavored water, sweetened tea, carbonated beverages, energy drinks and high-fructose sweetened beverages are primarily sugar, dyes, additives and caffeine. Few people drink their daily quota of water (half body weight in ounces) and sweetened beverages dehydrate the body further. Get more nutrition bang for your grocery buck: Buy 100 percent fruit juice, organic, high-protein and all-natural beverages. Drink more water.

Buy single-serving products only when they are on sale. Avoid paying full price for bottled water, juice boxes, single-serving cookies, snacks, crackers, deli foods (like Lunchables), baked goods, pudding cups, yogurt and fruit cups. Pre-packaged snacks work very well for school lunch. They are disposable, sanitary and convenient. Do the math and buy them only when you find good sales.

Buy fresh, instead of canned and packaged foods. More packaging generally equals higher product cost. Bagged, prepared produce is the exception. With some produce, broccoli, lettuce and apples for example, a significant portion is often lost in preparation. You have to calculate the per pound price adding in the waste factor.

Do the math on prepared foods. The general rule of thumb is, the more handling a product receives, the more it costs. Use shelf labels and per ounce prices to comparison price shop. For example, if you don't pay more per pound for sliced or shredded cheese, take advantage of the convenience."