Strategies for Reducing Food Bills

Here are some tips to help you keep your grocery costs down.

* Shop in an area where there are two or three stores close together, to save gas and wear and tear on your car. Compare prices in each store, then go back and pick up the best buys.

* Look at your newspaper every day for advertised bargains, and compare prices at different stores.

* Stock up in quantity on bargains, but only if they are products you use. Don’t stock up on perishable foods. Canned goods are best, but avoid cans with dents and bulges. They may not be safe, and you’ll end up throwing them away.

* Don’t be afraid to buy unknown, unadvertised brands. They are cheaper and very often equal in quality to advertised brands. Some markets carry plain-wrapped paper products with no brand name at all. (This no-frills packaging is usually plain white with blue letters.) These may not be premium-quality products, but they are perfectly safe.

* Don’t pay for extra packaging. Convenience foods such as macaroni and cheese or TV dinners often contain a collection of boxes, packets, and foil trays--and all of this adds to the cost.

* Shop for fresh fruits and vegetables in season. They’re cheaper. Prepare fresh foods whenever possible. Grow a vegetable garden if you have room for one.

* Don’t pay extra just to save two minutes. It’s cheaper to cut up your own chicken than to buy the cut-up kind. It’s cheaper to slice your own cheese or lunch meat. Instant cereals cost more than the kind that need cooking.

* Consider buying Grade B instead of Grade A eggs. They may be different in size and color, but they have the same nutritional value and are fine for scrambling, omelets or baking.

* Freeze leftovers. Even leftover canned goods can be frozen. Recycle your leftovers, too. Use them in soups and stews.

* Nutrition: Look for the label that gives you the nutritional value of the food. That way you can compare protein, carbohydrates, fats and calories, and you can plan menus that substitute less-expensive foods for high-cost ones.

* Freshness: Look for the open dating label. It will tell you the last date it is safe to buy the product. It is on many items, but it is required by law to be on milk.

* Ingredients: Read the ingredients label. Ingredients are listed according to the amount contained in the product. For example, when a can of vegetables lists ‘water’ first, that means there is more water than anything else in the can.

* Look out for errors at the checkstand. Watch the prices being rung. Watch the scale when the checker weighs your items. Pile your three-for $1 items together to make sure you take advantage of the combined lower price.

* Look over your receipt. If there are any mistakes, go back to the store and speak to the manager.

Source: Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs