Bullets : 5 ways to spend less on groceries....

...and still eat well balanced meals.

• Spread the wealth:   Shop at two chain stores a week and buy the sale items that you can make meals from.   Put on blinders and stick to basics.   
• Waste not, want not....find ways to use up things in the fridge and leftovers before they develop hair prettier than yours.   Google an ingredient in a recipe finder ap that you need to use to get ideas. 
• Use every trick that is available to you to get better prices on the things you use on a regular basis.   Ibotta, coupons, sales that are really sales, bulk items when that makes sense.  
• Stock the key items you use for scratch cooking.   Buy them in bulk when they ar at their lowest price (RBP) .   Things like catsup, mustard, bbq sauce are cheapest and have the most generous coupons near picnic holiday times:   Memorial Day to Labor Day.  
• Plan.    Make a plan or plan to fail.   Make meal plans and plan your grocery trip if you are really short on money or you have a basket coupon.   At bare minimum, use the ads to determine what your rotation protein should be and check the fridge for your stock of dairy and produce.   Check pantry for any shelf stable staple that is on sale for need.   

Note:  rotation protein is a tool to buy bulk protein on a rotation basis when it is a so called loss leader.   Stick to a few basic cuts of meat and buy bulk when they are on sale.  If you rotate at a four to six week interval, you will have variety and pay the lowest possible price for your protein.  Protein is the most expensive element of a balanced diet.   When a protein is at a RBP, by enough to last you four to six weeks of meals.  In other words, if you eat hamburger twice a week, buy enough to fix eight meals and break bulk packaging into eight meal sized portions.   I cook and d-fat ground meat before freezing.  Its a real time saver.   Besides ground meat, I buy chicken breast, and pork loin .  Choose versitle cuts of meat to afford variety in your meals.