Food Purchasing Family Materials
Make the Most of Food Dollars - A
Baker’s Dozen Tips for Saving Money
Years ago, the local baker gave an extra item when a customer ordered a dozen. It
was an early bargain hunter’s delight, thirteen rolls for the price of twelve. Here’s
a Baker’s Dozen (13) tips for making the most of food dollars today.
Make a List
Make a list of needed items…and stick to it! Use this tool to keep food costs in
line. Resist adding impulse purchases to the cart. Shop the list to save time in the
store.
Use newspaper ads each week to find the best deals on foods. Ask for a rain check
if a special has sold out. Keep the rain check with your shopping list and use
during the next visit to the store.
Buy in Season
Produce in season tastes wonderful and is usually lower in price. Fresh fruits and
vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which make these foods
nutrition bargains. Check out locally grown items at the farmers’ market or local
produce stand. Plan a family outing to a ‘you-pick’ farm or garden. It is a great
activity and can save on food costs, too!
Vary the Protein
Plan meals and include a variety of choices from protein foods. Not only is this a
good idea nutrition wise, it helps save money. Use MyPlate (www.myplate.gov)
for ways to vary your protein choices. Choose legumes and beans weekly. These
foods are usually lower in cost, lower in fat, and higher in fiber. That is a food
dollar triple play!
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Food Purchasing Family Materials
Make the Most of Food Dollars - A Baker’s Dozen
Tips for Saving Money
Clip Coupons Wisely
Coupons can save food dollars. Be wise about coupon use. Clip coupons for items
you regularly use. Compare prices to be sure the item is less expensive with the
coupon. Often times a store brand will be less expensive than a national brand
with a discount. Try to use coupons when an item is on sale for bigger savings. If
a coupon requires buying more than a family will use, the waste is not a cost saver.
Car Pool
Take turns driving to the store with a friend or neighbor. It is an easy way to
save gas money. Plus, if there is a store special too large for one family, such as
a discount on an 8-pound bag of frozen chicken breasts, a shopping partner might
split the package and the price. Both families save money.
Keep a Cooler Handy
Avoid wilted produce, semi-thawed frozen foods, and milk that has warmed when
shopping during summer months. Keep these foods cold to assure full shelf life
and quality.
During hot weather, put a cooler in the car before going to the store. Place frozen
and fresh foods in the cooler to keep cold in a hot car. For those who ride a bus or
metro, buy a collapsible cooler bag to keep these foods as cold as possible. Plan
errands and shop for food last, just before returning home.
Be Aware of Bulk Bins
Look for bulk bins of whole grains, spices, and other items. Bulk bins are selfserve containers offered by some food stores. Bulk bins allow buying smaller
amounts of a food. This is a good way to try a small amount of new food such as
bulgur or quinoa, two whole grains packed with nutrition. Compare the prices to
the same foods in packages in the store. Bulk bin items are often less expensive
per pound, in part because there is less packaging.
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Food Purchasing Family Materials
Make the Most of Food Dollars - A Baker’s Dozen
Tips for Saving Money
Look at the Label
Look at the Nutrition Facts label for fiber,
protein, vitamins, and minerals. Make sure the
foods in the cart help promote good health.
In the produce department, look for point
of sale posters and shelf tags with nutrition
information. Another good rule of thumb
is to look for naturally colorful fruits and
vegetables. For example, green romaine or
leaf lettuce are darker green than iceberg
lettuce. The darker lettuces provide more
vitamin A per serving.
Use Unit Pricing
Use the unit price tag on the shelf. These tags
make it easy to find the lowest price between
different size packages and brands. Often the largest size box is not the best price
per unit.
Be able to compare similar items listed in different units. Unit prices for similar
products may be listed in different units. For example, a 32-ounce can of food
may be listed in price per pound. A 15-ounce can may be listed in price per ounce.
Divide the price per pound by 16 to find the price per ounce on the larger can (one
pound equals 16 ounces).
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Food Purchasing Family Materials
Make the Most of Food Dollars - A Baker’s Dozen
Tips for Saving Money
Check out the Checkout Total
Use a calculator to keep track of how much the items cost. Watch the price
charged during checkout for correct prices. Speak up if an item’s price is more
than the advertised or shelf price.
Sit Down to Served Meals
Plan meals and include choices from all food groups. Sit down as a family and
enjoy eating together. It can take the stomach 20 minutes to signal the brain it
is full and to stop eating. Sometimes hurried meals can cause people to overeat,
which increases food costs.
Leftovers for Lunch
Double dip and save on food. Parents, plan to
use leftovers for your lunch instead of eating
out. Chill foods quickly after meal time.
Store leftovers in single serve containers and
refrigerate right after the meal. Know what is
left over - label and date items. Leftovers can be
frozen and enjoyed later.
Leave Empty Bags at the Store
Focus on nutrient-rich foods. Snack foods, cookies, candies, and sweetened
beverages are empty when it comes to vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Fill your
bag with delicious foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, beans
and legumes, lean meats, and nuts, that fuel growth, play, and good health. These
foods may seem more costly than processed foods, but look at the nutrients per
serving and see the real value.
Here are two examples:
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Food Purchasing Family Materials
Make the Most of Food Dollars - A Baker’s Dozen
Tips for Saving Money
When milk is $4.00 a gallon, the price per cup is $.25. Children ages 3 to 5
years need 2 cups of milk a day to help meet their calcium needs. The bonus in
milk provides protein, vitamins A, D, riboflavin, and the minerals potassium and
magnesium. Soft drinks or fruit punches provide calories from simple sugars.
When a 12 pack of soft drink is priced at $4.99, the price for a 1 cup serving is $.27
and a 12 ounce can is $.42. These drinks, at any price, do not come close to milk’s
nutrition power pack.
Kiwi fruit priced at 3 for a $1.00 are about 33 cents each. Kiwi is rich in vitamin
C; one kiwi provides over half of daily vitamin C needs. Candy bars priced 3 for a
$1.00 may be equal in cost, but not for nutrition per penny or calorie. Make candy
an every once in a while splurge. Snack on fruits for flavor, fiber, and vitamins.
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