The 10 most important tips to save on groceries

These 10 tips can help you trim down your household grocery bill, while still feeding your family delicious and nutritious meals.

Meal planning can reduce food waste and trim down your grocery bill without compromising on taste or food quality. Before heading to the grocery store, plan the week's meals so you know exactly what you need.

Cooking for yourself is often much cheaper than buying packaged and ready-to-eat meals. For example, you can make your own tomato sauce using canned tomatoes and dried herbs. The result is not only healthier than additive-laden jars of pre-made sauce, but it's also much cheaper.

Stock up on dried or frozen groceries when they're on sale at the grocery store or head to a wholesale discounter to find big quantities of food at lower prices. Fresh foods like bread and meat can always be frozen to extend their shelf life.

Generic brands are often just as good as name brands, but come at a big discount. Many generic products are even manufactured by the same companies as their popular counterparts! If you buy name brands out of habit, try switching to a generic brand to see if you and your family can tell the difference.

You can save lots on produce if you are willing to put a little effort into preparation. A head lettuce is often cheaper than a packaged, pre-washed salad.

Many Canadian stores list the price per 100 grams in small print under each item's price. Comparing these prices for similar products allows you to figure out what gives you the most bang for your buck.

Don't overlook discount coupons! They can save you  tons of money on products you buy often. Find them in newspapers, grocery stores and online.

Buying your lunch every day can add up to more than $1,000 per year. Cut these expenses by making yourself a sandwich or a salad or by taking leftovers to work!

Alternating between chain grocery stores and smaller stores can save you money. Farmers markets are often good places to look for seasonal produce at low prices.

Vegetarian protein sources like beans and lentils are often much cheaper than meat and they contain healthy fibres. Eat vegetarian meals once or twice a week to experiment with new flavours. Chances are you're going to notice big changes on your grocery bills!

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