8. “Make sure you double-check those sale prices. The ones with the sales tag are not always the cheapest. It’s also a good idea to be able to squeeze multiple meals out of things if you’re cooking from scratch. Try to plan at least one main ingredient that can be repurposed or used multiple ways per week. For example, I’ll buy ham and bake it for dinner the first night, then I freeze the leftover ham to use in split pea soup, red beans, rice, and ham and scalloped potatoes.”
“If you’re shopping on a budget, use the calculator app or an online calculator on your phone. Or, carry a pocket calculator with you. Put in your budget, then subtract whatever the total sales tax for that amount might be to get the real amount you should spend. As you shop, subtract the cost of each item from your budget. I usually round prices up to the nearest dollar amount to give myself a little wiggle room at the end, in case there’s something I forgot to write down.”
