Tips for saving money on groceries

These are the last of my current grocery shopping tips. They can be applied to organic or non organic shopping.

• Being a frugal shopper sometimes means you have to go overboard on purchases when items you use frequently go on sale. If organic free range chicken is on sale at Fred Meyer I buy 5-6 of them ( clearance price is 50 percent off) and freeze them!
• I make and mash or grind my own baby food. It is really as simple as roasting a sweet potato and blending it up or peeling a ripe avocado and cutting it small. Nutrition at it's best. While we have been on vacation this week I cut up dates into small pieces from the local farmers market. On sale I have found pre-made organic baby food for 79 cents per bottle a good price for packaged, but compare that to the 50 cents I paid for an organic sweet potato that made me 2 cups worth of baby food!
• Just say no to junk food. Even "organic" supposedly "healthy" pre-packaged food. It is usually expensive and high in calories. Instead make your own popcorn, Popsicles and cookies, They usually taste better anyways. Plus you know what's in them because you put it there.
• Cold cereal can be a  budget killer. Especially the organic healthy stuff. Sure if you have a coupon you can pair with a great sale, go for it! But if not the most frugal healthy thing to do is find the best deal in town on organic oatmeal and serve that to your family. Dress it up with yummy toppings such as nuts, honey and dried cranberries. You know just like at Starbucks only you won't have paid 2.50 for it!
• This tip I have had fun with. Create your own personal pricing guide in a small notebook keep track of prices of items you buy on a weekly to monthly basis. Compare prices at all your local and online supermarkets. Keeping track of prices in a journal enables you to figure out where the items are cheaper and know if a sale or bulk prices really is a good deal. An easy way to start your guide is to keep your register receipts for when you have time to sit down and write out the items with prices. 

Always remember though "waste not, want not." It's one thing to stock up on great deals but make sure you can use it or store it. It's not such a good deal if you end up tossing it in the garbage.