This document provides strategies for stretching your food dollar through meal planning, couponing, shopping sales, and making healthy choices. It recommends taking inventory before shopping; planning meals weekly; clipping coupons; keeping meals simple; browsing ads; and eating at home more. At the store, it suggests buying in bulk, being flexible on sales, using loyalty cards, comparative shopping, only buying needs, shopping alone, and checking receipts carefully. It also offers tips for making food last through the month like using leftovers, prioritizing perishables, learning food lifetimes, and storing perishables in front of other items.

1. How to Stretch Your Food
Dollar

2. Strategies to use at home
• Take Inventory
• Plan ahead
• Clip coupons
• Keep it Simple
• Browse newspaper ads
• Eat at Home

3. • Take Inventory- Look to see what you already have in your cabinets so
you don’t buy something you already have.
• Plan ahead- Set aside 30 minutes a week to plan your meals. Get your
family involved in this as well.
• Clip coupons- Clip coupons from newspaper ads. Have your older
children help with this.
• Keep it Simple- Plan meals that require few ingredients and use simple
techniques.
• Browse newspaper ads- Look to see what healthier items are on sale
that week and incorporate that into your meal planning.
• Eat at Home- Eat more meals at home versus eating fast food, this is a
cheaper option.

4. Strategies to use at the store
• Buy in Bulk
• Be Flexible
• Use store loyalty card
• Comparative Shop
• Buy only what is needed
• Shop alone
• Pay attention at checkout

5. • Buy in Bulk- Bagged apples, oranges, potatoes are cheaper
than buying the single items
• Be Flexible- There can be unadvertised specials too good to
pass up. Be willing to change your plan and add this to your list.
• Use Store Loyalty Card- When you add an item that is
already on sale with a couple it makes for a really great deal.
• Comparative Shop- Same size, but different brands. Choose
item that costs less. Also shop cost per ounce, sometimes more
cost effective to buy item that is a little more, but will last longer.

6. • Buy only what is needed- Stick to your list and do not buy
items that are not needed. Try to get in and out of the store
as quickly as possible.
• Shop alone- Shop alone if possible, people tend to buy more
when shopping in groups.
• Pay attention at checkout- Make sure your prices are
scanned correctly, your coupons are scanning, and your sale
items are ringing up at the right price.

7. Healthy snacks can be less expensive than
unhealthy snacks
• Buy in Season
• Buy fresh veggies and fruit that are available year round
• Buy canned fruit and vegetables
• Buy in Bulk

8. • Buy in Season- Items like strawberries and grapes are
cheaper when you buy them in season
• Buy fresh veggies and fruit that are available year round- a
couple of examples would be bananas and baby carrots
• Buy canned fruit and vegetables- buy canned fruit in 100%
juice or light syrup and canned vegetables without added
salt. Stock up when they are sale because they have a long
shelf life.
• Buy in Bulk- Previously mentioned for saving money, but
also buy healthier items in bulk and wrap individually at
home.

9. Tips to make food last all month
• Turn leftovers into 2nd meal
• Prioritize food
• Educate yourself
• Put perishable food in front

10. • Turn Leftovers into 2nd Meal- Make larger quantities so it makes
2 meals and you can serve that another day for lunch or dinner.
• Prioritize Food- Some foods like grapes and bananas need to be
consumed first and milk and bread may need to be frozen until
ready to use.
• Educate Yourself- Learn how long grocery items will last when
there are no expiration dates. Start eating them before they
expire.
• Put Perishable Food Up Front- Put perishable foods in the
refrigerator in front of the processed food items so you don’t
forget about them. This will help you grab these items first.

11. Thank you for your time