Financial tune-up: Slimming down the grocery bills

You've listed your fixed expenses, tracked your spending and now you have made yourself a budget. Maybe it is just a little tighter then you'd like it to be.

Groceries and food can be one of our largest expenses, especially if you are feeding an entire household.Itis a critical piece of where proper planning can help save costs.

So how can you get a handle on it and slim down some of those bills?

"Eat at home more it's healthier.Preparing your own meals lets you make the choices on what foods and what goes in your food,like how much salt you might put in,and it is cheaper than going out to eat," said Phyllis Reid-Jarvis, a dietitian andthe director of Ultimate Potentials.

Reid-Jarvis focuses on health and wellness and trains and coaches families to lead healthier lives.

"Most people shop to stock their fridge and pantry and they end up throwing out so much food and money," she said.

Less waste

Reid-Jarvis coaches clients to buy food that they will actually eat and to not be afraid of buying frozen fruits and vegetables.

She says if you buy frozen,there won't be the risk of food spoiling,which will preventwastage.

Frozen options have the same nutritional value as fresh fruits and vegetables, she added.

NadineChappellaz, who runs the website savemoneyinwinnipeg.com,agrees.

"We rarely throw anything out. Keep track of what and how much you eat so you don't over-buy. Eat down what you have and start fresh," she said.

Chappellazalso likes to use technology:"We are lucky we have the internet to look for things.Take your old ingredients,enter them into the search and find a recipe.I wanted to bake but didn't have any flour,so I looked up a recipe and I made a flour-less chocolate cake the other day and it was amazing."

She added, "Pull out a cookbook and pick fiverecipes to make and buy for that."

Cook several meals in advance

Reid-Jarvis tries to get her clients to spend a day on the weekend cooking meals for two or three nights throughout the week.

"I actually ask my clients what's one thing that they are actually willing to do.Most clients will say that they can make a dish or two on the weekend.So I just ask them what are the tools that you have to actually make that possible," she said.

"Not everyone wants to stand in their kitchen,chopping away and slicing and dicing.Some people like it, most people don't.There is hockey to go to orringetteto go to, dance, you name it. So what I suggest is get even one slow cooker for a start.Use that slow cooker.You're going to have at least two or three meals from that one slow cooker meal.So that is one way to get started."

Those busy schedules have ledto a growing idea here in Winnipeg,with the sprouting of companies like Supper Central.The company,owned and operated by two friends, prepares ready-to-heat meals in the hope of helping families eat healthier and reduce their costs by cutting back on how often they eat out.

It may not be quite as cost effective as cooking your own meals from scratch,but if you are a busy family eating out too often, it could help.

Wait for sales

Megan Brook enjoys cooking large meals for her family, she almost can't help but cook larger meals.The mother of four small children does though, like to wait for things to go on sale.

"If it's on sale I buy it, if it's not on sale it's not apart of our groceries," she said.

Consumers are facing higher prices for groceries.According to numbers from the Bank of Canada even just going back to 2000, the CPI has increased from 93.5 to 125.9 at its highest point in 2014, which is an increase of almost 35 per cent in the last 14 years.

The Brook family notices it all the time:"Between cost of living, food, pork and milk,you can see it going up every time you go to the store," she said.

Brook tries to counter those prices by buying in bulk whenever possible,and then storing and stretching those items out over a longer period of time to save money in the long run.

Chappellazsays even just watching the till can help.

"While grocery shopping,watch the register for improperly scanned items. Scanning code of practices entitles you to $10 off that item,or if the item is under $10 it is free.That adds up," she said.

Chappellazreminds people to hold off whenever possible and shop when stores offer their "10 per cent off" days or no tax days, and also lookfor coupons in flyers or on the bulletin boards insidegrocery stores.

It all adds up to savings and money you can put to work on debt repayment or savings.