ESCANABA -- It's a part of our budget that a big chunk of our paycheck goes towards. But the grocery bill can be tricky to manage since it fluctuates with every trip to the store.
One age-old way to cut down on the grocery bill is to clip coupons. Most coupons are found in the weekend edition of the newspaper, and the savings range from food to household items to you name it.
One of the cashiers at Super One said that she's even seen a customer come in with a full coupon binder. But there're other options if you're not into coupon-clipping. Probably the most important rule of thumb is to have a list.
“It's real easy,” explains Julie Moberg of MSU Extension, “to get into the grocery store and be a little impulsive about the things that you buy. And that adds to your food budget very quickly."
Quantity can matter, too, especially when it comes to perishable items. For example, a full gallon of milk may be cheaper to buy, but it's sometimes better to stick with half a gallon, especially if you're not a big milk drinker.
“Because if you buy too much and you bring it home and you throw it out, then it's not worth the cost-savings that you think you are actually getting," Moberg said.
And growing your own veggies may not be a bad idea, either. It's usually a healthier and cheaper option in a world of rising costs.
“Oh, because everything else has gone up, too,” explains Super One Manager, Don Cappeart. “All your utility bills--gas bills have gone up--food bills have gone up. People need to cut corners wherever they can."
If you want to garden but don't have the space, the city of Escanaba offers plots of land on their Community Gardens.
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