After a busy day working in childcare, you fill your tank with gas and stop by the grocery store to pick up a few items. How much money is left in your wallet?

If you are searching for ways to save money, look at your grocery bill. Unlike some other “fixed” expenses, food costs are somewhat flexible.

Rising food prices seem to be on everyone’s minds these days, but your health also is important. You do not want to leave the grocery store feeling that you saved money but sacrificed nutrition. With some planning and a few adjustments to your shopping strategy, you can eat nutritiously and keep money in your pocket.

Plan Ahead

Do you make a grocery list? It is one of the best tools for saving money on food because it helps you remember what you need and it organizes your shopping. Shopping with a list also prevents impulse buying.

Avoid shopping when you are hungry. Everything looks more appetizing when your stomach is growling, and impulse buys can add up quickly.

In addition to a grocery list, a weekly or monthly menu is helpful. Menus help you plan meals and prevent costly, last minute trips to the store. Menus make good use of leftovers; plus, planning ahead may make your menus more appealing.

Use the Food Guide Pyramid and your family’s meal preferences to guide your choices. If you are at a loss for ideas, try looking at cookbooks or ask friends for their favorite recipes. You might also think about having a sandwich, soup, or salad night, or consider having “breakfast for dinner.” Ethnic foods also can jumpstart tired menus.

Smart Grocery Shopping

Check your local grocery store circular for specials and comparison shop between grocery stores. Keep in mind that with you can easily spend more in gas and time than you save traveling between stores, so weigh the differences carefully.

Coupons can be another source of savings. Some coupons are for products that you may not really need, so using them actually wastes money. Always ask yourself if you would buy the product if you did not have a coupon.

Unit pricing is one of the best tools in a grocery store for comparing prices because it calculates the cost of a product per unit. For example, you may have three different brands of pinto beans to choose from in slightly different sizes. Unit pricing, which is typically found on the shelf below the product, will calculate the cost of each can of beans by a common measurement, such as the ounce, and will indicate which can is cheapest.

In some cases, it pays to buy in bulk. Buying large quantities works best for foods you use frequently and foods with a long shelf life. Buying large quantities is not cost-efficient if foods spoil or are not eaten by their expiration date. Even when you buy in bulk, you should still check the unit pricing.

Some grocery stores offer a “store brand” of popular products. Typically, the store brand is similar to national brands, but may be less expensive. Use unit pricing to calculate the difference in purchasing a store brand product in place of a national brand.

Keep Health And Nutrition A Priority

One way to help maintain nutrition is to read food labels. Just as unit pricing gives you a financial calculator in the grocery store, the “Nutrition Facts” label is your nutrition calculator.

Use the information on serving size, calories, fats, carbohydrates, and other nutrients to measure the nutritional quality of your food purchases. A “good buy” is not a wise purchase if it does not contribute nutritionally to your diet.

Remember the Food Guide Pyramid when you grocery shop. Look for inexpensive choices focusing on whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, low-fat foods, and lean proteins. Typically, grocery stores stock many Pyramid choices around the outer aisles of the store, and in the fruit, vegetable, and legume aisles.

When you buy prepared foods, you pay for the convenience. You also can pay nutritionally because convenience foods take away your control over how much sodium, sugar, and fat have been added. Buying inexpensive ingredients and preparing the dish yourself can be better for the wallet and for the waistline.

Encourage Nutritious, Cost-Saving Measures

One of the best ways is to learn from other families, and as a childcare provider, you have access to a wealth of resources! Share ideas for frugal nutrition in newsletters and on bulletin boards. Consider organizing a coupon and recipe exchange.

Contact your local extension office, EFNEP (Expanded Foods and Nutrition) program, health department, or WIC (Women, Infants, Children) nutrition program for research-based information.

Internet Resources

Eating Healthy on a Budget, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, nutritionservices.upmc.com/NutritionArticles/Habits/Budget.htm

Eating Healthy While Cutting Your Food Budget, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, njaes.rutgers.edu/sshw/message/default.asp?p=Health&m=91

Families Taking Charge: Eating Well for Less, Virginia Cooperative Extension, www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/ftc/354-105/354-105.html

Nutrition Sense: Plan, Save, Safe, Shop, Family Nutrition Program. Mississippi State University Extension, msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2377.pdf

Stretching Your Food Dollars, Oregon State University Extension, extension.oregonstate.edu/fcd/nutrition/ewfl/module_03/