How do YOU rate?

In this week's issue of The Dollar Stretcher, regular contributor Gary Foreman gives 4 tests to assess how well you're doing with your grocery budget. I thought they were great.


"The first sign is the 'what are we eating tonight' trap. You should know what's for dinner before noon. If you wait, you'll be more likely to eat fast food or prepackaged meals. In other words, you'll spend more.

The second test is to check your grocery cart to see how much packaging and preparation has been done to your food. Every time someone slices, dices or wraps plastic around food it costs you. Sure, those snack packs are handy for school lunches. But you'll pay dearly to save a few minutes a day. Do the math. You could be spending over $20 per hour to have someone cut and wrap cheese!

Next let's take a look in your freezer. Is it stocked with meals that you've precooked for future dinners? What about leftovers? Are they organized so they can be used? Or is your freezer full of boxed meals from your grocer?

Speaking of leftovers, do you have an organized way to use them? Studies show that many families throw out 25% of the food they buy. Uneaten leftovers and food purchased but never served are a waste of your grocery dollar."