In many homes, the center of family and social gatherings is the beloved kitchen table. But, what you put on that kitchen table could make or break your household budget. “How much should I be spending on my family’s groceries?” This is a frequently asked household budgeting question. Especially, from those just learning how to budget.Budgeting guidelines for food vary from resource to resource. But, I think it’s safe to say that the average family spends at least 15 to 20% of income on food. Second only to housing expenses, grocery budgets make up a good portion of total budget expenditures. This is an essential expense of course since, we have to eat to survive. However, there is some good news. Your grocery budget is also the most flexible expense in the household budget.The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion estimates that a family of two adults and two children spends between $687 and $827 per month on a moderate menu plan. Those who choose a thrifty plan spend between $445 and $519 per month. That’s a savings of over $200 per month simply by choosing a thrifty menu. So, you can see that there is potential for substantial savings here.Budgeting is sometimes a game of give and take. You take savings from one budget expense to give needed funding to another budget expense. This is often true if you are trying to build emergency or investment savings on a limited income. You’re not likely to reduce costs on more fixed expenses like your home mortgage. It’s best to work on reducing more flexible household budget expenses. This is where your grocery budget can come to the rescue!Here’s a simple guideline for how to budget groceries. Your groceries should never cost more than they “have” to. Seems like a silly answer. Of course no one spends more than they “have” to. Right? Unfortunately, just the opposite is true. It’s amazing how much money consumers waste on this very important budget expense. In fact, it’s often the very first place to look for overspending in a budget plan. Here are some suggestions for trimming down your grocery budget.

1. Planning is the key to budget savings.

Just like planning is essential to your overall household budget success, planning your grocery purchases is essential to maximize savings. Always check sale flyers for your local supermarkets. Remember, never pay more than you have to. Plan menus for the entire week based on “what’s on sale.”

2. Make a shopping list for ingredients you’ll need.

Once you have your menus, you can make a shopping list based on the ingredients you will need. Always check to see what ingredients you already have in your home.Follow your shopping list! Other than stocking up on leader items, as mentioned below, purchase only items needed for the weeks menus.

3. Stock up on leader sale items.

If you have room in your budget, always stock up on a leader item (drastically reduced item) that you frequently use. This will save you money down the road.

4. Use coupons wisely.

My rule for coupons is… “Don’t buy items you have coupons for. Instead, use coupons for items you intend to purchase.”

5. Make your own.

Always opt to make it yourself whenever possible. Stay away from prepared frozen and packaged meals. Find and make recipes for master mixes like seasoned rice, muffins, pancakes, and baking mix. These items costs substantially more when purchased in ready to mix portions. Keep your pantry stocked with the basic ingredients and always start from scratch when possible.

6. Eat meatless and one dish meals often.

When planning your menus include meatless meals like beans and rice, and egg dishes at least twice per week.Include one dish meals often. Meat is usually the most pricey of food items. Reducing meat consumption is a good way to save money on the food budget. Most people eat quite a bit more meat than necessary to meet healthy guidelines. Cut down and still satisfy hungry appetites by preparing one dish meals like, casseroles, stir fry, chili, and spaghetti.

Plan and use a combination of saving strategies. Avoid the grocery store when at all possible. The old “out of sight, out of mind” does work in this case. Grocers have various methods of enticing consumers to buy. Using coupons and rebates for items that are already on sale is a great way to maximize savings.

Like many consumers, I never had a plan for spending, budgeting, or future goals. Shopping for myself, my home, the children, gifts, holidays, whatever the event, had no limit. If I didn’t have money in the checking to cover an expense, I whipped out one of my credit cards. Budgets were not in my vocabulary. You might say my budget was the “buy now, pay later budget.” It’s a wonderfully, carefree, budgeting concept that satisfies the instant gratification world we live in. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way, the “buy now, pay later budget” almost always ends in financial disaster. I ended up deep in debt with no savings to speak of. My finances were out of control. It was time to create a new household budget.When you spend money without regard, it’s inevitable that you will use credit to meet your spending habits. You may have a smooth ride for some time on the buy now, pay later budget but, sooner or later, the ride gets bumpy. Eventually, the cards are maxed out, there’s no new credit to be found, and no balance increase options available. Your personal finances become a grave concern when you realize that you’ve hit a dead end. Something has to change. You are forced to take a good look at your finances. If you’re in this position, it’s rarely a pretty picture.