Economides Annette - Cut your grocery bill in half with Americas cheapest family: includes so many innovative strategies you wont have to cut coupons

Praise for
Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half

Many people think that its impossible to reduce your grocery bill by 50 percent. But you can. Steve and Annette Economides provide step-by-step instructions in Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. Tools that are practical and easy to follow. No special shopping or cooking skills required. Anyone can see a surprising reduction in their grocery budget if they follow the Economides methods. And, best of all, the savings begin right away. You dont need to finish the whole book to benefit. Youll find money-saving ideas that you can put to use in the first chapter and every chapter thereafter. Normally I advise people to check books out of the library and save the cost of the book. But this is one do-it-yourself guide to lower grocery bills that youll want to have on your bookshelf or kitchen countertop.

GARY FOREMAN, PUBLISHER OF THEDOLLARSTRETCHER.COM

This book is loaded with fresh ideas to slash your grocery bills.

RICHARD EISENBERG, SENIOR EDITOR, CBS MONEYWATCH.COM

If you are eager to save on groceries, but dont always have the time to clip coupons, this book is for you! Its perfect if youre interested in more ways to cut costs, reduce waste, and get organized. This is an awesome book for the novice or the skilled cook.

TAWRA KELLAM AND JILL COOPER, EDITORS OF LIVINGONADIME.COM
AND AUTHORS OF DINING ON A DIME COOKBOO K

An amazing insight into the life of a family that is daily living out this book. Following these grocery concepts will not only make a difference in your familys budget, but it will also help you unite with a common goal in mind; spending your money with a purpose by following a plan. The end result is having more money every month to invest in your familys future.

JEFF JONES, DRUMMER, BIG DADDY WEAVE, AND FOUNDER OF CUSTOMSTIX.COM

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half is a must-read if youre serious about saving money at the supermarket. Steve and Annette detail step-by-step how to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year on your food shopping. The book is not a compilation of abstract theories on grocery shopping, but strategies and tactics that work in the real lives of busy families. Youll not only save money but save time and stress too.

GREGORY KARP, AUTHOR OFLIVING RICH BY SPENDING SMART

From the basics of couponing to many other advanced strategies, the Economides prove why they are the King and Queen of cheap! Beginners, intermediates, and even experts will find insightful strategies that will help them SAVE MONEY. More than a great read, this book is a resource I will keep coming back to over and over.

ASHLEY NUZZO, FOUNDER OF FRUGALCOUPONLIVING.COM

Shopping for and feeding three boys (four if you count my husband) can be a full-time job and eat up my whole paycheck. But, thanks to Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half, Ive discovered practical, simple strategies to save precious time and money and keep my ALWAYS hungry boys tummys filled.

JEAN BLACKMER, AUTHOR OFBOY-STEROUS LIVING
AND PUBLISHING MANAGER FOR MOPS INTERNATIONAL

Ive known Steve and Annette for several years and they definitely live what they believe. If youre serious about spending less money at the grocery store, this book offers some practical ways to achieve your goal. When it comes to stretching your dollar, I know of no one with more experience than Steve and Annette.

JJ HELLER, SINGER/SONGWRITER

Cut Your Grocery Bill
in Half
with Americas
Cheapest Family

Includes So Many Innovative Strategies
You Wont Have to Cut Coupons

Steve and Annette Economides
(aka Americas Cheapest Family)

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with Americas Cheapest Family

2010 by Steve and Annette Economides

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Economides, Steve.

Cut your grocery bill in half with Americas cheapest family : includes so many innovative strategies you wont have to cut coupons / Steve and Annette Economides.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4002-0283-6 (alk. paper)
1. Grocery shoppingUnited States. 2. Consumer educationUnited States. 3. Low budget cookingUnited States. 4. Finance, PersonalUnited States. I. Economides, Annette. II. Title.
TX356.E36 2010
640.73dc22

2010025077

Printed in the United States of America
10 11 12 13 VG 6 5 4 3 2 1

We dedicate this book
to three very influential people in our lives:

To Annettes best friend, Dianne Guastella, you were always better
at junior high social studies, high school chemistry,
and coupon savings at the grocery store.

To Steves college gymnastics coach, Don Robinson, you taught me
to persist until I succeeded and to want to rather than have to.

And to the memory of recording artist Keith Green,
who lived his passion and ignited ours.

Contents

Bonus Material
More Ways Singles and Empty Nesters Can Save a Boodle

N o book is ever the work of just one or two people. We are so grateful for the hundreds of friends who have supported and encouraged us along our frugal journey and through the writing of this book.

To our AmericasCheapestFamily.com familythank you for buying our books and recommending them to your friends. You inspire us with your frugal tips and success stories.

To booksellers across the world who have carried and recommended our book thanks for the vote of confidence.

Steve Laubethank you for being an awesome literary agent and believing that every family in the world would want to save money on groceries.

Thomas Nelson staffthank you for trusting our message of frugality and working diligently to produce an awesome book.

Win Holdenhow can we thank you for your patience and kindness. Your excellent advice has been a lifesaver to us and foundational to our success.

To our media friends in TV, newspapers, magazines, radio, and onlinethank you for embracing our message and helping us spread the word that frugality frees and debt destroys.

Lynour office simply wouldnt run without your part-time help. Thanks for doing whatever is needed at the moment. Youre a gem!

To our advisory board and prayer teamthank you for your encouragement, support, and wise counsel.

To our kidsas you all leave the nest and venture into independence we are nothing but proud parents. Thank you for proving to the world that frugal values can be caught and enjoyed.

1
Cut Your Grocery Bill
in Half (or More)

C ut my grocery bill in half? Youve got to be kidding!

When you hear the phrase, Cut your grocery bill in half, what do you envision? Do you see a harried homemaker, spending hours each day running from one grocer to another, piling her cart with a mountain of sale items? Or is it the coupon queenclipping coupons for hours on endand then standing in line for thirty minutes while the checker scans her 2-inch pile of coupons? Or could it possibly be that you see a family eating rice and beans every day?