Basic Grocery List

If you're trying to get your household budget under control, making a basic grocery list is a smart idea.

Test your grocery shopping skills with a fun quiz from LoveToKnow Save.

Grocery shopping doesn't rate high on the list of fun household chores for most people. However, having a basic grocery list of cheap and healthy foods can make this task a bit easier.

If you're trying to cut costs, LoveToKnow Save recommends adding the following items to your grocery list:

• Pasta: Atkins diet fans aside, pasta can easily be incorporated in to many nutritious and inexpensive meals. Stock linguine, rotini, penne, and elbow macaroni. The classic college student staples of ramen noodles and macaroni and cheese are also quite cheap, but not healthy enough to eat on a regular basis. Try mixing whole wheat pasta with regular varieties for a more healthy and filling alternative.
• Rice: More than just the basis for many great stir fry dishes, rice is an excellent alternative to pasta. Instead of white rice, however, look for the more nutritious brown rice or wild rice.
• Beans: Beans are a staple in vegetarian diets because they're a great source of protein. Beans and rice may be the classic frugal meal idea, but there are many other recipes to consider as well. Try making a yummy three-bean soup or bean burritos.
• Potatoes: French fries and potato chips aren't healthy, but a bag of regular whole potatoes is both inexpensive and nutritious. Experiment with fun baked potato toppings to make a number of quick and easy meals.
• Eggs: Eggs are a great kitchen staple for someone on a tight budget. You can enjoy scrambled eggs for breakfast or make your own homemade version of McDonald's Egg McMuffin. For lunch, try adding eggs to some fried rice with veggies. Hard-boiled eggs make a simple yet healthy snack.
• Pancake mix: When you're in a hurry, nothing beats a "just add water" pancake mix for a cheap and easy meal. Children especially love the novelty of the occasional "breakfast for dinner" meal.
• Tuna: Tuna salad sandwiches may be the most obvious thing you can think of to do with this cheap grocery staple, but tuna can also be used to add protein to several different pasta and rice dishes.
• Ground turkey: Significantly cheaper than ground beef, ground turkey is also quite low in fat.
• Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables: If you're on a tight budget, or simply don't want to worry about your produce spoiling before you have a chance to eat it, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are a smart choice.

A nice assortment of spices and seasonings may also be a good idea to keep in your kitchen. Just by changing the spices and seasonings used, you can make several different variations of the same basic meal.

Once you've made your grocery list, it's time to go shopping. Here are a few helpful frugal living tips to make sure you get the most for your money:

• Shop at more than one grocery store. If possible, review the ads from every grocery store in your area each week. Sale cycles vary, but you can usually find what you need on sale someplace.
• Look for store brands. Many of the items on the basic grocery list are so simple that there is no difference between the cheaper store brand products and more expensive namebrand counterparts.
• Use coupons when possible. While it's true that most coupons are for processed food, you can occasionally find printable online coupons for rice, canned veggies, and other necessities. Coupons.com and Smart Source are two good resources to get you started.
• Create a kitchen pantry. Staples like beans, pasta, and rice all have a long shelf life, so it makes sense to stock up whenever you can find a good deal. If you don't have room to store these extra items in your kitchen, look for a small spot someplace else in your home. Even a spare shelf in your home office can double as a tiny pantry in a pinch.

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