The next stop is the dairy section and for me, this is the hardest place in the store to save money because milk is so expensive. However, milk can be frozen and if you have the freezer space, stock up when it goes on sale, use a little off the top (to allow room for expansion) and place it in the bottom or back of your freezer where the temperature fluxes less.
Personally, I purchase my cheese when it goes on sale with a coupon just like everything else, but if it has been a while since I have seen a good deal on cheese, I will buy a huge bag at Sam’s Club and freeze it into smaller portions.
We use butter instead of margarine in our home and it can be expensive. We also use cream cheese occasionally. To save money, I will stock up around the holidays when the prices are at their lowest of the year. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter often yield huge savings for these baking necessities.
Other dairy can be found at reasonable prices on a regular sales rotation. Once again, a price book can help you spot these items at their rock-bottom pries. If you shop for yogurt or margarine, watch for coupons as these are available almost constantly.
Did you know that eggs can be frozen too? Just crack one open into each compartment of an ice cube tray and freeze them. Pop the blocks out when frozen and place into a freezer bag. When you need eggs, pull them out and allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight in a sealed container. Then, use as needed. Need boiled eggs? Just boil, peel and then freeze.
One word of caution for the dairy section… many people assume that store brands are always cheaper than name brands, especially when it comes to dairy products. From my personal experience, I have found that this is not always true. Watching the price per unit can help you discern which brand is the best deal and keep in mind too that if you can use a coupon on a sale price, the featured product might just be the best buy.
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