Jenna Says: Plan to Succeed

Jenna Umbriac, Manna’s dietitian, will be blogging about Councilwoman Valerie Ervin’s SNAP the Silence Challenge.

Saving money on your weekly food purchase begins before you even enter the grocery store.  Planning is the key to getting the healthiest food for your money.  So be SMART before you shop by following these money-saving tips:

S – Survey your inventory to avoid purchasing extras of any ingredients

M- Make a meal plan based on the foods you have.

A – Assemble a shopping list based on the meals you’d like to make.

R- Read the grocery store weekly flyer and cut out any coupons for the things you’d like to buy.

T- Take a list of the foods on your plan to avoid buying more than what you need.

Having a shopping list is important but that doesn’t mean your food detective work is over.  While you’re shopping there are many clues that point to the best deals.  Here are a few

• Use unit prices to compare different sized containers of the same food and get the best deal.  To find the unit price on an item, look for a small panel on the price tag that shows the price per ounce or per pound.

• Buy in bulk if/when the price is good but only if you can properly store the product and use it all before it goes bad.
• Store brands are typically cheaper than their name brand counterparts.
• Look above and below as you walk down the aisles…products at eye level may be more expensive.
• Check out the fresh, frozen, and canned variety of a certain product to find the best deal.

• Convenience often costs more so buy whole and do it yourself!
• Use the store bonus card for the biggest savings at the checkout.

How will these tips play out in my own shopping experience…stay tuned!

About Jenna Umbriac

Jenna Umbriac is Manna's dietitian. Since 1983, Manna has been feeding Montgomery County’s food insecure residents. In our 30 years of service Manna has served nearly 3 million people, 668,527 households, and distributed 45 million pounds of food. As the designated food bank for Montgomery County we are the main resource people turn to when they find themselves in need of food assistance. Manna delivers emergency food assistance through its three main programs: Food for Families, Smart Sacks, and Agency Food Distribution.

View all posts by Jenna Umbriac