Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Money/Health

Media Credit: Emily Hartwig

Senior Brian Whitemarsh doesn't spend a lot of money on food, he said. In fact, he saves money on food by having disciplined tastes.

"I eat things that aren't necessarily the tastiest, but have nutritional value and are cheaper," he said. "(I) avoid sweets totally. They are more expensive and rarely have any nutritional value."

Whitemarsh, who spends $100 to $150 on food each month, said he also saves money by buying non-perishable foods instead of pre-made foods because they last longer. One example that he said saves him a couple dollars is buying frozen orange juice from concentrate, instead of fresh squeezed.

Whitemarsh's tips are among the many that can help students avoid spending too much on groceries. In addition to tricks students like Whitemarsh have learned, grocery stores around the area provide deals for shoppers to save money on food.

Although Whitemarsh doesn't take the time to cut coupons, he does have a Pick 'n Save Advantage Plus card, which offers many in-store discounts at his Eau Claire grocery store of choice - Mega Pick 'n Save West.

As for eating at a restaurant, Whitemarsh only goes about twice a month. He said he doesn't really look around for specials when dining out, but still tries to save money.

"Find the dinner that is cheaper and has the most food," he said. "That way you won't get hungry later and (you'll) save money by not snacking at home."

Whitemarsh said his diet mostly consists of the bare essentials to stay healthy and the main components of his diet are water, chicken breasts, brown rice and bean and cheese burritos. He said it's easy to save money on food - you just have to make the decision.

Senior Katie Torpen works at Festival Foods in Eau Claire and said the best way to save money there is through coupons and in-store discounts. Coupons come out every week in the paper, can be found at the front of the store, or can be printed off from their Web site, festfooods.com, she said.

Torpen said she saves money on food by buying generic brands because they tend to be cheaper. She also said she does things such as buying frozen bread dough, rather than bags of bread, because it's healthier and costs less.

"I buy stuff when it's on sale even if I'm not going to use it until next week," she said. "Meat is expensive, so I only buy it when it's on sale and then I save it and freeze it."

Torpen said she spends at least $100 on food each month and always makes sure to stock up on items when they are on sale, which is easy to do since she works at a grocery store. In addition to buying generic products and stocking up on sale items, Torpen said another way to save money on food is by not shopping when you're hungry and shopping with a list.

"Think of everything you need and stick to your list," she said. "Otherwise it's easy to say, 'I'll get that, I want that.'"

Torpen said she doesn't go out to dinner very often but if she finds a coupon for a nice restaurant, she'll use it. When she does go out, Torpen saves money by splitting her meal with someone else, or taking home leftovers for an additional meal or two, she said.

Senior Nicole Luedeke also saves money by sharing with others, she said. She saves money by not always cooking for only herself, but rather sharing meals with roommates so they also get a more diverse nutritional intake.

Luedeke, an employee at Mega Pick 'n Save West, said the best way to save money there is by looking at ads, which come out Sunday through Saturday. Owning an Advantage Plus card also helps save money by providing additional discount on certain items, and helping save money on gas, she said. Certain items in the store have "Mega mile" tags on them worth different point levels, Luedeke said. Each point represents a cent off a gallon of gas, she said.

Vivian King, director of Public Affairs for Roundy's Supermarkets, said they have a lot of opportunities for customers to save. Roundy's Supermarkets consist of Pick 'n Save, Copps and Rainbow Foods, she said.

King said the best way for people in Eau Claire to save money at Pick 'n Save and Copps is by having a Pick 'n Save Advantage Plus card or a Copps Key Savings Club card, which are essentially the same thing. The cards are free and only take a minute to sign up for, she said.

"In addition to discounts off individual items, we have ongoing promotional events that go throughout the year," she said. "On the last Wednesday of each month coupons are worth double, which results in tremendous savings."

She said currently they are doing a promotion called "Bonus Days," which goes until Nov. 7 and gives customers three ways to save. The first deal, "Bonus Bucks" gives customers 10 percent off their next grocery order, as long as they spend at least $30.

The second deal is called "Bonus Buys" which "allows customers to earn extra cash discounts off their next qualified shopping order when they buy weekly Bonus Buy items and a specified quantity," according to a Roundy's supermarkets press release.

King said each week the Bonus Buy item is different, and encourages people to stock up on the item when it's cheap.

The third "Bonus Days" deal is "Bonus Days Advertised Specials," which are in the Pick 'n Save and Copps grocery ads each week and provide an extra discount, King said.

Whitemarsh said being aware of your budget is key to saving money on groceries.

"You just have to stay disciplined; know your spending limit, and stay within it," Whitemarsh said. "Just ask yourself, 'Do I really need this?' Don't spoil yourself. You can do that when you're out of college."

Don't feel like cooking? Find deals every night of the work week

Mondays: Northwoods Brew Pub & Grill, 3560 Oakwood Mall Drive
• Cheeseburger, fries and a 20-ounce pint of beer (or a soda), $5.99

Tuesdays: Buffalo Wild Wings, 4612 Keystone Crossing
• "Wing Tuesdays" 40-cent wings

Wednesdays: Grizzly's Grill N' Saloon, 2620 Clairemont Ave.
• 2 pounds of chicken wings and a 60-ounce pitcher of beer for $11.99 or 1 pound of chicken wings and 22-ounce beer for $7.99

Thursdays: Court'n House Bar & Grill, 113 West Grand Ave.
• 2-for-1 burgers

Fridays: Applebees, 4745 Golf Road, Northwoods Brew Pub & Grill, or Court'n House
•All-you-can-eat fish fry.

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