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Save Money on Cookies & Snacks Copyright © by Michelle Jones, Founder of GrocerySavingTips.com Tip # 1 - Bakery Cookies... as I've mentioned in the Bakery Tips section, be careful about purchasing cookies in the bakery department... 12 cookies for $2.99, or more? You've got to be kidding! We all know better! If you like cookies that much, please visit our Cookie Club site for tons of great cookie recipes - and make your own freshly baked cookies at home! You can also freeze most cookie dough and bake a fresh dozen any time you want, for a fraction of the cost. And not only will home baked cookies be healthier (and cheaper) for you and your family, they'll taste better too! Tip # 2 - Cookie Displays... are no longer contained in just one aisle, or in the bakery department, oh no! They are now set up on display all over the store! The good news is, the ones that are set up on special display throughout the store are usually the ones on sale. And if they are not on sale it's because they were on sale and the employees just haven't had time to move them back to the cookie aisle yet. So if you have to buy store bought cookies, just please buy them on sale!!! Tip # 3 - Don't buy your favorite type of cookie; buy a type that you like, but don't love - they're guaranteed to last a lot longer. ( I learned this tip from my grandmother! ) Tip # 4 - Small bags of potato chips, Fritos, Cheetoes, Doritos, etc... make handy school snacks for children, and for road trips, but buying the convenient cases of them may not be such a great idea. Companies know mom needs a break in preparing snacks so they can get away with charging extra, for packaging just a small handful of chips! So, unless the cases (or large variety bags) are on a great sale, I simply buy large bags of my children's favorite chips (whatever's on sale each week) and divide them up into zip bags myself! ( I also buy the "snack size" zip bags in bulk for dividing up Cheetoes and pretzels, since they take up less room than potato chips.) Tip # 5 - Fresh fruit or cut up veggies make great snacks and cost a lot less then packaged foods. Buy apples and oranges by the bag but check them thoroughly to make sure each piece is in good shape. Try serving them to your children just a few times a week to get them used to a healthier snack! Tip # 6 - When buying carrots and celery for snacks it's best to buy them uncut and prepare them at home yourself, the packaged varieties will just about always cost much more! However, my kids love those baby carrots so I do buy them occasionally... but only when they go on sale!!! Tip # 7 - Cut up broccoli and cauliflower also make great snacks too, especially with a little ranch dressing for dipping. ( By the way, if you prefer name brand salad dressings ALWAYS use a coupon! ) This would be good for afternoon or summer snacks when children are out of school, so you won't have to prepare dipping containers that travel! ;o) Tip # 8 - Another snack my children love is Nutri-grain fruit bars, but in some stores they cost a dollar more than the store brands. Needless to say, I've been buying the store brands ever since they came out on the market (unless I have a double coupon or they're on a great sale!) You can also make your own fruit bars at home, here's a simple recipe I've been using for 10 years, since my 13 year old was just a toddler...
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