Evelyn Romans | 

8 Super Easy Ways to Save on Milk

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The national average cost for a gallon of milk is $3.39—that's more expensive than a gallon of gas! My family of six consumes about three to four gallons of milk every week, which means enjoying milk can get pretty expensive. Fortunately, there are several ways to save:

 

1. Check for stock-up prices in weekly store ads.

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Each Wednesday, I make it a habit to check newspaper inserts or listed prices online for milk discounts. On Sundays, I look for any sale on milk at stores like CVS, Walgreens, and Target. The price for milk during these sales can be as good as 10 for $10 for half gallons. Purchase at least two and that's the equivalent of $2 a gallon. (This is when you stock up!)

 

2. Buy milk at gas stations and drugstores–they’re often $1 less than the prices you'll find at grocery stores.

There may be fewer types of milk offered, but you can save up to 20% a gallon. I've seen gas-station specials on milk for as low as 2 for $5.

 

3. Stock up when the price is right, and freeze what you can’t use right away.

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If I find a deal where half gallons are 10 for $10, I'll often buy 10 or even 20 gallons and freeze the ones I won't use right away. All you have to do is be sure you shake it well after you thaw it. (Freezing works best with skim milk.)

Get all the details on freezing milk.

4. Choose cheaper store brands that sell regional milk.

Brand-name milk like Borden, Dean's, and Horizon tends to be significantly more expensive than store brands. Store-brand milk is usually regional, which means it hasn't traveled as far to get to the store, and it tastes just as good as name-brand milk. Why pay more?

Related: 7 Easy Tips for Building a Better Stockpile

5. Save time by price matching.

 

Instead of driving around town trying to score the best price, I’ll just go to stores like Walmart and Target and ask them to match the competing store’s better deal. To price match at Walmart, just show the cashier the ad with the better price. At Target, head to the customer service desk, and they’ll verify the lower price there.

6. Use rebate apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51.

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Ibotta and Checkout 51 are just a couple of apps I use daily for added savings on almost everything I purchase—including milk. You can frequently get $0.20 – $0.50 off a gallon just by completing simple tasks like taking a one-question poll or watching a 20 second video. Just purchase the milk, upload the receipt to the app, and the rebate will be added to your account.

7. Replace liquid milk with powdered milk in recipes.

powdered-milk

Via Flickr

I once tried to use powdered milk for dinner, and my husband about divorced me. In truth, if I hadn't told him, I doubt he would have known the difference. If powdered milk doesn't appeal to you, use it exclusively for cooking and baking purposes. Try it in recipes that call for a lot of milk—like pudding. It's less expensive, and you can save the regular milk for drinking.

8. Know where to look for coupons.

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Coupons for Milk: national brands

Coupons for Milk: regional brands

Coupons for Milk: non-dairy options

 

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Related: 15 Ways to Get Meat Coupons Online

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