Lunch money is so . . . 1990s. Pack your kids lunchboxes with healthy meals and snacks, like a peanut-butter sandwich with crackers and an apple. It’s quick and economical.
Coupons have taken on new importance — The Promotion Marketing Association now reports that 97 percent of the people who do the majority of the shopping for their households use coupons at supermarkets.

Here is another use for leftover turkey. Waste not want not…
Prep Time: 15-20 minutes
Makes: 4 servings (wraps)
1/4 cup (50 mL) Knorr Spicy Caribbean Marinade
1/2 cup (125 mL) light mayonnaise
2 tbsp (30 mL) honey
3/4 tsp (3 mL) curry powder

Play it “Cool.” Before you leave the house, dress like you are heading out into the cold, even if it’s warm outside. Why? Well, grocery stores tend to be a bit chilly, and guess what? Experts say, if you are cold, it will make you put more food in your buggy. Being chillier makes you hungrier, and hungrier people buy more impulse food…

Bargain hunting in the grocery store isn’t just for hard-core coupon pros anymore.
With food prices climbing at a rate not seen in nearly 20 years and an economy …

Store brands have come a long way, and they’re paying off for grocers. There are a myriad of reasons for the store-brand offensive. First, supermarkets reap higher gross profit margins on their own brands compared with name brands — about 8 to 10 percentage points higher, said Jim Hertel, a managing partner with food retailing consultant Willard Bishop.
Additionally, because private-label products are less expensive, a robust private-label program can improve a traditional grocer’s “price image” to cost-conscious shoppers, Hertel said.
“Consumers are worried about their financial state,” Hale said. “They’re worried …

Gourmet Retailer: “Given the extreme volatility in current financial and employment markets, buying on deal will increasingly become the norm for cautious shoppers trying to balance the household budget, according to Nielsen’s Consumer Insight Magazine.
Promotions already represent a universally popular marketing tactic, with some $129 billion of promoted dollar sales rung up across all categories in food, drug and mass merchandise outlets (excluding coupons), according to Nielsen, in the year ending July 2008. Fully 35 percent of dollar sales were sold on promotion — temporary price reductions (TPRs) accounted for …