Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever busy lives. We may imagine that we are saving time by dashing in, roaming the aisles and throwing whatever looks good into the cart. Most often, what we end up with is repetitive, nutritionally unbalanced meals and ballooning grocery bills. Maybe worse, we have frequent fast-food stops and pizza calls.

Brighten your meals and save time and money by planning ahead – an added bonus you may even save a few calories. Here are some more money saving tips:

• Before you visit the grocery store each week, check out the Sunday circulars. Clip coupons while you watch television or get your children to lend a hand. Organization is the key to the coupon game, so invest in an accordion coupon file. Trust me, it’s infinitely easier than rifling through small slips of paper or finding yourself without the coupon you need when you get to the store.
• Look through the food section of your local newspaper. You’ll get some great ideas about bargains to look for as well as what produce, seafood, etc. is in season. The circulars and the food section are two places to begin building a weekly menu, that isn’t boring, on a budget. It’s also a good idea to comb the Internet. There are a wealth of sites offering ideas for budget menus.
• Consider joining a shopping club such as Sam’s or Costco. If you don’t have the storage space, but would like to benefit from the savings and convenience of buying in bulk share the bounty with a friend. You can each take a turn shopping from a list once a month or so.
• Keep your receipts for a month or longer and notice the high, low and average prices on the items you buy most. When the price hits its low, buy a few so that you can skip it when it slides into the high range.
• Experiment with 5 ingredient meals. There are a number of books, videos and web sites that help you make great meals with only a few ingredients, even on weeknights.
• Check out sites on the internet for information on rebates, refunds, freebies and other savings. If you do take advantage of rebates, complete forms meticulously and keep copies of receipts, UPC, proof of purchase documentation and contact information for the vendor.
• Include your local grocer’s weekly circular in your savings plan. When store sales are coupled with the savings cards now offered by many grocers you can save hundreds of dollars each year.
• Pay attention to promotions. Some grocer’s offer rewards if you spend the target amount within a specified period. Rewards generally include a percentage off of your grocery bill at a later date or cash back.
• Curb impulse buying. Grocers have developed their floor plans with your dollars in mind; the object, get as many as possible with proper product placement. Learn the layout of your store and make a beeline to your destination. Temptation is especially tough in the check out aisles. Fight the urge to succumb to these powerful marketing practices by making, and sticking to, a list.
• Try not to shop when you are starved. It makes sense that you are more vulnerable to impulse buying when you are hungry.
• Make a budget and take a calculator to the store.
• Compare prices. Store brands are not necessarily least expensive. Take just a moment to scan the shelves for best prices on the items you buy. When comparison shopping, make sure to take note of per unit costs.
• Look below eye level. Bargain priced items are often shelved below eye level and out of your immediate view.

Grocery shopping can take a big chunk out of your budget if you are not careful. With just a small investment of time you will realize savings that you can take to the bank.

 

 

If you’re not using coupons to save money on your grocery bill, then you’re spending a lot more for your groceries than you have to. Use these simple tips to save big at the grocery store—without sacrificing quality.

Check your Sunday newspaper
The advertising circulars in your local Sunday paper are an excellent place to find coupons. You’ll find special coupons for drugstores and other stores too. And there’s no rule that says you can’t buy soda at the drugstore—especially if you have a buy one get one free coupon!

Take special notice of the expiration dates
Maybe you don’t need to stock up on tissue or juice right now. Many can be clipped and used at a later time.

Use a coupon organizer
This makes it simple to find and use your coupons to save money anytime you find yourself in a grocery store or drugstore.

Make a grocery list
Then match your coupons to what you need to purchase. And don’t buy anything that’s not on your list, whether you have a coupon or not. Impulse buying can add a lot of money to your grocery budget.

Look for online coupons
There are many sites that offer coupons on a regular basis and these coupons make it easy to save money. Some sites have newsletters and coupon specials, all you have to do is sign up for them.  It’s worth taking the time to do it. Often online coupons offer more savings than newspaper coupons do.

Don’t forget about rebates
A lot of supermarkets and grocery stores have rebate centers. And rebates are a great way to save money. In fact, they often provide more savings than coupons.

Shop on double discount days
This way you double your savings on grocery items. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to save money on your groceries by doing this. In fact, you may save so much money, that you can comfortably afford to go out to dinner—often!

Smart shopping at the grocery store can help you save money. But smart shopping is more than just clipping coupons and buying things on sale. It requires having a shopping strategy. You see, grocery stores are professionally designed, and laid out to get you to spend as much money as possible. By learning some of their secrets and techniques, you can help keep money in your pocket.

To help you improve your saving money habits, here are some grocery store spending and saving tips and advice.

ON SALE ITEMS TO AVOID
The grocery store is professionally organized to get you to spend as much money as possible. Often, “on sale” items are displayed at the front of the store or at the end of isles. Don’t assume that these items are actually a bargain, since the manufacturers or distributors of those products are actually paying to display their products.

BUY ONLY WHAT YOU NEED AND CAN AFFORD
Before grocery shopping, write a list of the items you need. Then, when shopping, only buy those items. Avoid putting other things in your cart that catch your eye. Supermarkets want to take advantage of people buying things they did not intend to purchase, so be a smart shopper and use a shopping list.

Also, don’t buy more than what you can afford. You are probably better off using cash than a credit card, if using a credit card puts you into debt. If you only bring the money you intend to spend, then you can’t spend any more.

AVOID CONVENIENCE ITEMS
Don’t purchase items that are convenience items, such as prepared vegetables or pre-made sandwiches. These items are more costly, and you are better off buying your own ingredients and making them yourself.

BUY ITEMS IN BULK?
Buying items in bulk used to be cheaper. However, these days stores figured out that they could actually charge more, without consumers realizing it. The bigger box of cereal may actually be more expensive than the smaller box. Therefore, the best bet is to comparison shop and see if you are actually getting a better bargain.

CHECK THE ENTIRE SHELF
Grocery stores will often place the higher priced items at eye-level. Again, consumers choose more items to buy from eye level. So look at the top and bottom of the shelf for potential better bargains.
Also, often the healthier (and less expensive) items are more difficult to find. Packaged, prepared foods are more costly and generate bigger profits, so try to find the healthier items.

KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS
If after shopping you discover that the store or another store that has products you purchased advertised at a lower price, keep your receipt and go back to the store to ask for a discount.

TRACK PRICES
Keep track of the prices you are paying for items you often purchase. Then keep that list with you when you shop. That way, if something is “on sale” you will know if it is really a sale or not. If you find a good discount, then buy enough extras, if the item does not spoil.

HAPPINESS AND SHOPPING
Many people shop just to feel good. Shopping helps make you happy. However, to save money, you need to keep your emotions in check — always remember to stick to your budget and your shopping list.

DON’T SHOP ON AN EMPTY STOMACH
Don’t shop when you are hungry. People tend to buy more, and a larger amount of the things they don’t need when they are hungry, so always shop with a full stomach. Also, prepare to dress more warmly, since supermarkets are often cold, because the cold temperatures actually makes you hungry so you buy more!

BUY THE DEALS – AVOID THE REST
One shopping technique is to shop more often, and focus your shopping on the special deals given by the store. Then go visit other stores to buy their special promotions. Many stores rely on the fact that you will buy more than the specials, to make their money and maximize profits. However, you must remain disciplined and don’t be tricked into spending more than you plan when entering the store.

OTHER SUGGESTIONS
Try to buy generic, no name brands when possible. Especially for staples such as flour, salt, etc.