Grocery Shopping Tips

MAKE A LIST AND STICK TO THE ITEMS ON THAT LIST!!! It is very easy to buy items at the supermarket on a whim, and sticking to a list will help you control that urge and save money in the process.

Shop on a full stomach. Once again, you are more likely to make un-wise "impulse purchases" if you are hungry at the time you are shopping.

Bigger packages (i.e. "bulk packages") are not always the most cost-effective. Compare the unit prices of items that you can find on their pricing labels to see how you would save the most money.

If you are just making a quick trip to the store for one or two items (such as milk or eggs), try not to use a shopping basket or cart, as you will find yourself far less likely to buy more unnecessary items this way.

Try as much as possible to make one large shopping trip, as opposed to several smaller trips. The more trips you make into the supermarket, the more likely you are to spend more money than you need to.

If possible, try to grocery shop by yourself. People who shop in groups are more likely to spend money on unnecessary items.

If you are a coupon clipper, clip coupons only for items that you actually need. You may save money by using coupons, but you're not really saving money if you're purchasing an item that you would not have purchased in the first place.

One store will not have the absolute lowest price on all items. Look carefully at sale prices at various stores and comparison shop. If you're at one store and you know an item costs less at another, if it's something you can live without, wait until you get a chance to go to the other store to get it.

If you find yourself perusing the magazines while in the checkout aisle and then buying them, consider a subscription to those magazines, as it will be cheaper then buying them at the check-out each week. Also, if you find yourself buying items such as batteries or nail clippers in the checkout aisle, try to wait until you are at a discount store to purchase those items, since they are generally more expensive at the supermarket.

If a store is offering a sale, such as two of one item for four dollars, check the unit price label carefully and the phrasing of the product description. If you only need one of the item, many times you can buy it for the same price (i.e. two for four dollars, or one for two dollars). But, check carefully, as this may NOT always be the case!

Grocers put the staple items (bakery, produce, meat, and dairy) around the perimeter of the store. Thus, if you need just a gallon of milk or a head of lettuce, you have to walk past every single tempting "end cap." That's the retailing term for the ends of the grocery aisles, where stores stock impulse items (for example, a big cookie display right next to the milk). Beware!!!

Save money on vegetables by choosing the kind that's best suited for your recipe. If the veggies are the "star" of your dish, choose the best-looking ones you can find. If they're in a supporting role, as in a soup or casserole, the store-brand canned veggies work just fine! For example, fresh tomatoes are great if you're using them in a salad or slicing them for sandwiches, but canned tomatoes are perfectly fine if you're cooking them in chili or soup.

When shopping for staple items (flour, sugar, canned goods, etc.), don't be afraid to try the store brand! The vast majority of store-brand products are equal in quality to the brand-names, and in some cases, are made or packed by the manufacturer of brand-name products.

For example, Ralcorp Holdings, which recently purchased the Post cereal line from Kraft Foods, makes breakfast cereals for a number of major national and regional supermarket chains, as well as cookies, crackers and other dry grocery products.

If you're uncertain, you can always buy one or two packages to try--chances are, however, you'll continue buying them after seeing how much money you're saving...

Those pre-packed containers of celery sticks, carrot sticks, chopped onions, etc., look very convenient, but you can invest in a good knife and a chopping board (to do your own veggie preparation) for the extra money you're spending to have someone cut your vegetables for you!