Save Money On Your Grocery Bill

Save Money On Your Grocery Bill

We've all heard about certain ways to cut your grocery bill like
avoiding the grocery store when you're hungry, using coupons on
double coupons day, and buying only the items on your list. These
are all good tips and we should keep using them. However, I've
found a few pointers that might help you save even more on your
grocery bill.

The first thing you need to do after you've made your grocery list
is to try to figure the total cost of your grocery bill. Make sure
you've got everything on the list that you'll need because after
you've made an educated guess you're going to go to your purse (or
wallet), take out the cash and leave the rest behind. Believe me, this
will definitely cut back on the unnecessary extras because you won't
have the credit cards to fall back on. And if you're like me, you'd
rather be hung upside down by your toe nails than be found short
at the check out.

Don't be afraid to look on the day-old bread rack or in the "about
to expire" section of the meat department. You have to be careful,
but you'll probably be able to tell whether the item is good. Just
make sure to use it right away, don't let it sit in your refrigerator
for a week. Who knows, it just might "meat" your expectations and
save you money in the process!

Another thing to think about is the time of day, time of week and
even time of month that you are shopping. I've found that early in the
morning and in the middle of the week is when the grocery stores
are less busy and you'll be able to get more efficient shopping done.
Be careful not to go on the first day or two of the month. Some
stores have been known to raise prices because that is the time that
social security and welfare checks go out.

Buy in bulk when it makes sense. If you're shopping at Costco
or Sam's Club you still need to comparison shop. I've found that
some of the items are just as inexpensive at our local grocery store and there
have been times when Costco's or Sam's Club prices where higher.
So most of the time it makes sense for me to get most of our groceries
at my local store because we live two hours away from Sam's Club

Look high and low for savings, literally. The grocery stores purposely
place the higher-priced name brand items at eye level. The lower
priced generic and store brands are usually higher and lower than the
brand name items. Remember that the generic brand or store brand
isn't always the less expensive. Some stores I've been to list the
cost per ounce, or per item (trash bags) so be sure to compare these
prices when shopping.

Last but not least, if you've got kids at home try to find another mom
to trade shopping times with. It's a lot easier to shop without kids,
you won't be tempted to buy extras just to keep them quiet and you'll
have more time to comparison shop. Your chances of having an enjoyable
shopping experience will go up as well as their chances for survival!