30 Ways to Save Money at the Food Store

1. Don’t shop when you are hungry, studies show you will spend 20% more if you do. 2. Buy spices and herbs at the bulk food store, they are cheaper there.
3. Get a rain check for any out-of-stock sale items.
4. Send a man to shop at the store. Men tend to only buy what’s on the shopping list.
5. Leave your kids at home. Children are more likely to influence you to buy impulse items.
6. Look at www.mycoupons.com. It has manufacturer’s coupons that you may not find elsewhere. Just click them and print them.
7. Shop in the evening for the best meat bargains. Look for items that will soon expire, they will be the cheapest and marked down at the end of the day.
8. Check your recipes when you’re making your shopping list to only buy the ingredients you need.
9. Avoid shopping right before big holidays and other heavy traffic times as some stores may increase their prices at that time.
10. If you’re buying perishable items, make sure to include it in several meals so you don’t end up with spoiled vegetables.
11. Filter your own water and fill your own water bottles.
12. Find oranges on sale and squeeze them yourself. It costs less than prepared juice and it also tastes better.
13. Don’t buy packaged salad greens - they’re very expensive.
14. Buy day-old bread for homemade croutons and bread pudding.
15. Try to find a grocery store that will honor other store’s prices and coupons so you’ll never miss a bargain.
16. Get to know store employees. They may markdown that day’s items early if you are a regular customer.
17. Look at the end of the aisles in the grocery store. Many store specials are displayed there.
18. Carry a small calculator and keep a total of what’s in your cart. That way you will buy fewer items that you don’t really need because you are constantly tracking your spending.
19. Items near the entrance to a store are often cheaper because they are meant to get you in the door. Take a look at them for bargains.
20. Join a warehouse club with a friend. You can split the big packages for big savings.
21. Look in every aisle; similar products are often different prices in different parts of the store. For instance cheese is more expensive at the deli counter than it is in the dairy section.
22. Look at the bottom of the shelf.
It’s loaded with inexpensive stuff. The expensive things are always at eye level.
23. Think about using seasonal items. Fresh produce that is in-season is cheaper.
24. Avoid buying non-food items in the grocery store. Some of these items may be infl ated in price.
25. Use a frequent-shopper card if you can to get discounts.
26. Concentrate on sales rather than on coupons. Coupons may just be available for high-priced items that you wouldn’t buy otherwise.
27. Go for the items that are not in fancy packaging. Products in fancy packaging are more expensive than their no-name counterparts
28. Unless you’re buying meat, always go to a discount grocery store.
29. Stay away from high-priced convenience and snack foods. If you can make it yourself you will save a lot of money.
30. Buy one good cookbook and make your own meals from scratch. Never buy frozen prepared meals.

Scrooge