There's little left in the pantry or refrigerator. The only things sitting in the fridge is a jar of mayonnaise, the water jug, and that old leftover from eating Chinese food. With a stomach growling, we sit down and make a list of what is needed. Then off to the store we go...

Establishing a list to go by before going to the grocery store is something everyone can relate to (hopefully you do this already). The process of putting together this list may differ but the overall outcome is to purchase enough groceries to satisfy the occupants of the home. Grocery shopping is a chore everyone must do. However, there are many steps one can take to save money instead of spending everything to buy items. The next time you are in the checkout line, make sure you have already practiced some of these tips.

• Never shop on an empty stomach. This is the number one rule when trying to save while shopping for groceries. Shopping for food while you are hungry will cause you to buy items that you don't need to purchase. For example, that package of chips may stay on the shelf if your mind (and stomach) wasn't helping you make the decision to purchase it. Studies have shown that people who shop while they are hungry are likely to spend about $20 to $50 dollars or more on their grocery tab. This overspending accounts for about a third of extra spending, so please eat a snack prior to shopping. Your pocketbook will thank you.
• Make a list of items needed. Itemize first what is necessary. Paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning formulas, baby food, diapers, and other items you use in the home should be listed first. Then list the staples such as milk, eggs, vegetables, and bread. Finally list whatever meat, produce, and other food items the household may need. This list will help keep you focused on what's important and helps to keep you from straying away towards items you don't need.
• Check the weekly circulars. Just about every grocery store has a sales flyer indicating what's on sale for the week. Spend time by looking through them when listing what you need for the house. It helps to also have coupons clipped from these circulars before embarking on your shopping trip. Pay special attention to the front page, as this is usually the area where you'll save the most on items.
• Shop without children. How many times have we heard the question, "Can I get this?" from a child. As if you have all the money in the world. Then your concentration is limited because you have another person to look out for. Leave the children at home where they can't ask for anything or dump anything into the shopping basket only to be found at the checkout counter. You spend more money if you bring the whole gang in with you.
• Clip the coupons. Don't be embarrassed about using coupons, as they are there to help you save money. Look for manufacturer coupons and store coupons. Using them is like having someone pay for a portion of your grocery tab. It's a nice feeling to know that someone else took the time to print these so you can save money. There are places online where you can have coupons printed up. A quick search on the Internet will list the sites where you can print out and use the coupons they list.
• Buy store brand items. I will admit, not everything can be bought if you only buy store brands. However, many items can be purchased without missing a beat on taste. Bread, milk, condiments, and other items can be bought at significant savings when you purchase the store brand.
• Don't pick up items at the checkout. The little racks that you see holding all the candy, gum, magazines, and other small items are called impulse sellers. Most times you don't add these things to your list and that's why they are there when you pull out your money. It's to make you spend on something extra you didn't originally plan to spend money on. Don't be a victim of this.
• Compare price with volume. A large item is marked on sale, however, a smaller size of the same item is cheaper, what do you do? Well, first check to see if the item you are looking at is weighed by ounces or pounds. Then calculate to see what will be the better deal for the buck. You'll notice that buying larger sizes generally doesn't mean you are saving money.
• Shop dollar stores for paper and health items. Refrain from purchasing toiletries and health items at grocery stores. Razors, hairspray, medicine, toilet paper, and other items can be purchased at a dollar store. Sometimes you can find deals where they have buy one get one free specials, but for the most part, you can find similar deals elsewhere.
• Don't buy food that's already prepared. Convenience foods are more costly than food you have to prepare. Pizzas, TV dinners, and deli items are notorious for having pricy sales tags. For example, pizza are usually priced around $3 to $7 dollars. For this amount, you can buy a pizza at Dominoes or some other pizza delivery place.
• Check the lower shelves. Many of the cheaper brands are found on the bottom or to the right of the shelf. These are items that generally taste the same but don't have the name brand sales tag. Don't forget to check the volume of weight before placing it in your shopping cart.
• Go to a meat store. If you have a large family, then this will be the way for you to go. A quick visit to a store that only specialize in selling meat by bulk will help save dividends sown the road. For instance, why purchase a small pack of hot dogs, when you can purchase a bundle for a few dollars more. These savings come in handy especially during the summer months when everyone is planning on grilling out or go on picnics. You can always store the excess in the freezer. Make sure you mark what meat it is and date the freezer bag.
• Collect rain checks for out of stock items. This is like having a coupon that has a grace period. What a rain check is supposed to do is honor the sale item for the sale price if the store doesn't have it in stock. These can be collected at the service counter. Just tell the clerk the item is not on the shelf and after they verify that it's not in the back stock, they will issue a coupon good for the next purchase of the same item. You can save the rain check for when you really need to use it.

Anyone of these tricks can be used when shopping for groceries. Personally, I use several of them and have seen my grocery bill decrease by 50% to 75%! While these figures may be different for you, depending on which state you live in and the cost of living there, you will still see very substantial savings just by using these time-tested tips. I will be covering more tips in my next column entitled, Grocery Store Saving Part II.