Tips & Tricks to Save Money at the Grocery Store

Although employment rates continue to rise throughout the country, there are still many families who struggle each week to purchase affordable yet healthy food from the grocery store. Everyone can benefit from saving money when shopping. My family looks to save money everywhere we can.

The Sunday before the Saturday that I shop, I get the sales circular from both stores that I visit, usually from the local paper or I look online, and scan the sales carefully. According to what's on sale, I make a menu for the week. For example, if boneless skinless chicken breasts are on sale that week, I'll make a supper one night from that. Or, if the bread I usually buy is on sale, I'll get two. I'll use one and freeze the other. If any staple items are on sale and I need them, I'll add them. I make a grocery list according to my menu and the sale prices at the stores.

I try do my grocery shopping early on Saturday morning, when the store is not very crowded. It's rare that I shop at any other time unless we run out of a crucial item or I forgot something. I have a plan in place every week for exactly what I will purchase and how much it will cost. I only shop at two stores and I pass one to get to the other so neither is out of the way.

Buy only the items on your grocery list. Impulse buying can be the death of a budget shopper. Once you get used to this process, this is easier than you think. Occasionally, I'll plan to buy something and the store is out of that item. In that case, I make a substitution that closely matches the price of the original item that I wanted.

You don't have to be an extreme couponer to benefit from clipping coupons. I love coupons. One store I use doubles coupons up to $.50 and gives away coupons when you check out. There are several online sites where you can print coupons, like www.couponmom.com, www.smartsource.com and www.coupons.com. I also try to use as many store-brand items as I can. Of course, there are always those name-brand favorites in your household. If that is the case, I go to the brand's website to see if they are offering coupons or rebates. I also always apply for a store's shopper's card if offered for additional discounts.

With some careful pre-planning, It's easy to shop for groceries on a budget. Using these tips can save up to $50 a month on groceries. That's something we can all use!