Ten Tips to Save Money on Your Grocery Bill   by Dave Lizard

in Investment    (submitted 2012-02-01)

Have you ever tried to figure out ways to lower your family's grocery bill? Each of the ten tips detailed below are simple to integrate into your lifestyle and will almost assuredly lead to a lower grocery bill.

1. Make a conscious effort to go to the grocery store only one time a week. By making only a single grocery shopping trip each week you will both save money on gas and be less likely to make impulse buys.

2. Create three or four menu schedules that can be rotated each week of a given month. Since you will already know exactly what ingredients you need to have on hand for each menu, you won't buy perishable items that will spoil before you have a chance to use them, thus saving money.

3. Make separate shopping lists for each menu schedule you created. Prior to shopping for a given menu, look over your pantry and mark-off any ingredients you already have in your kitchen. This way, you will not purchase excessive amounts of a particular item.

4. Be sure to take advantage of coupons in your local newspaper and online. You should utilize individual retailers' free reward point systems in addition to both store and manufacturer coupons. Furthermore, buy store brands whenever possible and don't be afraid of buying non-perishables, such as canned goods, at discount stores.

5. Before you go to the grocery store, try to eat a snack or meal. If you feel full while you are shopping for groceries, you are more likely to stick to your list and not impulse buy.

6. When you go to the grocery store, try to go without other family members accompanying you. The fewer people you have with you, the lower the odds that you will be persuaded to buy items that aren't on your shopping list.

7. Try to go to the store as soon as you wake up. By shopping early, you have a much great chance of finding manager's special and other markdowns that are sold out by afternoon. Delis and bakeries typically offer the largest morning discounts.

8. Try to avoid purchasing impulse items, such as magazines, that are placed in check-out lanes. In the long run, purchasing only the items on your grocery list will save you quite a bit of money!

9. Find a place to store your receipts from grocery shopping. Doing this can help you easily keep track of your spending.

10. Stock-up on sandwich bags that you can use to freeze bulk purchases for later. Learn how to save money. Meat, for instance, is an ideal item to purchase in bulk when it is on sale and save to use later.

Making just a few subtle changes to how you shop can save you quite a lot of money when you are grocery shopping. See money saving tips. Implement these tips into your shopping routine and you will be saving money in no time.

About the Author

Dave Lizard