Tips for Saving at the Grocery Store

When it comes to saving money, the general consensus is that to save money you need to spend less. But sometimes it can be difficult to figure out where to cut back on spending. One good place to start: the grocery store. After all, we have to eat and it’s pretty much common knowledge that it’s cheaper to eat at home than to go out to restaurants all the time. Because this cost is basically a fixed cost in everyone’s budget, it’s important to maximize on saving money at the grocery store whenever possible. So the next time you’re about to head out to do your grocery shopping, make sure you’re equipped with these tips:

1. Shop sales ahead of time

Those flyers for your local grocery stores that you get every week are full of different promotions and sales going on so you should always browse through them first. There’s nothing worse than buying a certain item and then heading to the next store on your list only to find said item cheaper at the second place, so do your homework.

2. Cut coupons

Yes, cutting coupons takes time, but it also can add up to a good amount of savings at the register, which makes it worth the time spent clipping. Be sure to read the fine print on the coupons too – some coupons and stores will allow you to stack coupons (meaning you are able to use more than one coupon on the same product), allowing you to save even more.

 3. Browse the bulk bins

For whatever reason people seem to shy away from bulk bins, but if you’re going to regularly be buying a product such as oatmeal or cashews then why not utilize the bulk bins? They’re usually much cheaper than buying pre-packaged portions and you can weigh out exactly how much you’ll need.

4. Buy seasonal produce

Prices spike when produce goes out of season because of the extra work that has to be done to get that produce into the store, such as transportation costs and preservation costs. Sticking to seasonal produce means lower prices and fresher foods.

5. Buy the store brands

The majority of the time generic, store brand products contain all of the same ingredients as name brand products, just with a cheaper price tag. Check the labels before you buy to see if there’s a reason you should be paying more, such as different, higher quality ingredients in the name brand, or if you’re just paying for the brand name label.

Saving money at the grocery store is one of the easiest places to cut back on spending. Set a budget ahead of time and then work to incorporate these easy tweaks to slash your grocery bill when you’re checking out.

About the Author 

Jack Meyer is a regular contributor for http://www.nannybackgroundcheck.com/. As a detective he wants to spread the knowledge of terrible things that can happen when people don’t fully verify the credentials of a caregiver or any employee. He also writes for various law enforcement blogs and sites.