What is the Best Way to Save Money on Groceries?

There are an abundant number of ways to save money on your groceries. Some take a little preplanning and others require only that you take along a calculator. By saving a little each week, you can dramatically reduce the cost of your groceries on an annual basis and tuck away some money for those super sales.

Considerations

Use coupons. Find coupons at the store's website, in the newspaper, online at coupon sites and in mail flyers. Only save the coupons of products you use. Compare the cost of the product to other brands after you take the coupon off the price. Get a coupon carrier to organize them and always carry it with you to save money on your groceries at unexpected stops.

Size

See if size counts. If you buy in bulk, you may not always save. Use the calculator to find out. Divide the number of ounces into the price to find the price per ounce. Some manufacturers may price larger containers just under twice the price of the smaller one, but they don't contain twice the number of ounces. See if the grocery shows the price per ounce on their pricing. Meat shows the price per pound and often larger amounts are cheaper. Repackage and freeze the extra.

Types

Avoid name brands. Many companies manufacture the same products for several companies. You could be paying more for the packaging. The worst that happens if you don't like the no name product is that you don't buy it again and have to be creative to use it all.

Geography

Check the advertisements and try different stores. Sometimes different stores offer better deals on specific items. One store may be the best on produce but another one offers the lowest price for canned goods. This isn't a problem if they're close together but if distance separates them, alternate your visits. Stock up on the product they sell the cheapest the week you shop at that store. It doesn't make sense to save on groceries just to have an empty gas tank to fill.

Time Frame

Select the most opportune time to maximize your grocery money. Stores often have a senior day and double coupon day. If you take advantage of these days and do your shopping at that time, you can add extra savings to your grocery budget. Often groceries have a specific day they mark items down for a quicker sale or offer in store bargains. Use that time to buy items to refreeze and things you eat immediately.

Features

Beware of items with additional features. Often you pay more if the meat made into a kabob with a cherry tomato or two. If you are dedicated to grocery savings, the more effort you put into the final product, the more you save. Make large pots of soup and store family size or individual containers of it or use an ice tray for soup cubes. Put them in a freezer sack for quick meals later.

Expert Insight

Eat before you shop and go prepared with a grocery list. When you fail to eat before you go shopping you often find that you have $50 worth of groceries and $100 worth of candy, chips, cookies and snacks. Make your grocery list out and stick to the list unless you find an in store bargain you didn't expect.