How to Make Grocery Shopping Efficient and Cheap

The price of gasoline has dominated the news recently, but the prices at the grocery store are rising almost as fast. This is putting a real financial strain on consumers, so now is the time to cut costs at the grocery store.

Things You'll Need

• List, coupons and a willingness to shop around.

Instructions

How to Make Grocery Shopping Efficient and Cheap

1. The first step in smart grocery shopping is to make a list. Start with an inventory of what is in the cupboards now, then plan out the week's meals, and build a list around the necessary items. Decide what you need for packed lunches, breakfast and snacks. Making a list of these needs will help eliminate purchases.

2. Take the time to browse the newspaper fliers. If there are numerous grocery stores near you, pick the one offering the best deals on your listed items. When gas was cheap, a smart practice was to drive to a couple of stores and pick off the specials, but that now seems inefficient and expensive. Stick to one store, and take advantage of the specials.

3. Clip coupons. It is time consuming, but certainly worth the time. Many stores will offer double coupons for 50 cents or less, which can really cut costs. Some stores, such as Kroger's, offer on-line coupons. This allows the shopper to download coupons on their shopper cards from Kroger's, eliminating the cutting of paper coupons.

4. Leave name brands alone. Just because it doesn't say Prego, doesn't mean the sauce is bad. Try the store brand items. Some are good, but others taste like off-brands. Try some off-brands and see what the family likes.

5. Start cooking again. Leave the processed foods on the shelf. Although they are convenient, they are costly. Save money by making large amounts of a food and freezing some. The cost is much lower and the food is healthier.

Resources

• Kroger Coupon Page