How to Be an Effective Grocery Shopper

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Have your coupons and form of payment ready before you get to the front of the checkout line.

While few people enjoy the experience of wheeling a rickety cart though the aisles while trying to find the best deals or trying desperately to remember the one item they know they've forgotten, there are ways to make grocery shopping better. A little preparation and organization will make your shopping trip more efficient and effective. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Pen and paper (or smartphone)
Coupons
Sale ads

Instructions

- 1
  
  Make a shopping list. If you go grocery shopping without a list, you will forget things you need and buy unnecessary items. This can lead to a higher bill and repeated trips to the store. A good way to make your list is to hang a magnetic notebook with an attached pencil on the refrigerator door. As soon as you use the last of something, take a few seconds to write it on the list. You might also want to use your smartphone to make the list, using apps like Grocery IQ or Grocery Pal, which help you make and organize grocery lists.
- 2
  
  Check sales and hunt for coupons (both in the newspaper and online at sites like Coupons.com) with your list in front of you. This is more efficient than clipping all of the coupons in the Sunday paper or printing out everything you think you might want. Save the remaining clipped coupons until they expire in case you need them for future shopping trips, and bookmark online coupons you think you'll need. You can add items to your list that are available for a really low price if you normally use them. You may want to take the opportunity to stock up on these items.
- 3
  
  Organize your list according to the aisles in the store where you shop. Start at one end of the store and work your way to the other end until you have everything on the list. Organizing your list will save you from having to double back to an aisle for something you missed.
- 4
  
  Avoid stopping to look at or purchase anything not on your list unless it is a specific item that your realize you forgot to put on the list. This can be tough to do, but sticking to a list can help you save hundreds of dollars a year.
- 5
  
  Have your coupons and form of payment ready before you get to the front of the checkout line. This saves time for you and everyone in line behind you.