Tips on How to Save Money at the Grocery Store

Spend less at the grocery store every week.

The grocery bill is one of the largest monthly expenses in most households. In 2009, the USDA figured that the average family of four could live on around $120 per week for groceries, on the cheapest plan possible. Food keeps getting more expensive, but there are many ways to save money at the grocery store. Plan ahead and take advantage of all the deals offered, and you can cut your food bill by a large percentage.

Plan Your Menu

Many people write a grocery list before leaving for the store, and that's a good start. Planning a menu is much better. Write down everything that everyone in your house will eat in the coming week. Add in food for snacks and desserts, and don't forget items to fix for bagged lunches. Write your grocery list based on this menu, and don't buy anything that's not on the list.

Check for Sales

Read the local sale papers to find out where the sales are this week. Many grocery stores have the weekly sales ads online on the store website, so you can search all of them in one sitting. Compare prices at all stores in the area. Don't be loyal to any one store. Switch stores weekly if needed, to get the best prices every week.

Avoid National Brands

A large part of the cost of national brand food is the national advertising. Many local and store brand foods are equal to or superior to national brands in terms of taste and overall quality. If you have one special food that you cannot substitute, save it for a treat. Try to substitute as many other foods as possible. Frozen fruits and vegetables, canned goods, pasta, sauces and soup mixes often have store brands identical to national brands.

Clip Coupons

Use as many coupons as you can find. Often grocery store chains will advertise double coupon days. Figure out the coupon discount before buying store brands in this instance. You may actually pay less for a national brand if you have a coupon that can be doubled. Look for coupons in newspapers, and print them out from online sources.

Stock Up

When you find a good sale on a food item that your family eats regularly, stock up as much as possible. Buy soup and other canned goods by the case when it is cheap, take advantage of "buy 10 get the 11th free" offers by purchasing multiples of staples, and use many copies of especially good coupons. If you spend a little extra this week to stock up, you will save money in the long run by not having to buy these items for weeks or months.

Shop the Perimeter

Shop the outside aisles of the grocery store before going into any of the inside aisles. The outside of a grocery store contains the freshest healthy food. You will find fruits and vegetables, meats and fish, eggs, dairy and fresh baked goods here. The inner aisles are filled with processed foods that may offer convenience but cost much more.

References

• USDA: Cost of Food at Home, January 2009
• Five Cent Nickel: 45 Ways to Reduce Your Grocery Bill