1. Make a list. Remember the more times you return to the grocery store the more times your going to buy things you may not need.
2. Shop in bulk for non perishables. Even if hamburger is on sale, you don't save any money if you have to throw it away before you can get it all eaten.
3. Coupons are great...for the manufacturer! They put them out to entice you to buy their product, but don't fall into the coupon trap! Don't get me wrong, in the hands of a professional couponer they can be great. Just remember saving a few cents to buy brand A may not be so great if brand B is already cheaper!
4. Don't assume the bigger package is the bigger deal. Go into that store armed with your best weapon...a calculator. You can find out the true cost of something by dividing the cost by the unit. For example one package of toilet paper may cost $1.50 for 6 rolls versus a bigger package that may cost $6.50 for 24 rolls. That calculates out to be .25 cents per roll versus .27 cents per roll. Two cents may not sound like a big deal but remember, that's .02 cents per roll. That means you actually spent .48 cents more! Now multiply that by how many times a year you buy toilet paper!
5. Plan your meals around what's on sale. If chicken is on sale, then I'm feeling like chicken tonight!
6. If you want to use coupons, double up on them. There are several ways to get more than one copy of your Sunday paper. Ask your friends and family to set them aside for you. You can also call your local recycling center. They may be willing to let you sort through and let you dig out those inserts. Also, your local dollar or less store probably has the newspaper for sale for less then you could buy it off the stand. And while you're there, look at the magazines, they sell those cheaper as well.
7. Having a pantry full of food is not cost effective if your not going to eat it. Plan your meals out for the week and buy only what you will use. For help with this you can follow one of my other blogs Seven Dinners for Seven Days. In it I plan an entire week full of dinners, along with a shopping list of only what you will need for that week.
8. Look at the entire shelf both high and low. Grocery stores tend to place the more expensive items at eye level. A quick glance down could save you big bucks.
9. I have three words for you: Generic, Generic, Generic. They aren't always the best tasting items but for staples like flour and sugar they will do the same job for a fraction of the price.
10. Beans, beans, the magical fruit. The more you eat, the less you spend on meat! Oh wait, that didn't rhyme. But you get my point. We all need protein in our diet but consider alternative sources. Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber and a lot less expensive then meat.
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