HelloMoney Welcome to the world of Personal Finance.

5 Ways to Save on Groceries

image source: sxc.hu

1. Know the price of items you buy. I cannot stress enough how important it is to know the going price of things you buy. When you go from store to store you can compare and know if you are getting a deal or not. This is especially important if you sometimes shop at discount stores. Every now and then I go to Big Lots. They definately have some deals to be had. However, I often find that their groceries are higher than the big box grocery stores. This is also important if you shop at warehouse stores, like Sams or Costco. Sometimes buying a large quantity is a great deal. Other times I find their prices are identical to the regular grocery stores per unit. Why should I buy 8 gallons of syrup when I can get a more convenient size for the exact same price per unit at the grocery store.
2. Shop around. You probably won't find one store that has the best prices on everything. Granted, Wal-Mart comes close, but some people don't want to support Wal-Mart. Also, they don't always have the lowest price. When other stores run specials or double coupons, their prices can be considerable lower.
3. Read the Weekly Specials. Every Wednesday my mail man brings the specials of all the local stores. Wednesday afternoon I look through these specials and see if I can find anything worth the trip to the store. If I find some good deals in one paper, I go through the entire circular carefully. I circle things that I know are good deals (because I know the going rate).
4. Clip Coupons. Coupons can really help. And it's not necessary to become a coupon-freak. Don't waste your time clipping every coupon in the book. Just buy the Sunday paper (or get it free on Monday). Only clip coupons for items you regularly purchase. Then keep those coupons in your purse or wallet so that you have them anytime you need them.
5. Buy Produce from a local produce stand. Fresh fruit and veggies are expensive at grocery stores. (And often bad quality). Buy from a local produce stand for MUCH cheaper and they usually have better quality. I usually only do this about once a month instead of weekly to save time and travelling.