Tips for spending less when grocery shopping

Now it is more important than ever to save money. There are many simple ways to save your hard earned money. One of the easiest ways to save is at the supermarket.

By following a few simple steps, each trip to the supermarket can be a money saving extravaganza! As much as half of your bill can be cut if you know how.

Here are a few of the easy steps to take toward saving hundreds of dollars each month at the supermarket.

Clip coupons

Coupons save a lot of money, and clipping them is quick and easy to do. You will find the best coupons on websites for the products, as well as in your Sunday paper and other Internet coupon sites such as spoofee.com and coupons.com. Using coupons knocks prices of brand name items down to the same or lower price than the generic versions.

Make a list

People with a prepared shopping list spend less because they know all of the items they need. Make your list at least one day before you head to the supermarket.

Comparison shop

While supermarket A might have good deals on their meat items, prices of other products you need may double. Compare prices before you leave home and choose the store with the best deals on the merchandise you need.

It is also a good idea to compare product prices once you are inside the store. Bigger does not always mean a better value. Sometimes purchasing two smaller sized items will give you more product for the same amount of money.

Shop sale days

Some supermarkets have special one day or weekend sales with fantastic buys. Many also offer double or triple coupon days, some with values of up to 99 cents! Don’t forget about the weekly senior days! Find the stores in your area that offer these type promotions, and handle your grocery shopping on these days.

Also, look for items that are on sale. Offers such as by-one, get-one-free or BOGOF are a great way to stock up.

Clearance items

Look for the signs directing you to items reduced for quick sale or clearance priced items. Most often, these products are within a few days of expiring, but are good to freeze or use immediately. Sometimes, items are discontinued or the store no longer carries the particular brand, and you can find these items marked down as much as 90 percent off of original prices.