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Now, more than ever before, saving money is a number one priority. Saving on groceries isn't an exception to the rule. In fact, knowing how to be a smart shopper can save you hundreds of dollars a year. Here are some great tips to saving on your grocery bill.

CLIP AND "CLICK" COUPONS
Coupons are one of the greatest tools to saving money on groceries. The problem is the part of obtaining the coupons. I'm sure you already look in your Sunday newspaper, but many times, you are disappointed with the ones you find there. Then there are the manufacturer's coupons in store that are provided, but there isn't much of a selection there either.

Did you know that you can find hundreds of printable coupons online? Coolsavings.com and Coupons.com are just two of the many places online that you can print coupons. You can also go to manufacturer websites, and a lot of them offer mailed or printable coupons. Combining these with the ones you find in-store and in the papers can really help you save.

BUY STORE BRANDS
Store brands these days have come really far, and many times taste better than the name brand items. Much of the time, the store brand is made by a name brand. So with buying name brand items, you are essentially paying for the name.

LOOK ON THE BOTTOM SHELF
Some stores tend to put the less expensive items on the bottom shelf and put the more expensive ones on eye level. So check the bottom and sometimes top shelves to see if the store has done this.

AVOID PACKAGED FOODS
Packaged foods tend to cost more since it takes money to make the package. For instance, buying cereal that is in a box is usually more expensive than brands that don't come in a box. Really, buying boxed cereal is costing you money because it took money for the manufacturer to make the box and put the bag of cereal inside of it.

WEEKLY ADS
Many grocery stores and supermarkets release a weekly ad that lists the items they have on sale that week. By doing a quick search through a number of sale ads, you can find out who has the best item for the best price, and then make a list of what to get at which store. If the sale price of something is really good that week, and the item is something you use a lot of, and doesn't have a quick expiration date, stalk up on the item. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.

CHECK YOUR RECEIPTS
Ever thought that the total on your receipt was a little off? Well you aren't being paranoid. Many times, a register will scan an item twice and neither you nor the cashier notices. So afterwards, check you receipt to make sure you weren't charged for something twice. If you have, proceed to the Customer Service Center. Also, if the register shows a list of the items being scanned on a screen, keep an eye on the screen. If you notice an item scanned more than once, tell the cashier and have them deduct the extra scans. This saves a trip to the service center.

TRY IT BEFORE YOU BUY IT
Ever buy a product thinking it would be really great, only to get it home and find it tastes nasty? Well, many companies offer free samples you can order online so that you can try thier product. If you like it, you can buy it, but if you don't you've saved youself some money!

By following these simple tips, you'll find that saving money at the Supermarket can be accomplished, and that it doesn't take much effort to save a lot.

Learn more about this author, Renee' Palmer.
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