by Kevin Bahler

Created on: August 05, 2008   Last Updated: August 22, 2008

Grocery shopping is an inevitability of life, and that is usually a drag. Shopping to complete a list is boring. But hunting is exciting. Make shopping fun by turning it into a hunt. Your prey is savings. Here's some ways to find them.

Do Your Research
Before you even head out to the store, find out what the stores have to offer. Buy a newspaper. Usually the Sunday paper will have pages and pages of offers from all the local grocery stores. See what is on special. See which of the stores have the best prices for particular products. If they are close enough, you can save a lot by visiting three grocery stores and getting the best deals from each.

Make a List
Your list is there to tell you the things you need to buy. If you stick strictly to your list, it will prevent you from impulse buying, which is a definite plus. However, sometimes you will see something you really need or if you see a sale on something that is too good to pass up, feel free to take advantage. Just always remember one thing when you stray from the list: if you buy something on sale that you don't need, you have not saved money.

Do Proper Comparisons
Comparing prices is a great way to see which item is better. Unfortunately, different items are rarely the same weight. Fortunately, most grocery stores these days will show you the per unit price as well as the item price. Use them instead of the item price and you will always be sure to get the best deal.

Buy Store Brands
In general, milk is milk and eggs are eggs, regardless of the label on the carton. Most grocery stores will have their own brand of items and will be much cheaper than the name brands. Take advantage of the opportunities, but remember to search for them. The cheap stuff doesn't make as much money, so they tend to put it away from eye level. If you are in the area where all of the milk is, look on every shelf and see which brand is the best.

Buy in Bulk
When I look down the meat case, I will see packs of turkey slices that contain five slices. I will see an individually wrapped ham steak. All I can do is laugh. These kinds of items may seem convenient, but they are a huge waste of money and of packaging. Even if you are living by yourself, you will get a much lower per unit price on anything when you buy the larger package of it. Just pay attention to how long things can last in the fridge or the freezer (you may be surprised how long some things last) and use what you have.

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