by Anonymouse

Created on: August 06, 2008   Last Updated: September 16, 2008

It still happens to the most frugal among us: one trip to the grocery store and the weekly food budget is blown. Perhaps the cart gets flooded by unnecessary items or helpful coupons are carelessly forgotten. For countless reasons, grocery shoppers constantly overspend. Fortunately, several money saving solutions can stop it from happening again.

Stick to the List

Stores are set up to keep shoppers inside for as long as possible, tempting them with impulse buys all the while. It starts with the aroma of fresh bread and desserts coming straight from the bakery. This stimulates hunger, causing many shoppers to break the cardinal rule: never shop with a grumbling stomach. It promotes impulse buying. To avoid this precisely, a strict grocery list is vital for shoppers on a budget. Bringing others along makes sticking to the list more challenging, so it's helpful to leave children and significant others at home.

Clip, Clip, Clip!

The first step toward using coupons is finding them. Newspapers, flyers, and stores are usually full of the nifty little things. Shoppers can also call manufacturers directly, get free e-mail subscriptions, or visit websites that sometimes offer print-out coupons. The next step is to organize them, and make sure the brands and prices are noted on the grocery list. They should still be compared to other brands in case of better coupon-free values. Rebate offers are another smart way to save, and they deserve as much attention as coupons.

Take Notes from Grandma

Shoppers should check the kitchen to see what's already there, then plan meals ahead of time to see what's still needed. Meals with red meat should be limited due to the high cost, and boxed or ready-to-eat meals should also be avoided whenever possible. Meals that take a bit more preparation tend to be much less expensive! To have ready-made food, one can simply freeze leftovers.

Beat the System

Companies pay incredible fees to have their merchandise placed at eye level, where shoppers are most likely to spot and purchase their products. Then that cost gets passed on to consumers! Browsing items on the bottom or top shelves will likely result in major savings. Another way to save is to check out the per cost unit (PCU found on price tag) between two sizes of the same product; bigger does not always mean less expensive. Shoppers can save on out-of-stock sale items by requesting rain checks.

Pay Attention

One super-saver is to know which stores charge the least for particular items. Mental notes (or written ones) should be taken everywhere, or a quick price check can sometimes be done online. Some stores offer price matches. Shoppers should remember which ones honor coupons from their competition. It's especially important to know that rewards card savings don't always go through. Erroneous charges and innocent mistakes are commonplace. For these reasons, the all-knowing receipt should be consulted immediately after every purchase.

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