In today's society it is more important than ever for a family to save money on groceries. Every penny saved will add up in the long run and help ease the blow of this nasty recession. On top of that you just might be able to put a little of this money away for savings.

Every cent saved at the grocery store means more money to invest in other fruitful endeavors like that big screen TV you've always wanted or a college fund for the kids. Using just a few simple tips you can reduce your grocery bill by 30% or more. A little planning before a shopping trip to the local grocery store can equal big savings at the checkout.

1) Coupons. know, I know. You don't want to be caught dead running around a store with coupons falling out of your pocket. Well, there is no way around it you have to use coupons but one thing to save your sanity and pride is a little organization. Get about five regular sized envelopes and label them on the outside (Frozen, Fresh, Dry Food, Goods, and Baby). Now you have a place to store your coupons.

www.imommies.com

www.coolsavings.com

www.couponmom.com

www.eversave.com

All of these sites have printable coupons however to get the best ones available you must buy the Sunday edition of your local paper. To keep organized you should also go through your old coupons as well every Sunday and throw out the expired ones and replace them with new ones.

2) Make a list and check it twice. No it's not Christmas but going into a grocery store without a list is asking for trouble. Before you know it you got ten boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (cause of the weekly deal), no meat for meals (unless you're vegetarian in which case you can just omit that last remark), three cases of soda, and loads of other stuff you just don't need. Make a list and stick to it. Grocery stores are designed to make you spend money on stuff you don't want.

3) Read up on all the websites and local ads available. Why read when you don't have to? Check out the local ads for your grocery stores (they probably have Internet sites as well). Some stores tend to have better offers than others. Cross-reference with the list from step 2 and whichever store has the most goods on sale is the one you're heading for.

4) Watch the sales prices in the store. Some are deceptive and are trying to get you to purchase more than you need. Classic examples include ten for ten deals and the two for whatever deal. Do you really need ten cans of tuna? Maybe you do but the majority of the times just buy what you need and pay close attention to what the sign says.

5) Skip the wholesale clubs. Nine times out of ten you don't need that much stuff. The extra membership fees barely cover the $0.06 you save on each stick of deodorant in that six pack you just bought. If you do go to the wholesale clubs then follow step 1 and bring your coupons and make sure that whatever you put in your cart is a deal.

Those five steps will help you save big bucks at the checkout counter. They are relatively painless steps and shouldn't take much time to enact (try to set a good 20-25 minutes prior to). Another helpful hint is to not shy away from store brands, especially consumables like sandwich bags and paper plates, things of that nature.

No one should have to be afraid of the grocery store, they should embrace it. With the credit crunch and the economy tightening up people need to save money wherever they can. So the next time you have to venture to the grocery store make sure you come prepared and watch the savings pile up.

Learn more about this author, Erik M. Dell.
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