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Yes, you can save money on groceries without coupons. Of course if you use the coupons carefully in combination with the suggestions below you can save even more, but that's your decision.

First, be careful where you shop. The fancy decor, the nice carry-out services etc. all cost money. Grocery margins are rather thin so the store must pass those costs along to the customers. If you find a store with concrete floors where you have to bag and carry your own purchases the prices will inevitably be lower.

Membership stores (eg. Costco) may also offer lower prices because of both membership fees and the fact that they usually have less "shrinkage." "Shrinkage" is the word they use to cover shoplifting, internal theft, damage to merchandise etc. While no store in immune to this, the very fact that people have to be members tends to eliminate some of the most flagrant shoplifters. Be careful of this though, not everything in a membership store is priced lower than what you can find elsewhere.

Second, shop around. Some stores have lower prices on a few items while other stores have good deals on different things. You can save money if you don't insist on buying everything at the same place. However you should be careful about this, don't allow the cost of driving from store to store to eat up your savings.

Third, buy store brands and generic items. There are a few items for which a brand name is better but they are the exception. If in doubt, try both the store/generic and brand name and see if the quality justifies the price difference.

Forth, pay attention to actual content, not box size. Many producers have a lot of air in the box but if you look at price by pound or ounce you can determine which offering is actually the better buy. Some stores are kind enough to put that information on the price sticker but in others you may have to take along a calculator.

Fifth, buy in bulk or larger containers where appropriate. While you don't want to buy so much that it spoils before you use it, larger containers are usually cheaper per pound than the smaller ones. For example my wife found oatmeal in 25 pound bags. She re-fills the standard 42 ounce oatmeal containers with this so it is still convenient to use but it costs a lot less per pound. Oatmeal doesn't go bad quickly so we don't waste it. You might even get together with friends or relatives to buy larger quantities at lower prices, then split the stuff up so it won't spoil.

Sixth, grow a vegetable garden if you have space. Even if you don't, you may be able to grow a few items in a window box or something similar. You can grow things that are relatively expensive to buy such as some spices. This has other advantages as well, it teaches your children where the food comes from, gives them a good activity, and fresh vegetables usually taste much better than what you find in the store.

Seventh, be careful what you buy. You probably know that you shouldn't shop when hungry since that tempts you to buy more than you would otherwise. However you can also look for less expensive items, turkey or pork instead of beef, a less expensive type of cheese etc. In many cases you can also save money by avoiding prepared foods and doing much of the preparation yourself if you have the time. However be careful about this last. If you work full time, having to prepare a meal from scratch will tempt you to eat out more often and may raise your total food bill.

Most importantly, don't get stuck in a rut. Be alert for new ideas and willing to try those that make sense. Your budget will thank you (but your grocer will not, it will cut into his business).

Learn more about this author, Hal Lillywhite.
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