by Lisa Fillers

Created on: November 16, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2009

Grocery shopping is such a dreaded chore for most people. It can be a much more pleasant experience, speedier, and less costly if a great plan of action is put into place. It only takes a small amount of time to develop a plan that will greatly reduce the stress of grocery shopping day and expedite the shopping trip.

MAKE A GROCERY LIST

A list is an absolute necessity at the store. Shopping without a list results in aimless wandering about the store picking up many items that look good. The end result is a large grocery bill and not enough food to last until the next scheduled grocery trip. Following the tips below will help create a successful grocery list.

1. Take a small amount of time at the computer and make out a basic grocery list of items bought every two weeks. Add to this list the items frequently bought but only every four to six weeks.

2. Adding items as they are depleted between grocery trips will put an end to arriving home from shopping only to realize two or three items needed were left out. This is particularly helpful with seldom purchased items.

3. Begin three to four days prior to grocery day closely checking the list. Print out a copy and mark off any items not needed and add anything required. By grocery day it will be easy to make a final list.

4. Placement of items on the list in order the aisles are traveled through the store will greatly expedite the shopping trip. There will be no back tracking to get something missed being seen on the list.

CHECK THE CURRENT NEWSPAPER SALE ADS:

Checking the current newspaper sale ads can save money as long as you do not hop from store to store for sales. Keep the following tips in mind.

1. Sales are a means of getting the customer into the store and the management banks on the customer buying many other items they will make a profit on. Choose no more than two local stores to do grocery shopping that result in the most consistent overall savings on the items you purchase.

2. Sales ads can help in menu planning. If one store that carries quality meats has a great sale on certain types of meat that week the menu can be adjusted.

3. Sales ads can also be very helpful in stocking the freezer and pantry. Take care not to buy too much meat. Money is lost when meats have to be thrown out due to freezer burn. Canned goods have a long shelf life and are the smartest stock items to buy in bulk during sales.

MAKE A MENU:

Planning a menu to cover the time period between shopping trips is the only accurate way to know exactly

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