With the downturn economy of today and so many people out of work we are all seeking ways to save money on food.  Every time I walk into the grocery store I can not help but recognize the escalating prices of items on the store shelves. Many of those items that I once bought I now leave on the store shelf. There is only so much that I am willing to pay for any given item. I don’t mean to say that I never buy some of these things, I merely decided that instead of purchasing them on a regular basis I now look at some of these as treats and buy accordingly. There are several ways to save at the store and I am going to provide you with some of those ways.

  • Using Coupons
  • Making use of the two for one sales
  • Try free samples
  • Fine tuning your grocery list before heading out shopping

Coupons are a great way to save money. I look for both manufacturers coupons as well as local store coupons. Most times I find that stores put on sale those items that the manufacturer has issued a corresponding coupon for. I not only get the sale price at the register, but now have a manufacturers coupon to give me even greater savings. Be on the look out, as you read your local grocery store sales brochures, for items that you have a coupon for.

Another great way of saving is to take advantage of the store two-for-one sale.  I love these sales myself. In my area there are three major grocery chains. There is Winn Dixie, Publix, and Sweetbay. Winn Dixie most often has a great two-for-one sale. Both Publix and Sweetbay occasionally have the same type sales on their selected items. Be sure to check out these items every time you read on of their sales papers. The paper usually come out once a week and are delivered to your mail box. Be on the look out for them.

Free samples are another way to save and cut costs on that grocery bill. Some manufacturers provide coupons for free samples on certain products. Especially, those products which are relatively new to the market place. It makes sense and is a great marketing tool. I have found some that have led me to continue using these products. Here are a few of those samples that you can try Clorox and Dove.

The last item on my list I find most important for saving money on the grocery bill. Fine tune that shopping list. Go through your freezer, Fridge, and cupboards. Make a list of just what you need to prepare your meals for the week. Also, add to that list the items that you may need to replenish your stock on. After compiling your list of necessary items sit down with the sales papers and go through them to see if any of the needed items are on sale. This is the best time to buy those items. Always make sure that you check your coupons also. Once you have made and fine tuned that list you are ready to head to the store. Only purchase those items on your list. Do not get trapped by the in-store marketing displays. Keep in mind that all stores have marketing to a science and they know just how to entice any buyer, so beware of these traps or pitfalls.

If you follow the above list of steps as you prepare and go shopping you will find that you will be handing over less of your hard earned cash at the register. After all our objective is to save money on food.

Get your free box of Cheerios now!!!