Cutting the Grocery Budget in Half

Smart shopping is the key to paying half the price for groceries. Much like a military officer, a smart shopper needs to have patience and the ability to follow the rules of the trade. Saving money in the grocery store is not all about coupon clipping and watching sale items, it is much more these days than what it was years ago. Store managers are becoming more effective in luring in the potential full-pocketed customer that does not pay attention to movements in the market. By learning some tricks of the money saving trade, weekly grocery budgets can be sliced in half, without even clipping any coupons before going into the store. Yes, it can be done however it does take a little patience. For those looking to tighten the weekly expenses, taking a few extra minutes while in the grocery store will be well-worth the time.

1. Make a grocery List. Planning a weeks' worth of groceries can take around ten to thirty minutes, depending on the person. Planning the meals ahead of time will allow the shopper to buy in bulk and efficiently reduce short errands during the week. Short errands during the week are usually the fault of a bad shopping trip when one has not purchased all ingredients that were needed. Tip: Hang a pad of paper on the refrigerator, bulletin board, white erasable board or chalk board in the kitchen. Throughout the week, jot down those items that will need to be purchased during the next trip to the grocery store. By doing this list, those ten to thirty extra minutes will be saved by not having to take multiple trips back to the grocery store for missing items. Then, copy the needed items on the grocery list before going to the store.

2. Stick to the List: Planning a weeks' worth of groceries may sound easy however once in the grocery store, end-caps can be seductive to the weak shopper. Sticking to the list that has been written on paper will help reduce over spending on items that were not needed. Although it may be hard to resist, it is important to always stick to the plan.

3. Use Cash. In the plastic generation, it is hard to imagine that paying with cash is still done by shoppers however it is a money-saving tip. Having a certain amount of cash in hand before entering a grocery store will force the shopper to only purchase the intended ingredients that are needed for the weeks' menu. Many shoppers tend to use a credit card which allows purchasing extra items that were not on the list, which therefore causes over-spending. A shopper can not purchase something, if the money is not available. This also helps those that are in credit card debit.

4. Avoid gimmicks. Grocers are creating techniques to lure in the customer to the store by offering "sales" on common everyday items. These items are usually in the front of the store or on end-caps. Place special attention to multiple item savings. Just because an item appears to be on sale, does not mean it is less than the original price. Look under the sale sign on each product and calculate the sale price, if there is one. For instance, an item that is on sale posted as "buy two for $3.00" but originally was pricing $1.50 each is really not a savings. These "gimmick" sales are to bring in the customer and trick them to purchase more than the average trip to the grocery store. In addition, a sale that states "buy 6 for $6.00" does not mean the shopper must purchase six items. If just one item is needed, purchase one item for $1.00.

5. Avoid convenience items. Convenience items are pre-sliced or pre-cut vegetables, fruits, meats and et cetera. Yes, these items are more convenient however they carry a higher price tag. How long does it really take to cut a head of lettuce compared to the pre-packaged bags? It takes around two minutes or less, depending on the person. These two minutes may save you around three to five dollars per convenience item not bought. Tip: After each shopping trip, take the extra few minutes while in the kitchen and cut up all the vegetables and fruits. Place these cut ingredients in plastic containers and they are all set for the entire week.

6. Search the shelves. Higher priced ingredients in the grocery store are usually placed at eye-level. Cheaper items are placed near the top or very bottom of the shelves to deter the shopper to buy the more expensive products.

7. Bulk item scams. For years, bulk shopping has been done to decrease the shopping bill. The clever grocers though caught on to this trend and now offer some bulk items at higher prices than the original non-bulk items. Double check the price of both items (non-bulk and bulk) and do some simple math that everyone learned while in elementary school. Sometimes the bulk item is more, sometimes it is not. The smart shopper needs to pay attention to these minor details and beat the clever grocer at his own games.

8. Double check the receipt. Many grocery stores accidentally make mistakes and forget to place the sale item in the computers that generate the prices during check-out. Follow along with the grocery store computers and watch the prices of all ingredients. Just because the sale price was stated on the shelf, that does not mean how much you are paying. After leaving the store, double check the receipt for errors and mistakes. If there are errors in computation of your grocery bill, take it back to the store and request the money to be refunded. Do not be afraid to return to the grocery store to be refunded for the grocery stores' mistakes.

9. Make a pricing list. Creating a simple pricing list after returning from the grocery store will help in figuring out the grocery stores' pattern of sales. Write down the prices of all ingredients purchased each week. Then, after a few months, look over the list and see when it is the best time to purchase certain items that varied in prices throughout the weeks. For instance, a pattern of beef sales may be seen every second week of the month. Then, during the second week of the month, purchase all the beef that is required for the month. Meats can be frozen in the freezer for months at a time, without causing a change in the flavor.

10. Buy generic item. Brand names items generally are manufactured in the same factory as those generic items. For instance, all batteries contain the same ingredients and have the same power however many people purchase a brand name battery since it is better known although it may cost more in the long run. Many companies in this age are created to manufacture generic items in direct comparison to name brand items. Take advantage of these non-name brand items - they are cheaper and the usually the same product.

By knowing the trade of smart shoppers, anyone can follow these simple rules and reduce monthly shopping budgets by half or more. By creating a plan, sticking to it and spending a little extra time here and there is well worth the saved money. Just remember to have enough time to spend in the grocery store and make it a game. If kids or a spouse is available and willing to go along with the household shopper, make it a game to find the cheapest item on shelves. Many times, two eyes are better than one. Along with the tips, remember to go at a time during the week that you are not tired from work or hungry before a meal. Hunger and tiredness can cause over-spending and make the savings game not worth the effort. Try going on Saturday morning when the produce is fresh and there are less people in the stores. Good luck and have fun saving!