Money Saving Tips and Newspaper and Online Coupons to Help Families Cut Their Grocery Bill

How many times have you looked at the checkout clerk and wanted to scream, "Where?" when given the total for your weekly grocery bill? Sometimes, a fifty-dollar bill will only yield two plastic shopping bags, which seem to be consumed within a few days. After years of frustration and trying to decode the secret way to save on grocery bills, I have finally figured out ways to save families forty to fifty percent off their grocery bill, without having to give up anything they want!

Step one is to go only to stores that offer you an incentive to shop there. Certain stores offer club cards that are scanned at the checkout offering the shopper a discounted price on a particular sale item. Along with getting a club card, another trick is to go on that merchant's website. Some sites offer online coupons, which can be printed and used for additional savings on items throughout the store. Many times, I have also gotten emails to participate in the store's focus group or customer satisfaction survey for a chance to win a gift card to the store.

Step two is to search the web. Some stores will allow a shopper to redeem printable coupons, others will not. There are a few sites on the web such as Cool Savings and Smart Source where shoppers register their profiles and choose which offers they wish to print and redeem. These coupons are a great tool to use, especially if they can be combined with a store's sale item.

Step three is to check your newspaper. If your newspaper has a coupon section, see if it can really pay off for you. Add up all of the coupons you would use during your shopping trip. Does that number show a dollar amount higher than the price you paid for the newspaper? If so, it may be wise to purchase an additional newspaper to get twice as many coupons, which equals double the savings!

Step four is to search the internet. Are you interested in a certain product, but unsure if you want to spend the money on it or worried it may not be what you are looking for? Here is a suggestion: go on the product's website and see if the manufacturer is offering a free sample. Sometimes along with the sample, a coupon may be offered for additional savings on the product. This way, you get to sample the product for free and you may get an additional savings!

Step five is a combination of all of the other steps. Buying in bulk or multiple quantities is a great idea if your budget and pantry have some extra room. When using a club card and coupon, sometimes the cost of an item is reduced fifty percent. If you are able to do this with two of the same items, it's like buying one item at regular cost and getting one free!

Whether you are buying for yourself or for your family, saving on groceries can be a cost effective way to add additional savings to your family budget. Consider this: if using these tips you were able to save ten percent off your one hundred dollar a week bill, that's an extra ten dollars in your pocket. Over the period of a year, that's an extra five hundred and twenty dollars saved!