Save Money on Groceries by Shopping at Thrift and Discount Stores

Even if you've found ways to save on what you eat, focusing on getting your food for the best price is also very important. Start by taking a look at the grocery ads that come in your mailbox or with your newspaper. The front page of these ads usually feature meat, produce, and other items on sale. These items are called "loss leaders" because the store usually sells them at a loss - below the store's cost - in order to entice shoppers into the store. Shopping loss leaders is one easy way to save money. If you have several stores convenient to you, you can save by buying the loss leaders from all of them.

Loss leaders aren't the only way to save money, though, because there are stores you might not think about getting groceries from, and they can help you get the best prices on the food your family really wants and needs - and actually likes to eat. Have you ever shopped at scratch-and-dent shops, thrift stores, and day-old bakeries for food? If not, why not?

There isn't anything wrong with food purchased from places like those. It's not outdated, and it's not spoiled - but it is a lot less expensive. Just like with buying clothing and other things, a lot of people turn up their noises at these kinds of stores, and they end up spending hundreds of extra dollars each month because of it. If your food budget is tight, or if you just like being frugal, you can go to discount stores and find food there. Sometimes, you can even get things like bread or rolls for free. There are also many churches and organizations that will help you out with food, if you have trouble making ends meet.

No matter what store you go to in order to get your food, shop by yourself if possible. The more people with you, the more likely you'll be enticed to buy items that aren't on your list. And never, ever, shop when you're hungry.

Take a small calculator with you to help figure cost. You can use it to add up what you're buying, and that can help you be sure that you're not spending too much - and whether you can afford that treat you're looking at. Talk to the people who work in these stores and get to know them. Ask about when their trucks come in, if there are specials running on certain days, and other ways to get discounts. Don't be ashamed to do any of this. You're not looking for a handout, you're just trying to get things as cheaply as you can, and there's nothing in the world wrong with that.

If you shop at a discount grocery store or scratch-and-dent store, focus on shopping the perimeters - meat, produce, and dairy. When you shop the interior of the store for packaged and canned goods, scan high and low. Supermarkets generally place more expensive items at eye-level, and that can be true of discount stores, too. Sale items can often be found in displays at the ends of aisles, but be careful. Sometimes end displays are a strategy to get rid of overstocked, higher priced items. You won't find that strategy used as much at discount food stores, but you'll still see it sometimes, so it pays to be looking out for it.

Try store brand and generic products, no matter where you're shopping. These products can cost much less than name brands and are often made by the same manufacturers. For produce, buy in season. Fruits and vegetables that are shipped from other areas of the world are much more expensive than those that are grown nearby. When you're looking for fruit and vegetables, try the local flea market or farmer's market.

You can often get better deals at those kinds of places. The same is true for the small, roadside stands where people sell their produce and the people who sell fruits and vegetables out of the backs of their vehicles. Often, it's cheaper, and if you're driving right past it on your way to somewhere else, it's not costing you any extra gasoline.

Most people simply go to one store whenever they need something and purchase it, only to go back the next day because they need something else. By planning ahead and being more careful with your food-buying dollars you'll be able to get a lot more than you originally thought you could. That's great news for your health and also for your wallet.