Top Ten Ways to Save Money When Shopping

With rising gas prices, groceries and other products are getting more and more expensive. There are many ways to save money while shopping for lower-ticket items.

Number 1- Shop from home. You will save on the price of gas. It takes no gas to shop over the internet. Most stores are online now. There are some grocery stores that offer online shopping, but most don't. Or if you are in a rural or small city area that option might not be available, but don't fret.

Number 2- Clip coupons. Go out and buy the Sunday paper, it is always full of great coupons. Also you can get coupons online with websites like Coupons.com. You can get free printable coupons as often as you would like.

Number 3-Shop the sale bills. Every week stores like Wal-Mart and Target put out sale bills. Take a look at the weekly flyer and stock up on items that are on sale.

Number 4-Buy in bulk. Places like Sam's Club will save you money in the long haul. Buying items in bulk will cost more up front, but you will save per item. For example, if you were to purchase a 96 count pack of Pampers Swaddlers at Diapers.com, you would pay approximately 23 cents per diaper, but if you buy a 216 count pack at Sam's Club, you would only pay approximately 17 cents per diaper.

Number 5-Buy store brand products. Many of the store brand products are the same. There is no difference between Advil and Equate brand Ibuprofen. Check the labels and compare.

Number 6-Buy Concentrated/Better items. If you buy practically any of the cheaper laundry detergents, you will notice that they are watery. It takes more of it to get the job done. Cheaper is not always better. Instead buy brands that are concentrated, such as Gain. You will use much less in the long run and save a ton by doing so. Another example, paper towels, if you use the cheap ones, it always takes more to get the job done. Instead buy a brand like Brawny, where one paper towel will do the trick.

Number 7-Shop Dollar General, Family Dollar, Dollar Tree, and any other Dollar store you can think of. For example if you need toothbrushes, go to your local dollar store and purchase them there. You will find many of the same items you purchase there at a much cheaper price. I was shopping in the Dollar Tree the other day; I found Colgate toothpaste for $1 instead of $3 at Wal-Mart.

Number 8-Buy used. Why not look on Amazon.com or Ebay.com for items like books, CDs, and games. You will save a lot just by buying used items instead of new. Many of the books I buy at Amazon are like brand new and some I purchased for only one penny.

Number 9-Join a program like My Points or Memolink. They give you so many points by shopping through them. You earn by shopping. For example, if I shop at Overstock.com, I earn 10 points per dollar spent. Seventy points equals approximately 50 cents. The points can then be redeemed for gift certificates at many retailers.

Number 10-Shop sales racks. You might just find a pair of jeans for $5. For example, I recently bought a coat from Kmart that was on sale for $10, which was regularly $50.