Saving Money at the Grocery Store

If you are like me, then going to the grocery store can be a disaster for your cash flow.  Sometimes, I dont know if I spend more going out to eat or at the grocery store!  Then, I slap myself and realize that restaurant food is ridiculously marked up.  Anyway, buying food at the grocery store can be just as costly if you are not careful with the way you shop.  I let my wife do the grocery shopping (and she willing wants to do it), because she knows that I will come home with a $200 bill, and most of it will be snack food.  Here are some tips to help you spend less at the grocery store.

1. The most obvious one is CUT COUPONS!  You are never too young or old to cut coupons and use them.  Remember, only use coupons for items that you would NORMALLY buy anyway.  The $1.00 coupon for fruit roll-ups is not necessary unless you have kids, of course!
2. Do not go to the grocery store on an empty stomach.  I have learned this one the hard way.  I always spend more when I am hungry, and there have been studies performed where it proves that we follow our stomachs all the way to a higher bill at the register.
3. Make a list.  This is another obvious tip, but so few of us do it.  If you stick to your planned list, then it will reduce the amount of extra and often costly items that you buy.
4. Go generic on everyday items.  You would be surprised how good some of the store brand cereals can be!  I think cereal is one of the most over-priced items in the grocery store  Many other items like cheese, bread, orange juice, and ready-made pizzas are all store brand foods that taste great.  Don’t get me wrong, Sandwich Cremes taste nothing like Oreos, but we are a culture that is brainwashed by brand recognition and branding power.  Think of all the brand-name things that you buy that really have no difference than the generic.  There are some big savings to be had in this tip.
5. Plan your meals out.  If you already have an idea with what meals you want to make for the next week or two, then you will spend less time at the store, and you will spend less money buying a whole bunch of items with no purpose.  Plus, you will spend less on snack items and more on foods that can be made for lunch and dinner. 

As a young married couple, we eat about $125 dollars worth of groceries every one and a half to two weeks.  I think this is a good guide to how much the average couple should be spending at the grocery store.  If you are spending much more than this, my guess is that you are in love with brand name foods and exotic snack foods.  Buy generic and buy lunch and dinner items.  You will notice the difference. 

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