Ways to save at the grocery store.

[Michele J]

The highest markup items on the shelves are at about chest level. Reach up or kneel down to select the cheaper house or generic brands.
A grocery store's main aisles, like the paths to milk and bread, are usually strewn with high-priced land mines. Avoiding those pricey areas will really help.
Try to shop when you're alone. Those little helpers can quickly boost your bill.
Shop early in the day. You get through the store faster with your list and spend less.
Avoid shopping for food when you're hungry; you'll buy more.
Don't grocery shop when you're tired, you'll buy more sweets, more high-carbohydrates. When you're angry you go for crunch food, the junk food.
Buy on the markdowns and save as much as 20 percent.
Read your newspaper's weekly food section for local grocery sales and menu ideas.
Clip coupons. You'll also find coupons in women's and general-interest magazines.
Scout coupon swap-boxes, generally found at (surprise!) supermarkets, but also at some public libraries.
Take advantage of in-store coupon displays and the machines that spew them.
Log on to your supermarket's online home page for coupons.
Call the toll-free numbers on your favorite products' labels and tell the customer-service rep how much you enjoy them. Some reps will offer cents-off (or even free) coupons for the product itself; if not, ask.
Nab a newsie. Does your newspaper vendor just dump the inserts in unsold papers at the end of the day? If so, would he mind tossing a few your way?
Check out the wealth of national-brands coupon-offering services on the Web. They can save you money -- even the ones that charge nominal fees.
Seek out supermarkets that will double -- some super stores even triple -- the face value of manufacturers' coupons.
Try for triple plays. That's when you use a manufacturer's coupon and a store's own coupon.
Some retailers guarantee that if the item doesn't ring up at the correct price, you get it for free or at a discount. Pay attention to the details.
Avoid purchasing nongrocery items, such as painkillers, contact lens solution, etc., at a grocery store. You usually pay more.
Always get a rain check if a sale item is gone.
Know when your store marks down goods that expire, like meat and bread. The deal: Use them that night or freeze them.
Check your store for a small section where they discount products that aren't as popular as the manufacturer had hoped. This area can be a gold mine for bargains.
Shop with a calculator. That way, you can figure whether the unit price for a case lot is really cheaper than buying one of the same item.
Request price matching. Find a store in your area that will honor all competitors' ads. You'll save money, time and gas.
Beware of "discount store syndrome." Just because you're in a bargain store doesn't mean you're getting the best price on every item.
Check your receipts. No matter how careful you or the store staff might be, mistakes happen.
Always send in for the rebate on a purchase whether it's $2 or $50. It all adds up.
Put your savings to work. Whether it's a trip, a car or a savings account, have some specific goals for the money you're not spending on food.

[Sylvan]

Put larger heavy items on the cart shelf under the basket and hope the cashier doesnt notice them.

[cookie]

If you have room in your freezer (and cabinets or basement), look for bulk items and "family" packs.
Make sure anything going to the freezer has a date and use it as soon as it's defrosted.

[Ms.Depew.to.you]

comparison shop meats at your local deli. At mine, cheese is $2/lb cheaper for the exact same cheese and $3/lb for roast beef that is better tasting than the supermarket's. Also, we buy chicken breasts in bulk and store in our deep freeze. It's much cheaper a pound and we don't have to shop as often. Supermarkets want you to come in to the store because you'll likely impulse buy at least a few things and that's more money for them.

[Bannister]

I use www.thecouponclippers.com.

We get the sale ads for Budweys and Tops mailed to our house on Saturdays. I find items on sale that I want to buy then order multiple coupons that match. If I place the order on Saturday I have them by Friday, in time to take advantage of the sale.

[Sylvan]

Yep, bulk is the way to go.
I love my chest freezer! The only things I have in the freezer above my refrigerator are...

3 icecube trays
1 ice bucket (old metal cooking pot)
6 beer mugs
2 icepacks
27 popcicles
gallon of icecream

The rest is in the chest freezer in the room farthest away from the woodburner.

[Michele J]

Put larger heavy items on the cart shelf under the basket and hope the cashier doesnt notice them.

You made me laugh

[Michele J]

I use www.thecouponclippers.com.

We get the sale ads for Budweys and Tops mailed to our house on Saturdays. I find items on sale that I want to buy then order multiple coupons that match. If I place the order on Saturday I have them by Friday, in time to take advantage of the sale.

Great info thank you for sharing

[Sylvan]

You made me laugh

I know. Its my special purpose.

[Riven37]

The highest markup items on the shelves are at about chest level. Reach up or kneel down to select the cheaper house or generic brands.
A grocery store's main aisles, like the paths to milk and bread, are usually strewn with high-priced land mines. Avoiding those pricey areas will really help.
Try to shop when you're alone. Those little helpers can quickly boost your bill.
Shop early in the day. You get through the store faster with your list and spend less.
Avoid shopping for food when you're hungry; you'll buy more.
Don't grocery shop when you're tired, you'll buy more sweets, more high-carbohydrates. When you're angry you go for crunch food, the junk food.
Buy on the markdowns and save as much as 20 percent.
Read your newspaper's weekly food section for local grocery sales and menu ideas.
Clip coupons. You'll also find coupons in women's and general-interest magazines.
Scout coupon swap-boxes, generally found at (surprise!) supermarkets, but also at some public libraries.
Take advantage of in-store coupon displays and the machines that spew them.
Log on to your supermarket's online home page for coupons.
Call the toll-free numbers on your favorite products' labels and tell the customer-service rep how much you enjoy them. Some reps will offer cents-off (or even free) coupons for the product itself; if not, ask.
Nab a newsie. Does your newspaper vendor just dump the inserts in unsold papers at the end of the day? If so, would he mind tossing a few your way?
Check out the wealth of national-brands coupon-offering services on the Web. They can save you money -- even the ones that charge nominal fees.
Seek out supermarkets that will double -- some super stores even triple -- the face value of manufacturers' coupons.
Try for triple plays. That's when you use a manufacturer's coupon and a store's own coupon.
Some retailers guarantee that if the item doesn't ring up at the correct price, you get it for free or at a discount. Pay attention to the details.
Avoid purchasing nongrocery items, such as painkillers, contact lens solution, etc., at a grocery store. You usually pay more.
Always get a rain check if a sale item is gone.
Know when your store marks down goods that expire, like meat and bread. The deal: Use them that night or freeze them.
Check your store for a small section where they discount products that aren't as popular as the manufacturer had hoped. This area can be a gold mine for bargains.
Shop with a calculator. That way, you can figure whether the unit price for a case lot is really cheaper than buying one of the same item.
Request price matching. Find a store in your area that will honor all competitors' ads. You'll save money, time and gas.
Beware of "discount store syndrome." Just because you're in a bargain store doesn't mean you're getting the best price on every item.
Check your receipts. No matter how careful you or the store staff might be, mistakes happen.
Always send in for the rebate on a purchase whether it's $2 or $50. It all adds up.
Put your savings to work. Whether it's a trip, a car or a savings account, have some specific goals for the money you're not spending on food.

Within the next year nothing will be cheap in America any longer. Wegman's has been raising prices every week. My pizza house told me they are not making any money, and sub - pizza prices will have to increase. Sub's $10.00 pizza's $20.00....Soon you'll be growing your own food in your back yards lol/

[Ms.Depew.to.you]

Soon you'll be growing your own food in your back yards lol/

Actually, I was just talking with the kids about increasing our garden size this year and planting lettuce, corn, carrots, more tomatoes for canning, and beans on top of our "usual" small garden. I'd also like to plant an apple tree, a pear tree, a few raspberry or blackberry bushes, a few strawberry plants, and some grapes. I know it won't help much during the winter but it will hopefully help some during the summer.

I draw the line at plucking feathers. You just gotta pay for some conveniences.

[cookie]

another thought on bulk purchasing: don't discount (no pun intended) this idea if you don't have freezer room or storage. Find a few friends or neighbors to share. And maybe they can watch the kids while you shop, which alleviates some of the pressure by family members whining for you to buy certain things

[therising]

Put larger heavy items on the cart shelf under the basket and hope the cashier doesnt notice them.

I haven't paid for paper towels or detergent in over three years.

[NoCtUrNaL]

Soylent green and Human Helper. Mmmmm....mmmm, dat's good eatin.

[WNYresident]

Within the next year nothing will be cheap in America any longer. Wegman's has been raising prices every week. My pizza house told me they are not making any money, and sub - pizza prices will have to increase. Sub's $10.00 pizza's $20.00....Soon you'll be growing your own food in your back yards lol/

That is what happens when you have paper money that your government prints as it needs it.