I love going to the grocery store and looking at my receipt to see how much I saved. The best I’ve personally done is 70% and I’ve only been able to do that once. I really try to save between 30% and 40% when I visit the grocery store, if possible.

In addition to the tips below I also shop at a grocery store that gives me gasoline discounts. Each time I spend $50 in groceries, the store gives me 3 cents per gallon off on my gasoline. My car usually will take 13 gallons. At 3 cents per gallon off, it’s another 39 cents I’m saving when I shop. I know that doesn’t seem like a lot, but if I fill my car 26 times per year (every other week), in a year I’ve saved $10.14. That ten dollars comes to me just for shopping at a store that has great prices to begin with.

Here are several of my tips for saving money at the grocery store:

1. Buy day old meat. If you freeze the meat it will hold for several months. Sometimes I can save 50% on the cost of the meat by buying day old meat. This applies to poultry also.

2. Buy bread at outlet stores if available. Again, I save 50% by buying the day old bread. I keep bread in my refrigerator, so it will last many days. If you don’t have an outlet store, compare the price of store bought bread with the price of day old bakery bread.

3. Watch the store sales. I try very hard to not run out of items so that I only buy items when on sale. For example, we make spaghetti at least once a month. I use Prego sauce as a base. I buy it when it’s on sale, knowing I’ll use it in the next month.

4. Use coupons. If I see a coupon for a product I use, I cut the coupon. If your store offers double coupons, shop on the days your coupons will be doubled. If you can buy an item on sale and use a coupon, you’ll save even more. Consider trying a different brand, if there is a coupon and it will cut your overall grocery bill.

5. Grocery stores tend to put the higher priced items at eye level. Check the top and bottom shelves to see if a different brand or different size might be a better price.

6. Compare brands. Don’t be afraid to try store brand products. One of the major manufacturers is making the store brand product. I actually save quite a bit of money on mayonnaise by buying the store brand. We bought a small jar of the store brand and liked it. Now it’s all we use.

7. Shop with a list. Try not to impulse buy. Stick to your list. I try to only impulse buy if I find something on sale that was not in the circular and it’s an item we use.

8. Plan your shopping. We have one store in town that always sells eggs for a dollar a dozen. I seldom find them at the grocery store for that price. I make a plan to buy eggs while in the part of town where this store is. I plan ahead so I don’t run out of eggs prior to going to this one store.

9. Buy in bulk if the price is right. We use real butter in my home. I buy 6 pounds at a time. I put it in the freezer and it keeps for months. I get the best price buying butter in bulk this way.

10. Always check price per unit, or price per ounce. Larger does not always mean a better price. Laundry detergent is a great example. I’ve been able to buy 3 smaller containers for less than the cost of one larger container.

Once you begin seeing the savings, you’ll begin to look forward to shopping just to see how much you can save!

Article by: Audrey Okaneko is mom to two girls. She can be reached at audreyoka@cox.net or visited at Recipe Barn.