saving dough at the grocery

saving money at the grocery store is sometimes a daunting task, but it can be fairly simple, with a few tips.

clip only the coupons that you will use and that you NEED. if you don't like a brand, don't clip the coupon, and def don't buy it.

the sunday paper is a great place to find coupons for items on sale and many stores will show you the total savings in their ads. take advantage of them doing some research for you.

use a frequent shopper card wherever you shop...kroger, march, piggly wiggly, etc. you get automatic deals and they track your coupon usage. if you use coupons, they will send you more coupons. i get coupons in the mail about twice a month from my grocer with save $1 or more or buy one get one free or even plain free items. it's worth using the stores coupons.

avoid buying convenience items. cheese by the block is much cheaper, for instance, than buying it already shredded.

buying in bulk is often times not as cost friendly...so make sure to check your price per ounce. i find that it's often cheaper, for instance, to buy two boxes of cereal bars than to buy one large box. and if i have the coupon for buy two, i get an even better deal.

look up and look down...i'm short, so i swear that's why i find the deals. stores put the highest price items at eye level...and the less expensive items high and low. we do the same thing in our pantry with snack items so they won't get eaten...works pretty well.

plan your menu based on what's on sale that week. for instance, if chicken quarters are on sale, i will make crock pot roasted chicken one night. pull the extra meat off the bone the next night and add bbq sauce and we'll have bbq chicken sandwiches the next night. if there's still some left over, there's the freezer for casseroles later. {this is a meal plan for a week this month...nothing special}

shop with a list...and try to stick to it. if you don't need frozen foods, don't even go to that aisle. you'll get pulled in by "good deals" that you don't need.

and then, sometimes you get uber lucky and have a week like mine last week...and save tons of money. and that's good for the wallet, but it's also super fun! (43%)

good luck...and happy shopping!!!
danyele @ a thorn among roses