How to Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons

Most people clip coupons to save money on groceries. However, if you stick to your usual grocery buying habits, you may find that you can't use very many of your coupons. So you start trying to change what you buy in order to take advantage of the coupons.

Congratulations. The food companies just gained control of your food choices.

If you're clipping and using coupons regularly, you may actually be spending more on groceries without realizing it. Even if you aren't, you are probably spending a lot of time and energy for a very small savings. The good news is, there are ways around this problem.

Using this method you can go for weeks without ever using a single coupon, and still save money.

First, make a list before you go to the store. Then, make a commitment to stick to it. You can add necessities to the list, if you've forgotten them. But the purpose of the list is to prevent you from buying impulse items. Impulse items will drive your bill up, even when you bought them with a coupon.

Also, if you can't do math in your head, you may want to take a portable calculator with you.

When you walk into the grocery store, you have to scan the shelves for prices. Look at everything with a critical eye. But don't stick anything in your cart just yet.

Buying a different version of the product you usually use is a great money-saving trick. For example, when I went in to Wal Mart the other day, they had several different versions of the soda we drink, which is 7UP Plus. There were cans and bottles. The cans were $3.33 for a case of 12, yet the 1 liter bottles were $.88. I have some use for the cans, so I bought two boxes. However, I also bought three bottles, for everyday use.

The canned product contained 144 ounces of soda, whereas the bottled product contained about 64 ounces of product. So I'd have to buy about two bottles to equal what was contained in the cans. Still, that comes out to about $1.76 for 128 ounces of soda, which is 1.3 cents per ounce. The cans were 2.3 cents per ounce. I saved a lot of money by buying the bottles.