Save Money: How to Lower Your Next Grocery Bill

Food can take up a lot of your money. It's expensive, disposable, and addictive. These are my favorite tips on how to save money on your next grocery bill.

Look up and down

Grocery stores put the most expensive items at eye level. Look at the highest and lowest shelf to find the cheapest prices. Example: I always get the 88 cents spaghetti sauce in a can, and it's always on the bottom shelf. The $3 jar of sauce is at eye level.

Use coupons

Sometimes you can get brand name items for cheaper than the store brand price, if you use coupons. You don't have to buy the Sunday newspaper to get coupons. Most of them are located online for you to print. My favorite place to get coupons is from the Mommy Saves Big blog.

Combine manufacturer's and store coupons for the biggest savings. Do not buy something just because you have a coupon. Only use them for things you are already going to use.

Bring your MP3 Player

Stores play slow moving music on purpose so that customers will walk slower and spend more time in the store, which leads to spending more money. Bring a MP3 player or Walkman and listen to upbeat, fast-paced music so you can move at your own speed. This will save you time and money.

Skip the free sample

Sure, the free sample seems harmless, but how many times have you tried something and then bought the item because it was "so good!" I have even sometimes bought the item during a different trip to the store, simply because I remember how good it was. Avoid the temptation and skip the sample.

Make a meal plan

If you have problems buying things that you don't need, try making a weekly meal plan. Before you go shopping, make a menu of what meals you will be having that week. Remember to include snacks and beverages. Consult your fridge and pantry, then make a list of what ingredients you need to buy and HOW MUCH. When you're at the store, only buy what is on that list and NOTHING else.

Make a DON'T buy and DO buy list