Shopping in the Store Tips and Tricks

  • Be Organized
  • Plan ahead but be prepared for contingencies
  • Shop without your family
  • Check clearance
  • Establish a pattern
  • Carry a copy of the store’s policy
  • Bring water
  • Understand the psychology of shopping
  • Get Rainchecks!!!!
  • Check your receipt
  • Control your coupons
  • Order of operations
  • Know where your clearance is
  • Know your stores mark down days
  • Use your overage
  • Shop with a calculator

Grocery Shopping Tips

  • Shop seasonally
  • Look for marked down meat
  • Ask each section about coupons
  • Make friends
  • Have a store
  • Shopping at a couple of different stores.
  • Don't "crisis cook." Shopping after work for the day's dinner gets expensive. Plan a weekly menu before shopping and watch your grocery bill shrink.
  • Don't waste money on prepared foods. Instead, prepare meals ahead of time and freeze them, or double a recipe when cooking, and freeze the second for a hectic day coming up.
  • Watch package sizing
  • 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.
  • Shop early or late in the day..
  • Buy on the markdowns and save as much as 20 percent.
  • 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.
  • 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