Grocery Shopping 101

Families everywhere are looking for ways to save money. One of the biggest expenditures for any family is their grocery bill. Many parents (especially moms) find themselves overwhelmed with the challenge of being able to provide nutritious, delicious and economical meals to their families. Often when parents are caught up in the demand of jobs, picky eaters and the time constraints of everyday living they find themselves resorting to expensive methods that drive up their grocery bill, but by using just a few of these savvy grocery shopping strategies you can significantly lower your grocery bill and not deprive your family of tasty and nutritious meals. Here are some basic guidelines for economical grocery shopping-

· Pay attention to where you are in the store. It is no surprise that grocers set up their stores in a way that attracts shoppers to spend the most money. When you first enter the store stick to the outside areas of the store which are typically: produce, meat, dairy and bakery. Ignore displays on the ends of aisles as these are products set up to entice you to spend money (often on non-essential items). Only after you have shopped the outside areas of the store for essential items then venture down the aisles but keep in mind the items on the aisles often have the highest markup.

Stick to the necessities.

· Never go to the store without a list in hand. Many shoppers make the crucial mistake of going grocery shopping without a list in hand. Keep in mind that when you have a list-you have a plan. Plan your menu at home when all of the items at the store will not be distracting you and then make a grocery list only for the items you need to complete your menu. And most of all after going to all the work of making a list-stick to it! Studies have shown that grocery shoppers who regularly use a list spend less than their shopping counterparts who simply wing it.

· Try to shop alone. While this may not seem like as much fun studies have shown that moms with kids, spouses or friends who shop together spend more. Kids often use the grocery store as a time to pressure parents into buying high markup items like: cereal, ice cream, candy, chips etc. Because of the public pressure many parents simply cave to keep their kids happy. Moms who shop alone report spending significantly less than when their kids are along for the shopping trip. If you are a mom with little ones you may want to consider hiring a sitter for large shopping trips; it may save your sanity and your pocketbook in a big way. If a sitter is out of the question consider setting up a babysitting trade with other moms who will appreciate the ease on their grocery bill as well. In addition you may not want to shop with a spouse or friends. Studies have shown that many people feel pressured to buy extra groceries they do not need to “keep up with the Joneses”. Shopping alone may not be your idea of a fun outing but it could save you big bucks in the long run.

· Do not go hungry to the grocery store. While no one advocates shopping at the grocery store right after a large turkey dinner, going to the grocery store when you are ravenous often results in you spending more. If you are really hungry have a light, protein heavy snack to help you from seeing all those delectable bakery items, gourmet cheeses and other high mark up items as necessities. Having a light snack before shopping can also help you focus on your list and help you complete your grocery shopping faster because really who wants to spend all day in the grocery store?