Many people hate to go grocery shopping. I love to go grocery shopping because to me it is a skill and a test of my shopping savvy.

How can I get so excited about going grocery shopping you may ask?

I have not ever had much money with which to do my grocery shopping. However I have had at least two mouths to feed every day. Grocery shopping is just one of those chores many people have to do so I make it as interesting as possible.

In order to save time while shopping I have learned the floor plan and layout of the shelves in every story shop in. This may sound unreasonable to you however when I make my grocery list I do so according to grocery store floor plan. I subscribe to local grocery stores sales fliers which usually come in the mail directly to my house. I eagerly take a look at them right away to see if by any chance next week's prices on items I'm buying this week are lower.

I usually plan my menus for the week around the items that are on sale in the current flyer. If you shop the same grocery stores on a regular basis you can tell whether or not the sale prices in the flier are truly a sale price. I also take advantage of any buy one get one free sales on items I use often. This way I am getting double groceries for my money.

As a rule I do not use newspaper coupons when I purchase my groceries unless it is something I usually use or something new on the market I'd like to try. I avoid overpriced brand name items as much as possible. Sometimes stores have displays where there are items such as unadvertised store specials or new items with coupons attached to the display. Depending upon the price of the products or if it is going to be something I can incorporate into my menu that week I might try it.

If you prefer to shop using coupons, take advantage of stores that accept high value coupons as well as those that double or triple the value of the coupons. Every once in awhile a local store flyer may contain coupons that are good to use no where else but that store. These may help you save money.

I buy generic or store name brand groceries on a regular basis. Usually a store brand is a higher quality than a generic brand. On occasion the brand name can be on sale at a lower price than the store brand. In that case of course I buy the brand name.

I rarely purchase prepared foods at the grocery store because they usually have high prices compared to the amount of food there is in the package, and these are loaded with salt. I might purchase delicatessen items such as salads, cheeses, or sliced roasted meats.

Another example of this is frozen pancakes. It is healthier and much less expensive to make your own pancakes from scratch and freeze the leftovers than it is to buy frozen pancakes. Packaged pancake mix is convenient but high in salt.

You can save money in the meat department by buying meats that are on sale as well as meats in larger quantities such as family packs. These larger packs of meat can be divided into smaller quantities, wrapped properly, and frozen for another time. Sometimes is a good idea to compare prices on different cuts of meat. For example the price of a whole chicken may be much cheaper than the price of chicken breasts.

If you prefer the more expensive cuts of meat you can still buy them but in a smaller quantity. You can use them to enhance your menu in salads, pasta dishes, appetizers and stews or soups.

Fruits and vegetables are best and least expensive when purchased in season. Another option for purchasing produce is to visit a local farmers market or farm stand for they usually sell these items at a lower price than in the grocery store.

Have you seen the prices they charge for store bought cakes? Baked goods purchased from the store are highly overpriced. They are loaded with sugar and salt and chemicals. It is much less expensive to make your own baked goods in multiple quantities and freeze the extras for use at another time. If convenience is a factor many times packaged cake mixes are on sale and can be a reasonable purchase.

Frozen juices and drinks are less expensive and somewhat healthier than the bottled drinks sold on shelves. Another thing to consider is buying drinks in larger size containers because the individual servings are more expensive.

Along the same line, frozen vegetables and fruits can be a good addition to the weekly menus. They taste closer to fresh than the canned items. They are also convenient because they are already cleaned and prepped.

Another area which seems to be a new craze is the grocery club savings card. Similar to a credit card they can be used to give discounts on your grocery purchases.

Sometimes during the holiday season stores offer incentives such as free hams, turkeys, and even shopper dollar credit on your grocery purchases. They may also advertise free items with a purchase such as if you purchase two chickens you may also receive a free package of stuffing.

I always buy in large quantity and freeze the extras because many times this can save money.

It is also a good idea not to shop when you are hungry because you may have a tendency to overspend. It is also not a good idea to take children grocery shopping with you. However if you must do so allow the children to help make wise choices or allow a small amount of the grocery money for each child to spend on one or two items for themselves.

To try to avoid spending your grocery money on convenience foods, overpriced paper products, and household items. It is always less expensive when you cook from scratch unless the convenience of buying a prepared food outweighs the length of preparation. These paper products and household items as well as cleaning supplies, detergents, and soaps can be bought at a
Discount or dollar store.

There are also discount grocery stores that can save you quite a bit of money. These stores are like wholesale grocery stores where you can buy products at 50 to 75 percent off the regular price. They regularly offer tremendous savings on paper products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other non food items. Check your telephone directory to see if you can locate any of these stores in your area.

Remember too, that you can always check online to see if your favorite grocery store or brand has an online site. Sometimes besides printable coupons they may have money saving tips or recipes that you can try. You could also try contacting the customer service department to see if they can send you coupons in the mail. Many major branded products and companies have their own sites on the Internet. You can contact their customer service department and many times they can send you coupons for your favorite brands of foods.

Should you purchase a major brand product at your grocery store and you are not pleased with it contact the customer service department right away making sure you keep the original packaging the product was in. Many times they will reimburse you for your purchase if you supply proof of purchase. They might also send you coupons in the mail as a gift to keep you as a customer.

Sometimes major brand companies have sales promotions and so you can receive cash back or credit for your grocery purchase. You may have to send in a proper form, proofs of purchase and a cash register receipt to get these rebates.

I am sure there are many other ways to save money on your grocery purchases besides these. I hope these help.