1. A Guide to Saving Time and Money at the Grocery Store
Nadea S. Minet, MS, RD, LD
More people are trying to save money and we have more variety on the shelves than ever before.
Many people often feel overwhelmed at the grocery store. 
The cost of certain food items are going up or have already and the price at the pump is increasing astronomically.
We can all use a few tips to save money and time while shopping!
Let’s look at a few ways to save time and money.
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2. You Can Save Money Objectives
Evaluate the importance of a list and meal planning
Learn smart shopping strategies to help you save money
Learn the secrets and techniques the grocery store uses to entice you to buy
Evaluate how to spot a REAL bargain

3. Eleven Easy Tips to Help You:
Spend less at the grocery store
Avoid losing money by tossing uneaten food
Enjoy instead of dreading grocery shopping
We will explore 11 easy steps to help you spend less at the grocery store, avoid loosing money through tossing out uneaten food and enjoy grocery shopping instead of dreading it.
Let’s take a look at how you can save money and make it fun!!

4. 1. Make a List Plan out a weekly menu
Always go with a list (and stick to it)
Organize the list according to the layout of the supermarket or grocery store
Check the grocery store circulars and plan your shopping trip accordingly
Plan your weekly menu using the circulars/ads for the supermarkets in the area.
These can usually be found in your local paper.
Some may think this is tedious work, but it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
This will allow you to come up with a grocery list based on the items that are on sale for the week or which store has the best price on the items you wish/need to purchase.
Always go to the grocery store with a list and don’t’ deviate from the list.
This will help you avoid impulse buys and also helps you stick to your budget. This also prevents you from buying items you don’t need and/or already have at home.
Organizing the list saves you time and money because you won’t have to back track through the store for specific items.

5. 2. Plan a Budget Know exactly how much you can spend
Use cash (instead of debit/credit cards)
Do not shop when you are hungry
Clip coupons
- Use technology (text messages and s)
- Store rewards cards
- Look for double/triple coupon saving days
Have a budget- When you go to the store, know exactly how much you can spend.
Do everything you can to stick within that limit.
If you don't know how much you can spend, you'll certainly spend too much.
Taking cash (instead of using your debit/credit card) can help too.
Clip coupons-You don’t have to become an extreme coupon user to save lots of money at the grocery store, just clip the ones you will actually use and are a real cost-saver.
Coupons are available on the internet and can be downloaded right to your “rewards card” for a particular grocery store to save even more when used in conjunction with the paper coupons.
You can also receive text messages and coupons directly to your smart phone for extra savings.

6. 3. Comparison Shop Compare store and generic brands for the best buy
Read the ingredient list to be sure you’re getting the most for your money
Look for simpler versions of your favorite foods
Comparison shop-you may have a coupon for the name brand item, but the generic brand is still cheaper and you won’t sacrifice on taste, just cost.
Brand names are often no better than generic, you're paying for the advertising they do.
Give the store brand a try, and often you won't notice a difference.
Especially if it's an ingredient in a dish where you can't taste the quality of that individual ingredient
Read ingredients list, for example if you’re buying canned tomatoes, the 1st ingredient should be tomatoes, not water.
Simpler versions of your favorite foods; for example buy plain oatmeal in a container (rather than flavored single servings) since it contains fewer additives and it’s less expensive.

7. 4. Know Your Prices Stock up when you see a good price
Check unit pricing
Buy only what you need
Know when things go on sale
When chicken goes on sale, buy some extra to freeze.
It’s expensive at the time, but will last for a few months.
Combining coupons and a sale price will save you even more.
Check unit price-the smaller quantity may be cheaper than buying the larger container, especially if you throw away any in the larger container.
Buy what you need- If you do not have storage space or will not eat a perishable food before it goes bad, buying more than what you need (even though )it maybe on sale is not a good idea
Know when items go on sale-turkeys are super Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas, condiments in June and July

8. 5. Buy Fruits and Vegetables when In-Season
Think frozen, canned, or dried
Visit local farmers markets
Grow your own vegetables, fruits, or herbs
Try using frozen, canned or dried foods- they are usually less expensive, yet equally nutritious.
With frozen foods, you can use only the amount you need, reseal the package, and return it to the freezer. There's no waste.
Farmers markets are a great way to buy fresh foods in season and it’s good for the environment and the local farmers, plus prices aren’t elevated to include shipping cost.
Try growing your own food. You don’t need a lot of room (herbs such as basil can grow in a small pot) Seeds are very inexpensive to purchase.

9. 6. Waste Not, Want Not
Think how exactly how you will use what you purchase
Use leftovers to make “new” meals
Plan a “leftovers” night
Brown-bag it
Before tossing perishable food into your cart, think how you will use them.
Buying 10# of potatoes because they’re on sale and only using 3# does not save you money.
Use leftovers to make a new meal-for example have baked chicken one night, then use some of the chicken that’s leftover to make grilled chicken salads for dinner the next night.
Leftovers night- everyone in the family will be able to enjoy their favorite foods that are in the refrigerator.
Make lunch and taking it with you to work is a great money saver and excellent use of leftovers.
Plus you control all the ingredients so it’s healthy and low in calories.

10. 7. Meatless Monday Go meatless one day a week (perhaps Monday)
Substitute inexpensive sources of plant protein for more expensive meat
Serve breakfast foods for dinner
Going meatless one day a week is not just good for the environment, it’s also good for your wallet since plant sources of protein are often less expensive then animal sources of protein.
Tofu, beans, eggs, legumes, are great sources of protein and are inexpensive protein sources.
Adopting meatless Mondays is also heart healthy and saves money.
Spend what you save on better meat.
Eat vegetarian once a week. Scrambled eggs, French toast, and fruit are popular for breakfast as well as dinner. Chili-stuffed baked potatoes and/or Cheese quesadillas with refried beans and Spanish rice are both easy and kid-friendly.

11. 8. Look Up, Down, and All Around
Look at the lower shelves
Search the end-caps
Saves time
Prevents impulse buying
Food companies pay to have their products placed at eye level on the shelf and it’s usually where the worst deals are found.
You can often find a better price by looking on a lower or higher shelf.
End caps are the space at the ends of the aisles.
Great deals can often be found here and this can save you time walking down un-necessary aisles, preventing you from making an impulse buy.

12. 9. Buy Pre-Packaged Only when Vital
Paying for convenience
Loaded with preservatives
Higher in fat, sugar, and calories
Unless you have a coupon or the item is on sale, buying prepackaged, sliced, or washed products comes with a higher price tag.
Depending on your household size, you may find smaller sizes of perishable products or bags of prepared produce eliminate waste and fit their needs best, despite the extra cost. 
Why does pre-packaged food stay fresh for months?
Because it’s loaded with man-made ingredients that prolong the shelf life of a products, but not necessarily your life.

13. 10. Look for Manager’s Special
Check the “sell by date”
Discounted meat usually in designated location
Look for a sale
Read sign’s carefully
The “sell by” date is the date the store must have the product off the shelf, not necessarily when the product is bad/spoiled.
You can plan to cook or freeze the meat right away, making a great way to save of money on your meat, which usually make up the largest percentage of our family’s grocery store budget.
Knowing the regular price of certain items will help you know if in fact an item is actually “on sale” or just a way to get you to buy a certain item.
Reading signs carefully is key. Sometimes the signs are placed to draw your attention and not because the price is good or the item is on sale.
Look for manager’s specials. Meat, bread, and produce can all be heavily discounted if it will expire in the next day or two.
Buying these products can help you save up to 90% of the original price and as long as you use them by the expiration date, are just as good.

14. 11. Keep Your Eyes on the Scanner
Check prices
Hand over the coupons
Review your receipt before you leave the store
Ask for a rain check
Recycle your grocery bags
As you are going through the checkout lane, make sure you are being charged the correct price for the items you are purchasing.
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.
Hand over your coupons and make sure the cashier scans all of them (I count mine before I give them to the cashier)
Check your receipt before you leave the store.. No matter how careful you or the store staff might be, mistakes happen.
Ask for a rain check if the item is out-of-stock
Recycle your grocery bags - Not only is this good for the environment, but many stores will offer a few cents off your grocery bill for each bag you bring in from home. (and they can make groceries easier to carry up the stairs).

15. More Ways to Save Take your time Shop on Wednesday Shop at a good time
Leave the kids at home
Shop the perimeter
Don’t be in a hurry when you are shopping, this leads to impulse buys and you usually end up using less coupons.
Researchers have found Wednesday may be the best day for grocery shopping.
Reports that supermarkets tend to reduce prices on items that are expiring soon during that time frame, too.
"Many grocery stores release their new sale advertisements [on Wednesday] but also honor the sales items from the previous week.”
Check with your local grocery stores for details.
Arrive at the store when it’s not so crowded and when you are not rushed.
If possible, shop by yourself, less distractions=increased savings/less impulse buying.
Perimeter shopping- Dairy, meat, and the produce department are usually located along the outer walls of the store, while; pre-packaged items are located in the center of the store. 
The fewer aisles you travel the less chance for buying less healthy food and impulse buys.

16. More Ways to Save Saving Web Sites www.restaurant.com
Here are some website for more way to save money.
Check them out for extra ways to save.
Hopefully these tips will help to slim your waistline and fatten your bank account! 

17. Questions? Celebrate Health. Celebrate Life. Celebrate Vitamins.
8691 Wadsworth Rd., Suite 130
Wadsworth, OH 44281
(877)