Thrifty Tips--Grocery Shopping

I have always considered myself to be a frugal shopper, but I am willing to step up to the plate and rethink how and where I shop. In the wake of the economic slowdown, it is very important to go food shopping with a new and improved plan in hand. I have found the following tips very helpful:

Go Generic In most cases, generic and store-label food and household items are just as good as name-brand products. This is especially true for cereals, crackers, chips, napkins, and paper towels.

Bring a calculator Lately, I have noticed a number of shoppers with a calculator in hand. I watched a few of them calculate the per-unit price of different items. This comes in very handy when doing any bulk buying. And, it is also a good idea to keep a running total of purchases. If they exceed a certain amount, items can be returned to their shelves before reaching the checkout counter.

Buy in Bulk This does not mean purchasing large cases of individually wrapped goods; nor, does it mean buying things you don't really need. Buying in bulk does mean buying the largest size of a product that I was going to buy anyway. This is better for my shopping bill because the larger size usually has a lower per-unit price. And, it is also better for the planet because it uses the smallest amount of packaging per unit.

Curtail aimless wandering I try to plan my shopping list around the items on the perimeter of the store. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, dairy products, and other healthy items can be found against the store walls. I then make a few quick trips down the rest of the aisles.

Beware of loss leaders After checking all the fliers, I decide whether or not I want to buy any of these items. Loss leaders are items that stores sell at (or below) the wholesale price paid for the merchandise. Then, they hope the customer will browse and give in to a couple of impulse purchases. I try to do my loss leader shopping first and then finish the remainder of my shopping at whichever store has the best prices in general.