Prepare for your trip to the grocery store by evaluating exactly which foods and household products you need to buy well in advance of visiting the grocery store. Carefully planning the meals that you will prepare for your family is a very important first step to saving money. Make a detailed list of all required items, but do not list them by popular brand names. Use phrases like "laundry detergent, steel wool pads, and toilet paper." It is convenient to pick up brand name items at the store when you see them on your list and then look up and identify that same name on the shelf. This is known as brand recognition and it does not happen by accident. Only choose brand names if you are able to find a discount coupon for the product that makes the price comparable to generic or store-branded items. This also applies to recipes. Just because a recipe calls for a certain type of ingredient, there is most likely a cheaper alternative that will produce the same taste and the same results.
Do not go to the store on an empty stomach. If you shop while you are hungry, you will be tempted to buy unnecessary food items that you would not ordinarily want. Visit the store in the evening after you've eaten supper and after the crowds have dispersed. Anxiety over being surrounded by too many other shoppers or knowing that you have to hurry home to prepare a meal will impair your ability to choose the best items for your money. You need plenty of time to stand still and calculate price versus quantity of each item before you commit to placing it in your cart. If you have trouble performing mathematical calculations in your head, be sure to take a small calculator with you. When you place the item in your cart, check the item off your list, but also write down the current price. This information will be useful for your next visit to the store.
Choose the store where you will shop carefully. Don't shop somewhere just because it is convenient to do so or because you know other people who shop there. Compare prices on as many items as you can and look for weekly specials. If you have a membership to a store that sells items in bulk, evaluate whether the savings that you get from buying the larger quantity makes it worth buying that much. If you know other people who use the same items, offer to split bulk items into smaller parts and each person chips in their portion of the price.
Shop alone if possible. Having children or other people with you is distracting. When shopping with friends, they often want to tell you which products are best and they will encourage you to buy things that you would usually avoid. The exception to this is if you associate with individuals who shop aggressively for bargains. These people are your allies. Watch them closely and learn from their habits.
Sign up for one of the store's "preferred shopper" cards. These cards allow you access to discounts that are not available otherwise. Most stores will post specials for card holders on each aisle beside the products. If you do not have your card, many stores can search for your member number by referencing other information, like your telephone number. If they cannot, ask the person in line behind you if they mind you using their card. Most decent people have no problem with this.
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