shoppingonabudget

I have mentioned before how it is always a good idea to check the expiration dates of food products when stocking up. I think it is important to mention that you should do so anyways.

A few days ago, heard on the news that New York State intended to sue Rite Aid and CVS due to selling expired products. You can read an article on this here.

As for why it is important to check expiration dates on food, they are of better quality when eaten before the expiration or sell by date.

Monitoring expiration dates can also help you save money, as you are less likely to waste food. Longer expiration dates means more time to eat your food without it having to go to waste.

Do you get your grocery coupons from your local newspapers? If so, I have a helpful moneysaving tip for you.

If you buy a newspaper at a local store, do you stop and check the coupons while still in the car? If not, you may want to start. Of course, you don’t have to sit in your car and clip the coupons, but just browse through the inserts real quick. Do you see any coupons on the products that you use regularly? If so, you may want to go back and buy another newspaper.

This is something that I started doing. Many food coupons, such as those for cereal or yogurt, don’t expire for a month or two. This means that you may have two, three, or even four different shopping trips where you can redeem the coupons before they expire.

If you are looking to save money with the use of grocery coupons, you may be looking for the best online coupon websites. Although there are a number of websites to choose from, which can all be found with a standard internet search, there are two in particular that I personally like and use. They are Coupons.com and EverydaySaver.com.

I learned about EverydaySaver.com after seeing a page full of coupons in one of my local newspapers. That sheet had a website listed.

When getting coupons from these and other websites, you will need to have access to a printer. You are also required to install a program, which makes it possible to print the coupons. I noted that these two websites use the same program, as I was only required to install it once.

Although many online coupon websites do have the same coupons posted, you are urged to checkout as many as possible, as you will occasionally find some unique grocery coupons.

In the past, when I went grocery shopping I rarely had a list. If I did, that list was made up of items that just popped into my head. It was not uncommon for me to spend more money than I needed to or to forget important items that I really did need.

To prevent this from happening to you, you should make your grocery list around the meals that you intend to make. Although it does take a little bit of planning, the process is actually a lot easier than it sounds.

What you will want to do is sit down and decide what you want to have for dinner each night of the week. Then, make note of the ingredients needed. For example, a spaghetti dinner may call for spaghetti noodles, sauce, diced tomatoes, hamburger meat, and Italian bread. Add the items that you do not already have in your home to your grocery list.

This allows you to save money on groceries, as you are only buying what you truly need. It also reduces the chances of you forgetting an important ingredient and having to spend more money at a nearby convenience store at the last minute.

If you are looking for ways to save money on your groceries, you likely already look for the meat that is on sale, but what about the meat that is being offered at a discounted price? If your grocery store is like mine, they may occasionally offer meat for a discounted price. This price is separate from the traditional sale price or what you would receive with a shopper’s card.

Of course, discounted meat doesn’t sound too tempting for some (I was included at first too). There are a number of factors that are taken into consideration when meat is offered at an extra discounted price. This includes the date. Always check the sell by date. Never purchase meat with a date that has expired. I also avoid those for the day in question.

This past weekend, our local grocery store had reduced almost half of their sausage packages. The prices where cut in half from the already on sale price. The sell by date wasn’t for two more days, so I bought some. Along as the meat is used or freezed by the sell by date, you should be good to go.

As you likely already know, coupons are a great way to save money on groceries. Aside from product manufacturer coupons, store coupons can also be used, but what about those from competitors?

Did you know that many retail stores accept coupons from their competitors? You may be surprised how many actually do. Unfortunately, many consumers are unaware of this moneysaving technique. Why? Because it isn’t always advertised. For that reason, you should ask. Place a call to the store’s customer service department or ask while on your next shopping trip.

Although you are able to benefit the most from shopping at a store that accept coupons from their competing stores, retailers benefit as well. This is because you are likely to spend more money.

When you go shopping, do you do all of your shopping at your grocery store? Although this is convenient, you may be spending more money than you need to. Most of the time, you can save more money by buying your non-food products at stores other than grocery stores.

As for non-food products, they include a lot of items. Health and beauty products, cleaning products, toys, movies, clothes, and kitchen supplies are all typically cheaper at department stores, like Wal-Mart.

For example, my local grocery store tends to price shampoo a $1 or more higher than our local Wal-Mart. This extra $1 can add up over time.

It is also important to note that many stores, like Wal-Mart accept coupons, allowing you to save even more money.

Are you looking to not only save money on groceries, but gas as well? If so, you should examine your shopping habits.

How far do you have to travel to the closest grocery store? Personally, it is 10 miles for me one-way. If you must travel even longer, consider shopping for groceries on your way home from work or another scheduled appointment, like a doctor’s appointment.

Although many individuals want to rush home and start relaxing after a long hard day of work, you may be able to save yourself a considerable amount of money. It all depends on how often you shop, as well as the location of your stores.

As an added tip, have all of your coupons sorted and bring a grocery list with you. This allows you to quickly get your groceries, while still saving both money on your food and gas.

Are you looking for ways to save money on your groceries? If you are, do you take the time to examine the unit price? Most stores will have this in the small corner of the price labels on their shelves. It is usually highlighted in orange.

Examining the unit price is a great way to save money, as it enables you to get the best deal in the long run. For example, I was buying cereal last night at our local Wal-Mart. Many brands have two or three different sizes for you to choose from. In the past, I would have gone for the cheapest box, but I have since learned how much money I was truly spending.

In the end, I opted for the larger 31 ounce box of Frosted Flakes. The unit price was only $2.98, compared to those in the high $3 range. Although the box did cost a little bit more money, it was more than worth it in the end.

Do you purchase snacks? If you take your lunch to work or if you are a parent, you likely do. Unfortunately, many consumers waste money by purchasing convenience sized snack packages, also commonly known as travel size packages. Yes, it is easy to just grab a small bag of crackers and toss them into your child’s lunchbox, but do you have any idea how much money you are wasting?

Instead, try buying the full size version of the snack in question. This is a great way to save money on groceries. For example, if your child likes animal crackers with their school lunch, buy the full sized bag. The night before, fill a small ziplock bag full of these animal crackers. You should be good to go. You will also likely save money and get more snacks in the long run.