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Saving Money – Groceries

Saving money at the supermarket is something that is always on the mind of the shopper for the family. If you are the head shopper in your home, saving money and stretching your dollars is important so you can get everything you want on your list while you are in the grocery store. 

One the most important things that you can do is set a budget on how much you are going to spend a month or a week on groceries and then try your best to stick to this budget. While it is not always possible, sticking to the budget very closely will allow you to get the most for your money without over stocking and over buying. 

You might find it surprising but another important thing you can do to stick to your budget and save money is to get all of your shopping done in just half an hour or less. The more time you spend in the store, the more money you are going to spend. Did you ever notice the longer you spend walking through the aisles the more you think you need and the more over budget you went? Shop faster – spend less! 

Brands and advertising efforts that are put at the end of the aisles are not always such a great deal. While you are looking at the foods that are placed at the end of the aisle, you don�ft have the time or desire to walk back the aisle and compare it to the price of the similar items. You could be paying fifty cents more for an item that you don�ft really want to pay more for. Take the time to go through the aisle, purchasing the brands that you always do, or the price that you see that fits your budget just right. 

Generic food and paper products are designed to save you money. You might be surprised by many generic foods and paper products are made by the same big label companies just through subsidiary companies so you can get the same quality food but at a less expensive price. From paper towels to pickles, to pizza, and even soft drinks, all types of generics are available and you can save money. 

Why are generics going to save you money? Because the company did not pay for the high price of advertising – it sells itself with a lower price, that is one of the biggest reasons for the generic product saving you money. 

Water, do you really need to purchase water every week? If you have to purchase water, that is one thing, but if you are purchasing water for the convenience of carrying it with you, learn to reuse your bottles. Fill the bottles at the water fountain at work. Fill the bottles from water at home if you can. Reuse your bottles and make your money stretch out further. 

Buy bigger to make your money stretch further. Most likely, you are going to save money when you buy in bulk of the products that you use the most. For example, one roll of paper towels would be $1.09, but eight rolls are $6.99. Buying more, you made your money stretch further and you save more money. 

If you are buying milk, purchase it in the box containers instead of the plastic containers. Because the cardboard is cheaper to make and is sometimes made of recycled products, the prices are cheaper. The cardboard also protects your milk longer if your family does not use much milk. 

If you found a great deal on a large chunk of lunchmeat, deli ham, take the savings to your freezer! Lunchmeats can be frozen up to six months and still keep their great taste. You can cut it in to smaller chucks and slice it, as you need it for your families use. 

Buying larger containers of cheese, shredded or sliced, you can keep it also in the refrigerator for a few months until you are ready to use it. Prevent wasting money on your large cheese purchases that turn moldy in the refrigerator by putting it in the freezer. Wrapping your cheese, well you can use it all month long without the worry of mold at all.