Save on Groceries

Following are ways to bring your grocery bill under control without sacrificing time, your family's health or your own sanity:

1. Find the freshest and the cheapest fruits and vegetables at a local farmers market. With less middlemen involved, the produce tends to be fresher, treated with less chemicals and cheaper.
2. In the grocery stores, they position the items they most want to sell on the shelves between knee and shoulder height. The highest markup items are the ones at about chest level to make it really easy for you to grab it and toss it in the cart.
3. Shop early and alone. If you shop early in the day, you get through the store faster with your list and spend less.
4. Avoid purchasing nongrocery items at a grocery store. Supplies like like painkillers, contact lens solution, mouthwash or toothpaste are more expensive at the grocery store. Even though it is convenient, the cost would be double of what you pay at local pharmacy.
5. Weigh before you pay. Not all 10-pound bags of potatoes are created equal. There could be a pound's difference. Weigh the pre-packed bags, and get the most for your money.
6. Instead of driving all over the town for best deals, request price matching. Find a store in your area that will honor all competitors' ads. You'll save money, time and gas. This is also a good way to get bargains on things like meat or vegetables, where coupons are rarely an option.
7. If you know that your store is offering a great price on something you use, but it's all gone when you arrive, get a rain check.
8. Always check your receipts. No matter how careful you or the store staff might be, mistakes happen and you will end up paying for more than what you bought.