Six Ways to Save Money Shopping

The grocery store is a veritable battle zone full of well placed land mines designed to siphon away as much of your well earned money as possible each time you step in one. Avoid the pitfalls and keep more of your money with these six smart shopping tips.

#1 Shop One Per Week –
It is a known fact that grocery stores are set up specifically to entice you into spending more than you intended. Impulse purchases can increase your grocery bill by as much as 35%. Avoid this by shopping only once per week and slash an average $143 off of your food bill.

#2 Shop Online –
Better yet, avoid the store all together by purchasing household necessities over the internet. Because of the reduced overhead costs, online retailers are generally able to offer the same products found in a brick and mortar store for considerably less. Add to the fact that you can often eliminate sales taxes and find free shipping deals, you can kiss high shopping bills goodbye.

#3 Buy In Season Produce –
We all know that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables everyday is good for you. But buying produce that is out of season is bad for your wallet. You’ll save between 20-50% simply by going with the flow of nature and eating what’s in season. Visit Fruits and Veggies More Matters to find a list of in season fruits and veggies.

#4 Buy Organic Selectively –
While healthier for you than conventional fruits and veggies, organic produce can cost up to $2.00 more than those that come from farms which use conventional farming methods to grow crops. Cut down on the amount of pesticides you ingest while keeping a healthy budget by going to Food News and learning which produce contains the most pesticides and which ones don’t and shopping accordingly.

#5 Buy Private Label –
The private label products of most stores are just as good as, or better than, the brand name versions of the same products. You can save an estimated $15 or more by switching to store brand canned produce, batteries, pain relievers, and basic beauty items such as nail polish remover.

#6 Inconvenience Yourself –
You are far more likely to overspend if it is easy for you to shop. If you only need a few items, use a hand basket rather than a cart. Only need one or two things, ditch the basket altogether.