Groceries Use coupons Shop lowest price stores (avoid convenience stores) Prepare low budget meals (spaghetti vs. steak) Stock up on frequently-used items when they are on sale Buy generic rather than name brands Use a shopping list instead of impulse buying and stick to it Limit trips to the grocery store to once a week at most (do without items you forget) Use powder milk (or mix half powder milk and half regular milk) Eat leftovers Don't shop on an empty stomach or when you are tired, depressed, or stressed. Shop alone so that a third party (such as a child/friend) won't influence the decision making Bring a calculator to determine the best buy on different sizes of the same item Buy only items that you will actually eat (don't buy broccoli b/c it is cheap, if you don't eat broccoli) Plant a garden if feasible If the store has a savings card make sure you use it Review the cash register receipt for errors (especially to ensure sale items were priced correctly) Avoid the added expense of precut and prepared produce, such as salads in a bag Buy block cheese and shred it at home Dry pasta normally costs less than frozen or fresh pasta Avoid high-priced snack foods Don't buy non-food items at the grocery store Avoid the products at the check out stand: refrigerated soda, magazines, batteries and junk food Spend as little time as possible in the store; the more you look, the more you buy Items that require user preparation usually cost less than ready-to-eat items Compare prices on different brands of the same item based on weight rather than package size Develop a meal plan so that perishable foods do not become rotten and have to be thrown out If you must buy cereals, bagged cereals usually offer a better value than boxed cereals Try to make more meatless meals. Beans and veggies can be just as filling without the added cost!