Your groceries cost how much?

Every time I walk into the grocery store, I feel good. I have a list in hand and a certain amount of money to spend. It's a totally different story when I walk out of the grocery store. I have everything on my list, but am now broke once again. As housewives normally do, my friend and I were discussing this issue and then she dropped a bomb on me. She stated that she can walk into the store with $200 in hand and come out with everything on her list and anywhere from $40 to $80 left in her pocket. I was amazed considering the rising cost of groceries. I asked how she did this and her answer was so simple that I was a little ashamed I didn't think of it. I'll share her tips here, besides, we could all use a little extra pocket money.

Coupons

Coupons seem like a no brainer, but there are actually ways to increase your savings by using these newspaper additions. The first step is to find out sale dates of products you commonly use. Search online or through ads to find manufacturer coupons for the very same products that are on sale. Voila, double the savings. Another good tip utilizing coupons is to seek out the stores that offer double and triple coupon days. For example, in my hometown there is a store called Ingles, that offers double and triple coupon days periodically. Team this with sale items and you have tripled to quadrupled your savings in the store. Not bad when a $3 box of cereal costs you a whopping $1.00 or less.

Smart phone apps

Smart phones keep us connected with family and friends, provide entertainment and news at our fingertips. What you may not realize is there are also apps that download coupons straight to your phone. The iPhone mobile app store has many grocery saving apps that will allow you to pick from a variety of coupons and sends you a text with your savings code. The code is given to the cashier and entered into the register for credit. Until speaking to my friend, I had no idea that digital coupons such as this even existed. I was shocked and amazed that my little phone could save me money on food and household items for my large family. You can also visit websites and opt in for mobile deals based on your preferences. You can choose weekly or daily savings updates from these sites to stretch your dollars even further.

Savings cards

Many stores have loyalty programs that utilize a shopper card with your unique shopper ID number. This gives you loyalty program savings and special offers such as earning points towards future purchases. Many coupon sites are now offering ways for you to add coupons directly to your loyalty shopper cards. When you checkout, your card is scanned and the coupon savings are automatically deducted from your total. This type of additional savings proves its worth the effort to sign up for local grocery loyalty cards as well as those offered by pharmacies and gas stations.

Rain checks

Okay, so this one actually came from my father, but I find it worthy to be in this hub. Sale items often go quickly and if you get to the store a split second too late, you miss out on a great deal. Never fear. Many stores offer rain checks when they have run out of stock during a sale. According to the rain check terms, you are eligible to get the item once it is back in stock at the sale price you missed out on, even if the sale is over. Don't be afraid to ask for rain checks if a sale item is a great deal that may not happen again for a long time.

Time of day

Another from my dad. The time of day you go shopping really does have bearing on how much money you spend on your total grocery bill. Early mornings is the best time to shop at most stores. Meats are normally marked down by up to 50% because of stringent regulations on how long stores have to sell the product once it is packaged and placed in the meat coolers. Sale meat is not old, nor out of date. It is simply marked down to make room for fresher deliveries. Stock up and place the meat in your freezer to provide your family with an endless supply of food. The same holds true for fresh produce that needs cleared out for daily deliveries.

Price matching

With a highly competitive market, grocery stores are now beginning to follow Wal Mart's lead and offer price matching guarantees. If you find an item that you commonly use on sale at another store, simply bring the ad into your favorite grocery store and show the cashier. While these stores don't widely advertise their price matching guarantee, if you ask it, they will honor it.

I for one am going to try these methods at my next shopping trip. Being the main source of income for my family, I have to cut corners with my grocery budget all the time. I know if I can save money just like my dad and friend, then cutting corners may become a thing of the past.