Grocery Shopping

If you are like me, going shopping just plain old stinks. The lines, the unfriendly customer service, and worst of all, having to spend money.

Though you may not have much choice in stores to shop, you do in most cases have the option of buying generic. This may not appeal to all readers, but for me, I can hardly tell the difference between most generic products and brand ones. Cereal being the only exception, and even then, it doesn't taste too much different.

Also when shopping, be sure to check out unit prices. These will be in the lower corner of the prices on the shelf, not on the package. Should there not be prices listed, bring a calculator and do some math. Divide the price by the size of the package and figure out its unit cost. Then, compare among the sizes of the product you are interested in. In many, if not all cases, bigger size means lower cost per unit. The exception I would bring up in the next section.

Many grocery stores have bonus cards or store reward cards. If they don't hype them the moment you walk in, ask a customer service representative or cashier. Chances are the big stores will have them. Back to our example with unit pricing. Often, stores will offer deals by using their loyalty or rewards cards. 2 for $1, 5 for $1.25, etc. On top of that, you can bring in coupons to work in addition to the cards further saving you money. Suddenly, that name brand of cereal or other product is not so expensive. Visit a store's website as well to see if they offer these cards. Buy the Sunday paper. $1.50 will be easily recuperated in savings.