• Shop alone. Don't bring the kids, your spouse or significant other, or anyone else to the grocery store with you. That's just too many temptations.
• Don't shop when you're hungry or tired. It's so easy to stop at the store right after you get off work, but it's probably the time when you're most vulnerable because you're both hungry and tired. If you don't work, shop after you've eaten, not before. It's a fact you'll be tempted to buy junk food that shouldn't be on your grocery list if you're hungry or tired .
• Buy store brands. Most store brands are less expensive than name brands. However, you have to do the math. If you have a coupon for a name brand that makes the product less expensive than the store brand, buy the name brand.
• Buy large bags of frozen vegetables. The bags of frozen vegetables are cheaper per serving than the boxes, and you can use a portion and keep the rest in the freezer for use at a later date.
• Skip the high-priced fortified cereals. They promise 100 percent of the recommended vitamins and minerals -- but this isn't your only meal of the day. Stick with a basic cereal and save.
• Bring a calculator.  You need to be a smart shopper and that means being able to compare unit prices. Most stores have the unit prices on shelf tags, but if they don't you need to know the best buy. Click here to learn more about unit pricing. 
• Don't buy prepared foods. Instead, prepare meals ahead of time and freeze them, or double a recipe when cooking, and freeze the second for a hectic day coming up. Ground beef, noodles and a can of mushroom soup make more and is a lot cheaper than Hamburger Helper.
• Eat healthy. A healthy diet can be less expensive than one based on red meat. Fruit, vegetables, potatoes and rice are all less expensive than meat. You don't have to become a vegetarian, but neither is it healthy to eat too much meat. Try chili made beans only, spaghetti squash with a meat-free sauce, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. There are dozens of healthy and tasty meals that don't need meat.
• Comparison shop at the meat counter. Look for cheaper cuts of meat and challenge your cooking skills. Use chicken, fish and turkey which is usually less expensive than red meat and a lot healthier.
• Use a scale when buying produce. Don't be surprised at the check-out aisle when the bag of mushrooms that you thought was only a half pound turns out to be larger than you thought and thus costing more than you really wanted to spend. Use the scale to stay within your budget.
• Check the price of cold cuts in the deli section. It's usually cheaper to buy cold cuts in the deli section. You only have to buy as much as you can use and, if the price is really good and the item freezes well, you can buy more and freeze some for use at a later date.
• Check out chain drugstores for savings. Super drug stores like Walgreen's, Long's and Rite-Aid carry more than drugs. Today they have grocery items and other sundries that often beat the prices in local supermarkets. They usually have inserts in the Sunday paper so that you can compare their prices with those of the supermarkets.

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