{Saving Money Week: Smart shopping tips!}

So, have you learned a lot this week about saving money? Well put on your seat belt kids, because this post is about shopping wisely so you can REALLY save some dough! Coupons are great, but if you don't know how to shop wisely aside from them, you are going to fail.

So I wanted to show you all some tips that have really helped me, and others, to achieve our money saving goals at the grocery store!

TIPS FOR SUCCESS AT THE GROCERY STORE...


Tip #1: MAKE A LIST! This will help you stay organized and ONLY buy the things you have on your list, not the things you want...like that bag of Oreos that's almost $3 bucks!


Tip #2: TAKE CASH! Set a budget and stick to it. I don't even take my credit card to the store, I just take $60 in cash so I am forced to stay on budget.


Tip #3: SHOP ALONE! It's a fact...the more people that shop with you, the more hands there are to put junk in the basket. When we shop with others, we are easily convinced to add things that are not on our list to the cart. Plus, when you shop alone, you get a few hours of "ME" time!


Tip #4: AVOID CHECKOUT HOOKS! All that candy and magazines and junk for who knows what! You don't need these things, and more than likely, they are marked up more here than they are in the store!


Tip #5: USE A CALCULATOR! This is without a doubt the most important tip I can give you. When I put something in my cart, say bread, then on my list where it says "bread" I will write down how much it is. I do this for every item that goes into my cart. Then as I shop, I occasionally tally up my total. This way, I know what I have bought, how much it is, and how much I am spending.
This also really helps you to form your grocery list down the road. You can see how much items are usually priced and then you can estimate how much your grocery bill will be before you even shop. This helps me so I will know if my meals I chose were too expensive so I can change them out!

**Now, you need to also stay organized at the store. This is how I usually do it. If your new to the blog, this will be new for you, but if you have been here for a while, here is a refresher course on how to keep your coupons organized!

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO!