The Art of Grocery Shopping

One thing that has taken me about 3 years to learn is the art of grocery shopping.. I used to think that it was cheapest and easiest to just go to one store (usually walmart) and buy all the grocery's I could afford to buy all at one store in one trip so that I wouldn't spend useless money on random items each week at the store not to mention the amount of time i saved by only going every month or so (with the exception of milk and bread) and just buying everything all at once.. but there was something I always noticed I was throwing away alot of that food before I could ever use it all! Especially veggies... So I have since learned to shop around.. And I have noticed that it's a real art!

It really dawned on me the other day when Zach and I just happened to be at 2 different grocery stores at the same time (weird i know) and We were discussing the items we needed for our home and even though the money cames from the same account we divided who would buy what based solely on the store we were at! So.. For example: Zach was at Harris Teeter who has milk for about $3 a gallon which is very cheap and I was at Lowes foods where eggs were on sale for $.99 a carton and I purchased the eggs and he got the milk.. and we divided it up like that! I found it very amusing! :)

Another thing I've learned is to buy specific food groups from diff rent stores, yes it is inconvenient when you really only need a few items to shop around different stores but usually you will save so much more money and get much better quality food by doing so. What i've learned Buy Fruits and Veggies at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, or Fresh Market based on whats on sale!
Buy meats at Food Lion for the best deals or Lowes Foods (if you live in Wilmington take a friend with you to food lion b/c they are all a little sketchy) Buy your paper products, cleaning products, boxed goods from Wal mart for the cheapest price! But NEVER buy fresh goods (meats or veggies) they go bad MUCH faster than if you purchase your goods from another store!!

Another awesome saver is coupons! I've become a very avid coupon clipper.. Every Sunday I get the paper from my work and clip all the coupons out that I know I will/could use before they expire. I also have them sent to my email using coupons.com. If you are an avid craft store shopper sign up w/ their websites to have them email you their coupons (they email about 2 or more a week!) i've saved tons of money using coupons.. I used to think they were just a waste of time but alot of stores will actually double your coupons so you can turn .50 coupon into a dollar of savings!!

My final grocery tip is a LIST sounds simple.. but really I keep a magentic shopping list on our fridge and each time an item is finished or we decide we need something it goes on the list and then you can just pick it up without having to think while you are at the store OH dID i need.. It's a hard habit to stick to but if you are dedicated you will save time and money on items you think you need at the store but when you get home you realize you don't need it at all.. Also, if you can stick to the list you won't pick up items you don't need at all (this is my biggest weakness...OH thats on sale.. and we didn't even need it!! )

Use these tips and enjoy your grocery shopping.. I've learned to have fun finding the best deals!