54 Quick & Easy Ways to Save at the Supermarket

Here are 54 of my very favorite ways to save money on groceries. Try them out – and add your own…

First, Make Sure You’re Using All the COUPONS Available to You…

1. Print new coupons from Coupons.com. New coupons are released weekly – and we publish a rundown of new coupons as soon as we get notified of them. This typically happens on Tuesdays, in the late morning. We post updates on our blog, here, so make sure you’re subscribed to our RSS feed or to our daily deals alert. We always have direct links to individual coupons.com coupons here.

2. Print new coupons from CouponNetwork.com. Again, Susies-Coupons publishes direct links to each of the new CouponNetwork coupons on our printable grocery coupons page here.

3. Print new coupons from Redplum.com. Redplum doesn’t have nearly the volume of printable coupons that coupons.com and couponnetwork have, but they are still worth checking out once each week. We publish direct links to new Redplum coupons here.

4. Load your Cellfire coupons each week. At cellfire, when you choose the coupons you want, they are added to your store loyalty card, so you can redeem the coupon without having to print anything. Ah, the future of couponing. We post current cellfire coupons here.

5. Load your SavingStar ecoupons. Here again, it’s a simple sign up process and then you can save your chosen coupons directly to your store loyalty card. SavingStar is a little different, however, in that your savings from these coupons are entered into your online SavingStar account (instead of being immediately deducted from your total at the supermarket checkout.) You can then choose from a variety of payout options, ranging from cash to gift cards to charity donations. We publish direct links to current SavingStar coupons here.

6. Download and use the savings app for your supermarket. Not all grocery stores have such apps, but some do. If you shop at a Kroger store, for example, you can download this free app and get new coupons, special offers and weekly ads right on your phone.

7. Clip the manufacturer’s coupons from your Sunday paper.

8. Stack ‘em, if possible. Many stores will allow you to use a manufacturer’s coupon with a store coupon with an internet coupon.

9. Don’t buy something just because you have a coupon for it. Buy only those things you like and genuinely enjoy.

BEFORE YOU GO

10. Study the weekly food circulars and make a plan as to where you’ll shop this week. Be flexible, and shop at the supermarket that’s offering the very best deals on the things you need.

Sometimes the best grocery savings come from simply choosing the right store. Depending on what’s on my weekly list, I often start at Walmart, which has great deals on many grocery items. Then I head to supermarket for gourmet and specialty items. Walmart offers Printable Coupons here – so always check before you shop.

11. Clean your pantry and fridge. When things are well-organized, it’s easier to keep a good stock of the items you really need. Then you won’t be making extra trips to the store for little things you need to make dinner.

12. Go through your newly organized, clean fridge and pantry and make a complete list of things you need for the week.

13. Shop when you aren’t feeling pressed for time. Go when you’re relaxed and can take your time to look for good deals and make healthy decisions.

14. Ask your friends if they want to go in with you on certain purchases. You can score some great deals by buying in bulk, but you might not have the storage space for such items, or the item might go bad before you use it all. Split the cost – and the items – with some friends, relatives, or neighbors.

15. Eat a meal or a snack just before you go to the store.

16. Leave the kids at home. I love to shop with my kids, but I’m kind of a pushover, so I spend way less when they aren’t with me. Same goes for my husband.

AT THE STORE

17. Buy generic when it makes sense to do so.

18. Shop from the bulk bins when it makes sense to do so.

19. Know when – and when not – to buy organic. Buy organic goods if they are…

a.) at the top of the food chain (meat, dairy, eggs) or

b.) if they are on this list: apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, potatoes, raspberries, spinach, and strawberries. Research shows that you can actually cut your pesticide exposure by as much as 90 percent just by eating these 12 organic fruits. (This list is sometimes referred to as the “dirty dozen

20. Know the supermarket’s tricks. Don’t be tempted by the fresh smelling bread and the “save 70 cents when you buy 18″ discounts.

21. Take advantage of the doorbuster deals that the store uses just to get you in the store. These are the deep discounts that headline the store’s circular. Some of the deals are so good that it might be worth it to hit more than one store for their special advertised deals.

22. Stick to your list.

23. Concentrate on the perimeter of the store. This is where your essentials will be: bread, milk, produce. Only go into the inner aisles for those special items on your list.

24. Figure the price per unit. Just because something says “economy” or “family size,” that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best buy.

25. If there’s something you’re tempted to buy, but it’s not on your list, keep on walking, but keep a running mental tally of the cost of those items that you might have wanted but didn’t buy. See how much money you’re saving?!

26. Focus on buying raw ingredients and prepare food yourself, whenever possible. Convenience foods can be expensive, both in terms of monetary cost and their effect on your health.

27. Try not to buy individually wrapped items. The more packaging an item has, the more you’re likely to spend.

28. If your store prints Catalina coupons at checkout, make sure to get your printouts.

GOOD BUYING HABITS

29. Make sure not to overbuy. Identify the items (perhaps produce or fresh herbs) that you tend to buy too much and then run the risk of having to throw out or give away.

30. Make sure not to underbuy. On the flip side, make sure you’re buying enough of something – especially if it’s offered at a great price – to get you through before you need to buy it again so you don’t have to make a special trip to the store. Plan to always have more than enough toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels, contact lens solution, etc.

31. Eating small portion sizes can cut your grocery budget. When I started a diet and got real about the portion sizes I should be eating, it was incredibly eye opening – and I ended up saving money at the store. If this is an issue for you, consider starting a weight loss program that relies on education about real food and portion control, such as Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers coupons are here.

32. Buy reusable lunch boxes and bags, so you don’t have to buy plastic sandwich bags. Better for the earth, and better for your pocketbook.

33. Use cloth napkins instead of paper.

SAVING ON NON-GROCERY PURCHASES (which cost way too much at the grocery store.)

34. Make your own greeting cards. Buy a cheap card making kit and you’ll be saving upwards of $3 per card. These homemade papercrafts are more meaningful anyway.

35. When it’s time to replace your washing machine, go with a high efficiency model. I use far less laundry detergent now.

36. Instead of buying expensive household cleaning supplies, make your own. Most can be used with a few basic ingredients, which are inexpensive and which you probably already have in your home. Here are some recipes for simple and natural homemade cleaning supplies.

37. Grow your own herbs. Few things add life to recipes like fresh herbs. Instead of paying too much for tiny quantities, grown your own. Basil and thyme make lovely plants for your kitchen.

TARGET GROCERY SAVINGS

Target offers some great prices on lots of things, if you know when to buy and where to look and grocery shopping at Target is no different. Here are some tips:

38. Shop Target’s grocery section on Tuesdays. That’s when groceries tend to be marked down at Target stores. (Of course, this is going to vary with location. If in doubt, ask management.)

39. Print Target’s grocery coupons at http://coupons.target.com. This coupons section of the Target website contains both Target store coupons, as well as manufacturer’s coupons.

40. Download Target’s mobile app from the Target.com website so you can get find out about additional grocery savings while you’re in the store.

41. Shop the ends of the aisles nearest the perimeter for deep discount clearance deals. If the price on the clearance item’s orange price tag ends in “4,” you know that that’s as low as the price is going to go.

42. Use your REDcard to pay. You’ll save an extra 5% on your purchases, plus – as a cardholder – you’ll get free coupon books in the mail with more savings on groceries.

Get more Target Savings Tips in our article Beyond Target Coupons – Little Known Tips and Tricks for Saving Money at Target

SUPERMARKET PAYMENT OPTIONS That Can Save You Money

43. Use a rewards credit card. Several credit cards offer particularly high rewards for grocery store spending. CreditCards.com can help you find the best rewards card for your spending habits.

44. Pay with cash. If you’re a Dave Ramsey fan, you’ll nod your head in agreement. It’s easier to bypass temptation when you know you’ll be paying for all of your items in cold, hard cash.

45. Pay with gift cards that you bought at a discount from GiftCards.com or PlasticJungle. These websites buy people’s unwanted gift cards and sell them to you at a discount – sometimes as much as 25%. Then you redeem the cards at the checkout for face value. You have to keep your eyes on the offerings, because they can go fast, but there are often supermarket gift cards available.

AFTER THE STORE

46. Wash your fruits and vegetables. As soon as you get home from the store, wash and dry your produce. Make fruits and vegetables an easy-to-grab snack for your entire family.

SUPERMARKET ALTERNATIVES

47. Become a member to Costco or Sam’s Club. So long as you have decent storage space at home, you can save big.

Online Grocers and Superstores

There are plenty of online purveyors of grocery items and household goods – and some may offer a substantial savings to you.

48. Buy your household goods from Alice.com. Alice.com is a relatively new online store that specializes in household items: toothpaste, paper towels, toilet paper, and coffee. Shipping is free, and your first order is 20% off if you register and purchase through this link.

49. Check Amazon’s Grocery Deals here. Amazon tends to have particularly good markdowns on such items as coffee and organic goods.

50. Try Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program. When you sign up, you can save as much as 15% extra by signing up for automatic delivery on certain items.

51. Save on gourmet coffee by using coupon code CFLESS at Coffee for Less. You’ll get your coffee at a discount and the code will save you an extra 5%.More Coffee for Less Coupons are here.

52. Save on wine by joining Invino. While technically not a grocery item, I suppose, wine does fall into the category of food and drink so I’m including it here. Invino sources wine from around the globe to give members access to top producers and emerging brands with preferred pricing at up to 80% off retail.

53. Sign up for grocery freebies as they become available. See today’s available freebies on our Daily Deals Blog.

54. See today’s free sample offers. These are often grocery related items, too.

** For more deals – printable coupons, daily deals, freebies and online coupon codes, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @susiescoupons and sign up for our daily e-mail alert.