How To Save Money at the Grocery Store

1. Never shop with children of any age.  This is rule # 1 for a reason!  You will end up spending twice as much as you intended.  There are always things kids have to have that are not on your list.  You will feel guilty saying no, and why even go through it?
2. Make a list and stick to it.  The only exception is if you find a great unadvertised special.  I sit down with the ads from the stores in my area and make a list trying to incorporate the sales into my meals for the week.  I do not go to all the stores, usually just the one with the best deals.  Sometimes I will get the majority of the groceries from Walmart and then pick up any really great specials at the grocery store. Some stores have great 'Buy 1, Get 1 Free' specials.  Winn Dixie will run such specials on meats, and I imagine you can find a store in your area that does this as well.
3. Use coupons if possible.  If you use the item and it's on sale, you can save additional money with coupons.  It's well worth it to me.  Say you have a 'Buy 1, Get 1 Free' special on cereal and the cereal normally costs $3.69 a box.  Add to that a manufacturer coupon for $1.00 off of 2 boxes. That means you get the cereal for approximately $1.35 per box.  So that's an awesome savings.  If you will use the item and the item with a coupon is less than the generic store brand, then most definitely use coupons.
4. Keep your eyes open for discontinued clearance items or discount lunch meat that is close to expiration.  You can freeze lunch meat, so as long as you look it over and it looks fine. Freezing the extra lunch meat will prolong its shelf life.  I have also found meat discounted at Walmart.  A few weeks ago, I bought ground sirloin for $1.69 a pound.  It was delicious.   Also Walmart marks down their bakery items as well.  You can get some good deals there. 

   Some stores have a special area in the store where they keep discounted items.  Make sure you find this area and visit it every time you make a trip to that store.  For example, sometimes in Publix in my area, they put discounted frozen food items in the freezer section.  These items are 50% or more off the regular price.  Most of the time these are items that are being discontinued, so there is nothing wrong with them.  So get familiar with your store. If you can't find any clearance items, ask the manager.

5. Check for coupons online as well.  There are coupon sites online where you can print out coupons and take them to your store.  I have also signed up at many manufacturer websites, such as BettyCrocker.com; this site will send you emails with new coupons. 

   Just type in the manufacturer names, like Keebler.com and Pillsbury.com.  They all have coupons.  You can also do coupon swaps with family and friends.

None of these things really take much time or effort but they can add up to substantial savings.  Good Luck!