Eight Ways to Shave Grocery Costs

This tip may seem obvious, but you probably throw away a lot more food than you realize. In a study for the University of Arizona, Timothy Jones found that an average family of four throws out approximately $600 worth of good food every year. Of that food, 14% hasn't expired or even been taken out of the package.

By simply making better food purchases in quantities that you know that you will consume, and by making meals where you don't have any leftovers that will be thrown away, you will spend less on your overall food budget.

7. Shop Sales

Loss leaders are those sales that the grocery store actually loses money on, but they are so great that they get you into the store. Stores are willing to do this because once they have you there, they have plenty of ways to entice you to spend money.

If you don't fall for these tactics to buy more than you need, learning to plan your meals around what is on sale rather than planning a meal and going to the store can save a lot. When you plan your meals before knowing what are the best deals, you will end up paying significantly more for your meals than if you do it the other way around.

8. Coupons

While there are a lot of people that seem to dislike coupons, taking the time to learn how to play the coupons game can save you hundreds of dollars in food costs.

If you can get out of the mind-frame that the only coupons available or those your Sunday paper, and actively seek out coupons for the products that you buy on a regular basis, you can cut your shopping bill by double digit percentage points fairly easily.

Rising food prices don't mean you have to each cheaper quality, but it does mean that you need to get better at playing the game to get the most out of the money you do spend.