Grocery shopping is something that you cannot skip, no matter where you are. You spend most of your income on groceries to feed yourself and your family. As per the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, it is believed that food is the 3rd largest expense in every household. Most of us try to save money while shopping for groceries. The following tips will help you plan your shopping better and save money.

Make an inventory
Go through your freezer and pantry once a month. Make note of the items that you already have got in stock and the items that you need to buy. This way you will not end up buying the unwanted stuff.

Look for sale
Plan your weekly meals as per the ingredients you bought rather than buying ingredients for the meal plans you made for the week. Most of the times, grocery stores have some items on sale. You can buy the items for discounted prices and save money.

Shop smart
Be smart and make your trip to the grocery store only once a week. Once you are done shopping, look into the bill, and find out the most expensive stuff you bought. Next time you go shopping, try to find an alternative for your expensive purchase like ground beef instead of ground turkey.

Compare price
Find out the top 10 most used grocery items by your family like milk, cereals, bread, eggs, chicken, etc. Go to different stores in your area and find out which store sells these items for the lowest price and buy these items only from that store.

Use coupons
You can find free printable coupons for most supermarkets online that offer good discounts on shopping. Keep checking for these coupons and print them before going for shopping. You can save good money on your overall bill.

Buy in bulk
If you see a sale is going on the items that you consume a lot, then buy that item in bulk. Items like cereal, coffee, or detergent are non-perishable and do not get spoiled. So buying them in bulk when the sale is going on will save you money.

Signup for loyalty program
Pick a store and shop from the same store regularly. Sign up for their loyalty program so that you collect points. You can redeem the points for your shopping or can get some free items later.

Go alone
Your shopping becomes impulsive when you go shopping in a group. You do not have control on what you are buying when you are with friends and family. When you shop in the group, 65% of the items in your basket will not be on your shopping list. So go alone and buy only the items that you need.

Eat before you shop
A study conducted by the Journal of Consumer Research says that consumers tend to shop more when they are hungry. That’s the reason you see eateries at the entrance of most stores.