How to Use Coupons on Items You Already Planned to Buy

Coupons can save you money, but only if you use them on things you were going to buy anyway. That's the part that gets lost when people talk about couponing. A coupon isn't automatically a savings just because it takes money off the price. If you buy a $6 product you...

Digital Coupons vs. Paper Coupons: Which Is More Useful?

Coupons have changed quite a bit. You used to have to cut them out of a newspaper, remember to bring them to the store and hope you didn't leave the whole pile sitting on the kitchen counter. Now, most grocery stores have their own apps, digital coupons and loyalty...

Store Brand vs. Name Brand: How to Compare the Real Value

The cheapest item on the shelf isn't always the best deal. And the item with the biggest discount sticker isn't necessarily the best deal either. When you're standing in the grocery aisle comparing a store brand with a name brand, the real question is pretty simple:...

How to Compare Grocery Prices Without Getting Fooled by Package Size

Grocery stores have gotten very good at making prices look cheaper than they really are. A package is $3.99. Another is $4.49. At first glance, the $3.99 option looks like the obvious choice. Then you notice one package has 12 ounces and the other has 20. Now the...

Private Label, Name Brand, or Discount Brand: What Should You Buy?

Walking down the grocery aisle, you can end up with three or four versions of basically the same product. There's the name brand you've seen forever. There's the store's private-label version. And then there's the really cheap option sitting on the bottom shelf. So...

When Paying More for a Name Brand Actually Makes Sense

Saving money on groceries doesn't mean you have to buy the cheapest version of everything. In fact, trying to do that can sometimes backfire. There are products where the store brand is just as good as the name brand. There are others where you can taste the...

How to Find the Best Store-Brand Substitutes for Everyday Staples

Switching to store brands is one of the easiest ways to cut a grocery bill without changing what you're eating. The problem is figuring out which products are worth switching. Some store-brand foods are nearly indistinguishable from the name brands sitting next to...

How to Compare Store Brands Across Different Grocery Stores

Shopping at different grocery stores can save you money, but there's one problem that makes comparisons harder than they look: Every store has its own version of "cheap." One store might have an inexpensive pasta that's actually a great buy. Another might have a...

How to Compare Frozen, Canned, and Fresh Versions of the Same Food

Fresh isn't always better. Frozen isn't always cheaper. And canned food isn't automatically the budget option. When you're standing in the grocery store looking at three versions of the same food, it's easy to assume you already know which one is the best choice....

Building a Grocery Cart With the Best Mix of Brands and Prices

You don't have to buy the cheapest version of everything to have a cheap grocery cart. In fact, that's probably not the best way to do it. A better grocery cart is a mix. Maybe the store-brand pasta goes in the cart because it's half the price and nobody cares about...

How to Make Substitutions When Your Planned Ingredients Are Too Expensive

Sometimes the grocery list looks reasonable until you get to the store. Then you see the price. The tomatoes you planned to buy are suddenly twice what you expected. The chicken is expensive this week. The recipe calls for a specialty ingredient that costs $6 for a...

How to Avoid Impulse Buys at the Grocery Store

Grocery stores are designed to get you to buy more than you planned. You walk in for milk and eggs. Then there's a sale on snacks. A new product is sitting at the end of the aisle. The bakery smells amazing. By the time you reach checkout, you've added another $15 or...

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How to Test Store Brands Without Wasting Money

Switching to store brands can save you a decent amount of money, but there's no reason to replace half your pantry just to find out which products you actually like. Some store brands will become instant favorites. Others will leave you wondering how anyone thought...

Comparing Small, Medium, and Family-Size Packages

Bigger doesn't automatically mean cheaper. That's probably the easiest grocery-shopping mistake to make when you're standing in front of a shelf with three different package sizes. The small package is $2.49. The medium one is $3.99. The family size is $5.49. So...

The Five-Minute Pantry Check to Do Before Grocery Shopping

One of the easiest ways to waste money at the grocery store is buying something you already have. You get home, put the groceries away, and discover another box of pasta behind the cereal. Or three cans of diced tomatoes you forgot about. Or the giant bottle of...

How a Grocery List Can Prevent Impulse Spending

A grocery list isn't just there to remind you to buy milk. It can also keep you from spending money on things you didn't plan to buy in the first place. Walking into a grocery store without a list makes it incredibly easy to start adding things to the cart. A snack...

Why Shopping Hungry Can Cost You More

Going grocery shopping when you're hungry sounds harmless. You're only going to grab a few things, right? Then you walk past the bakery. You smell the bread. You see the cookies. The prepared food looks like an easy dinner. Suddenly the grocery list you carefully made...

Flexible Ingredients That Make Budget Grocery Shopping Easier

One of the easiest ways to spend too much at the grocery store is buying ingredients that only work for one meal. You need a certain cheese for one recipe. A particular vegetable for another. A special sauce for something else. Then the week gets busy, you don't make...

The Best Questions to Ask Before Putting an Item in Your Cart

Grocery stores are really good at making you feel like you need things you never planned to buy. A sale sign catches your attention. A new flavor looks interesting. There's a display right in the middle of the aisle. And before you know it, something you didn't need...

How to Shop the Perimeter and Aisles With a Budget in Mind

There's a popular grocery-shopping rule that says you should stick to the perimeter of the store. That's where you'll usually find produce, meat, dairy and other fresh foods. The aisles, meanwhile, are where all the packaged food lives. It sounds simple: stay around...

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