• Plan your meals for the whole week and create your grocery-shopping list based on the ingredients needed to prepare those meals. Menu Planning Central has created a simple solution for meal planning and a grocery list creation. I love this simple online software! Their trial membership is basically FREE ($0.01), then it is about $7.00/month.

• Make your shopping list based on what you need. It will keep you focused and it will prevent impulse buying. Do not buy an item just because it is on sale, only stick to the items on your list.

• All financial gurus and hopefully your own common sense tell you- Do not go grocery shopping when you are hungry. I have done it myself before and I must tell you first hand when I am hungry and I walk in to the supermarket, I start drooling and my eyes tear up. Then I just start grabbing anything that looks good to me. These days, to curve my hunger, I have a snack before I go grocery shopping.

• Start paying attention to the “private-label” store brands. A lot of manufacturers use the same exact recipes for brand names and store brands. It is all in the ingredients. Compare those products yourself the next time you are at the supermarket.

• Why not sign up for the store’s savings card? This is probably one of my favorite ways of saving money and seeing savings right away. A few years ago, I was standing at the check out and the shopper a front of me said while paying for her groceries “Wow, today I save $40.00 dollars! I am going to put that money in my piggy bank, this way I know I saved.” I took a note to myself and started doing it too. Every time I shop, I use my store card, then, when I get home, I transfer the amount of money I saved in to my savings account. It sure does add up!

• I never liked using coupons before, but now I can’t get enough of them. This is not being cheap- this is being frugal. I remember a while ago I read an article about a woman who spends just about $10.00 on $400.00 worth of groceries. My jaw dropped, when I read it, and it took me some time to get it off the ground. She had copies of her receipts posted and all. She used a lot of store and manufactures’ coupons. Simple. I am not that good yet at saving with the coupons, but I am getting better. Coupons! Save Money, Be Happy!

• Here is an easy one for you: Do not buy anything other than groceries at the supermarket. The prices on other products such as shampoos, toothpastes, cleaning products and such are way high. Go to Target or Wal-Mart to get those.

• Try shopping at the farmer’s market for your fresh produce. Farmer’s markets have fresh local produce and sometimes organic for a lot less.

• Go grocery shopping no more than once a week.

• Stay away from prepackaged meals and frozen TV dinners. Stick to your grocery list that you create based on your planned meals.

• If you like buying in bulk then only buy your staple foods in bulk. Avoid buying perishables in bulk (what a waste of money).

• I know, I know, some of you will hate me for saying this, but have you ever considered cutting down on your meat intake? There are a lot of different ways to replace your meat as a protein source. Beans anyone? They are delicious and healthy. Your body and wallet will appreciate it.

• Avoid buying cold cereal. They are usually packed with sugar and processed carbs, some of them do not have much of nutritional value. Why not opt for whole grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, wheat, kamut, etc.?

• Buy seasonal fruits and vegetables.

• Instead of buying bottled salad dressing, why not make your own? I personally sprinkle my salads with lemon juice and add some olive oil, salt and pepper. So yummy! Or if you want, make something a little bit more elaborate.

½ cup of canola oil

½ cup of lemon juice, or vinegar, or water if you wish

add chopped onion and garlic, salt, pepper and any other herbs or spices your heart desires
let it marinate for a couple of hours and then ENJOY!

Share your money saving grocery-shopping ideas. How do you save?

Are you in the process of digging out of debt that has mounted over the past few months or years? If so, don’t get so caught up in escaping your current situation that you don’t realize the importance of planning for the future. Remember, just because you are in debt now does not mean that this will be the case forever. But you should know that if you have no plan for the future you may end up repeating the past; which would not be a good thing.

Here are three tips to follow if you want to plan for a better future while digging out of debt right now:

1. Your past mistakes should be left in the past.
   If you previously got into debt by overusing credit cards you should plan to avoid this in the future. You don’t want to repeat the past if it has caused you nothing but trouble.
2. Have a better plan than you did the last time.
   Your past financial plan did not work if you ended up with a lot of debt. Although you may have learned a lot you want to make sure that you have a better plan for the present and the future. Take cues from the past to plan your finances in the future.
3. Realize that you can do more than one thing at the same time.
   In other words, you can save and pay off debt at the same time. You don’t have to wait until you are entirely debt free in order to start saving and working towards a better future.

While you spend time digging out of debt you can use the above tips to ensure a better future. Remember, you can benefit by learning from the past and having a solid financial plan.

Are you in the habit of spending too much on groceries? Do you despise going to the grocery store because you know you are going to spend too much money and too much time? If you answered yes to these questions you may want to consider the following grocery shopping tips:

1. To save money stay away from name brands.
   Believe it or, name brands and generic brands are pretty much the same. The only real difference is that generic brands are less expensive. If you don’t believe this take the time to compare the labels the next time you are at the store. You may be surprised at what you find.
2. Do you use coupons?
   If not, you are spending more than you have to. You can find coupons in the local paper, as well as online. Why not load up on coupons so you can save a few dollars here and there? This can really add up throughout the year.
3. Have a list of what you need, and avoid everything else. If you go to the grocery store without a list there is no denying you will be stuff that you don’t need; this happens every time. With a list in hand, and a pen to cross off items as they go in your cart, you will save both money and time at the grocery store.

As you can see, grocery shopping does not have to be a nightmare. Many consumers will spend too much money while wasting an entire day at the store; this does not have to be you. Remember: buy generic brands, use coupons when you can, and have a list that will guide you through the store. If you follow these three simple tips you should find your grocery shopping experience enjoyable and cost effective.

Have you ever made a purchase that you ended up regretting? If so, this is known as buyer’s remorse. While this is a common problem, if you take the right steps you can be rest assured that you will never have to deal with it again.

Here are three tips to keep emotional purchases away so that you only spend money on what you need, when you need it:

1. Don’t impulse shop. Many people go to the store with no idea of what they want. Instead, they plan to see what is available and then buy something it if catches their eye. As you can imagine, this is going to lead to buyer’s remorse from time to time. This is especially true if you spend money that you don’t really have.
2. To go along with the above, make sure you have a plan.
   If you head to the store with a plan you will not be tempted by items that you do not need. Work your plan by only shopping for and purchasing the items you know you need.
3. Before you buy anything make sure you are aware of the return policy.
   This is a great idea because if you do buy something impulsively you can always take it back if the policy allows you to do so. You don’t want to rely on returns, but this can definitely work in your favor if you slip and make a mistake.

All in all, emotional purchases can come back to haunt you. If you are always dealing with buyer’s remorse you need to use the above tips to kick this emotion out of your life. When you stop impulse shopping, carry a plan, and know the return policy you should be able to avoid emotional purchases which will eventually lead to remorse.