Grocery shopping made simple

Plan ahead

Nothing seems more annoying than getting home from the store and realizing you forgot something. That's where a comprehensive shopping list pays for itself line by line. The grocery list not only helps prevent the inevitable re-run to the store but lends itself to meal planning as well. Organize your list by meal category or by the layout of your grocery store. Navigating the grocery store with a comprehensive grocery list not only saves you time, it will help keep you from overbuying.

Simplify your grocery shopping by planning a week's worth of meals >>

Use it or lose it — the art of couponing

Does the dedication of an Extreme Couponing pro escape you? There's still a benefit to clipping coupons for the items you actually use every now and then. Want to ditch the clip all together? For tech-savvy shoppers who want to minimize the slippery stack, the web is rich with shopping apps for your smart phone such as Grocery Gadget and Amazon Mobile.

Check out these Smart phone apps to enhance your savings efforts >>

Use grocery flyers to your ad-vantage

It is well worth the time to pull the ads out and study them to find who has the best deals on what your family needs. Stock up on items your family uses a lot. Use websites such as Shortcuts.com and Cellfire.com to download extra savings right onto your shopper's loyalty card.

Stock up and save with e-coupons >>

Final tips before your trip

These are no-brainers, but we occasionally forget this wise advice and majorly overspend at the checkout. Never shop hungry. Shop alone when you can. Kids and husbands can create distractions, and you may find mysterious items popping into your cart. Last but not least, remember that savvy, comprehensive list you worked so hard on? Try not to leave it sitting on the kitchen counter when you head to the store.