How to save money on your groceries

Sometimes you're shocked by the staggering total on the receipt when you've finished your grocery shopping. When you put a little effort into being a savvy shopper, then your final bill won't come as a nasty surprise. Anna, owner of Bargainmoose Canada, a Canadian deals website, shares some tips on how to save money on your grocery shopping.

1. Use printable coupons

Many manufacturers provide discount coupons to save you a few dollars on your shopping, to encourage you to purchase their brands. While these coupons tend to be quite low value, if you make a habit of using them for your favourite brands, it really can add up to a hefty saving. This recent post on printable grocery coupons shows you many discounts for big name brands, such as Tylenol, Imodium and Aveeno. Keep your eye out for offers like these, print them, pop them in your purse, and start saving.

Don't feel embarrassed to use these coupons in store - the manufacturer put them there to be used!

2. Order free grocery coupons

There are a number of sites that mail out grocery coupons - there's a list of them in the free grocery coupons article. For these sites, you select the coupons that might be of interest to you, and they are mailed to your home. Again, loads of big names are in there, such as Colgate, Garnier and Pampers.

3. Browse the flyers

Most supermarkets have flyers online, which you can browse every week. For example, you can see the flyer from Real Canadian Superstore on their site. You can even plan ahead - these flyers usually update on a certain day of the week, so you can shop accordingly! If you are not loyal to one particular supermarket, it can be worth checking flyers for a few, and visiting the one with the best offers for the week.

4. Shop savvy

You should shop savvy by combining a couple of the options above. Here's how - make a mental note of the specific brands you have coupons for, or else keep the coupons to hand when you are reading the weekly flyers. Search specifically for promotional offers on the items for which you have discount coupons. Combining a special offer and a coupon can make for excellent saving - sometimes even resulting in free products!

5. Stockpile

If there is a particularly good offer on a product which you regularly use, I'd recommend buying loads of it - providing you have the storage space available. This method is handy for dried goods, canned products and toiletries. There's a more in-depth article on the art of stock-piling here.

Visit www.bargainmoose.ca today, and start to save money on your everyday shopping. Don't forget to sign up to the email updates to make sure you don't miss out on any hot bargains! And remember to throw your name into the hat to win the $100 Amazon.ca gift voucher*.

* Please note that the Amazon contest ends on Sunday, July 4, 2010. Images courtesy of dmodonahoo and Jessica Mullen.