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Don't Waste Your Money: 9 ways to slash your grocery bill

These days, most coupons aren't very helpful, but we've found new ways to slash your grocery bill without clipping coupons.

(Toledo News Now) - Remember couponing? Picking up the Sunday paper to save big at the supermarket?

These days, most coupons are for items we've never heard of, or will only save you 25 cents, or the store won't double them, or a combination of all three. But we found new ways to slash your grocery bill without clipping coupons.

We went shopping with nationally known blogger Andrea Deckard, who has three children at home. She is always looking for every way to save on groceries, and shares what she finds on her blog SavingsLifestyle.com.

9 Ways To Save

Tip #1: Find out when your store marks down beef, bread, and other items.

"Find out from your local meat and produce managers, where you are shopping at, when they are reducing the prices on products they need to get out, because they are coming close to expiration," Deckard said.

Tip #2: Shop midweek, not Friday or Saturday. You'll find more sale items, and the biggest sale items (think Tide Detergent or Cheerios) won't be sold out.

Tip #3: Buy in-season fruits and veggies, such as squash, cucumbers and peppers in the fall. They are much cheaper and fresher than out-of-season veggies, like grapefruit and asparagus, which are really spring items.

Consider New Forms Of Coupons

Tip #4: Switch to digital coupons. Deckard says paper coupons don't save money like they used to.

"Over the past five years, I have seen the values of coupons diminish," she said.

Plus, most stores no longer double them. So instead, she now suggests trying new apps, like Favado, which lists all the current sales on your favorite items.

"Favado is really cool because it allows you to have the sales literally on your phone," Deckard explained.

Favado also alerts you if another store has a lower price, so it helps with price comparisons.

Deckard also likes Coupon Sherpa, where you can find all the current coupons for your favorite stores.

"Coupon Sherpa is a great app to help you find the different printable coupons that are available," she said.

Tip #5: Download coupon deals on your home computer from grocery stores and major coupon sites.

Among our blogger's favorites:
    
-Kroger, where you load coupons to your Kroger plus card, if you have Kroger in your market.

-Redplum
-Smartsource
What To Do When You're In The Store

Tip #6: Don't impulse buy. Don't buy things in the aisle end caps, Deckard says, as those are usually not the best deals.

Tip #7: Stock up on canned goods, like green beans and pumpkin, when they go on sale, as they can last a year.

Tip #8: Buy store brands when you can't tell the difference, such as flour or canned corn.

Tip #9: It's a no-brainer, but Deckard reminds us never to shop when you are hungry. Surveys say you will buy as much as 20 percent more food if your stomach is growling.

So keep these tips in mind when you shop, so you don't waste your money.
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