First, remember that grocery stores are for groceries.  We have learned that buying supplies like painkillers, school supplies, and batteries can really run of the grocery bill.  This may be very convenient but in some cases, these items can cost almost twice what you would pay if you were to go to a discount store.

Second, many experts say that the number one mistake people make when shopping is their attitude.  For example, you should never shop before breakfast, lunch or dinner when you are at your hungriest.  The fact is you always buy more when you're hungry.  Also, avoid shopping when you're tired or angry as the experts say you're more likely to reach for those expensive snack foods and other such goodies.  This means you should not go shopping if you just had a fight or a bad experience with your boss as it becomes easier to just go for junk food.

Frugal Doug

Amen, FrugalDoug, I agree with all those points!  Another suggestion is to not send a spouse who is not a SHOPPER to get groceries. I did this once, and he came home with bags of batteries, work gloves, and 4 GALLONS OF CHOCOLATE MILK!!!!!  Nothing on the list made it, because of all these "good buys"! He ran out of money before getting to the list! 

I also find that most times I spend less when I shop alone. I can't tell you how many times I have gone through the store and ended up putting things back because I just didn't really need to buy the item. With kids in tow it is much harder to do that.

I agree with those points.  It's also not good to go shopping when you're pregnant (chocolate and ice cream, anyone?)!  But if you're spouse is a spender, (mine is too) it's a hard 9/10 months...

I have found that shopping with ONE bag helps.  I take my daughter and put her in the stroller, then I strap one reusable cloth bag to the back of the stroller.  If an item doesn't fit, I'm not capable of balancing it so I can't get it.  I make sure to get the items on my list, or I know I'll have problems come dinner time.  One bag is generally plenty for a week of groceries.

Hello.  I've just started posting but have been reading $S for years.  Wanted to put in my idea about "grocery shopping".  The main thing I try to do is separate my actual GROCERIES, i. e. food items or items used in connection with preparing food items, from non-food items, i. e. toilet paper, paper towels, soaps-of any kind, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc. I use the self-checkouts almost 100% of the time, and sometimes actually run two separate tickets on the two separate kinds of items (when there is hardly anyone else shopping and when there is no one actually in line behind me or even headed that way!).  At the very least, I divide the items up to run them past the scanner.   I also have a small calculator that I use all the time.  

By the way, I was doing the two separate "categories" way of checking out the other morning and told the young woman overseeing the 4 self-checkouts what I was doing.  She said that a LOT of people are doing that!

Thanks!!! and, wherever you are STAY WARM!!! 

 Ern,

I take the opposite approach that you do. I buy my groceries and other items at the same stores quite often and have them all on one ticket. I budget for it all together.

I am curious as to how separating the categories helps you.

After my brother's gift to me of a shopping spree at Walgreen's, I won't need any cleaning supplies or other non-food items for months to come.  However, by using Food Stamps, I automatically get 2 separate totals on my Cash Register REceipt.  I can only pay for food witht he Food Stamps, so anything else I have to pay with cash or on my credit card (which I pay for even before I receive the bill).  (I choose to buy just about everything at Cala/Ralphs/Kroger, due to double coupons.  However, when Walgreen's or Rite-Aid has a loss-leader that I need, I shop there instead.)  Yours in Him, Deb

Brandy:  I budget for food and non-food items separately because I have found that if I clump them all together the "grocery budget" is way bigger than I want to think about!!!  I haven't always done it, though.  But, I've ALWAYS wanted to be aware that I was spending money on food and money on non-food items at the "grocery store".  Cleaning products especially are something of a sore point with me. For me, most cleaning can be done with vinegar, baking soda, a little elbow grease and time.  So, when I'm tempted to buy a cleaning product it shows up a lot faster if the non-food category is separate from the "grocery" (food) category.  I buy bath soap, clothes detergent, dish detergent, t.p., toothpaste & brushes, etc. as a non-food category.  For instance, since I want to live with as few things as I can, I know I can wash my dishes with clothes detergent; that I can use about 1/4 - 1/3 the amount of clothes detergent that is called for on the bottle when washing my clothes; that a tooth brush doesn't have to be covered from brush end to brush end with toothpaste or that I can use baking soda to brush my teeth.  ----   All these things, plus more!, are how I keep my mind active as to frugal living.  -- By the way, I raised 4 boys as a single parent and that may account for my obsessive-compulsive way of doing some of the things I do.  To work and raise those 4 I had to be fairly organized.  So it worked into my present state!!! of doing things! -- One more thing and I'll quit this really long post.  I shop HEB (a Texas grocery store), Walmart, Target, Costco, Walgreens (a drugstore), the various dollar stores.  All of these places are within a driving range I consider acceptable - mostly because I live in a fairly metropolitan area and pass them doing errands or going to my part-time job.  --  I'm a huge Amy D. (The Tightwad Gazette) fan.  I've had her book for about 12 years and it looks well used.  I've told all 4 of the aforementioned sons the two things I hold always in my mind from her book(s):  (1)There is a difference between a need and a want, i. e. I NEED water, I WANT soda pop; and (2) I want to keep more of my cheetos (meaning anything and not really the edible yellow things!) than I want to give to someone else to use/spend as they see fit. -- Hope this made some kind of sense!!!

Brandy:  This isn't an answer to your question, but there is one last thing I want to try to get done...I really want to track the amount of the State Sales Tax I pay for a month to get a really good idea of how much I really pay in taxes.  --  That's how OCD I am!!!

ern:

That's how OCD I am!!!

its CDO, in alphebetical order, as it should be!