Five ways to save on your grocery bill

There are loads of tips on the Internet about saving money on your grocery bill. Those tips have their merits, but many of them have one thing in common: Asking you to change your food choices. Frankly, I know that reducing meat or cutting it out altogether will shave quite a bit of money from my grocery bill. But we like meat. We don't want to live on rice and beans. Here are five tips for saving money on groceries that don't involve giving up foods you love.

Shop at a grocery store instead of a superstore or membership warehouse. Unless you have enormous willpower, it's difficult not to stray from the grocery aisles when there's so much more to look at. Sure, you may have been shopping for cheese and tomatoes for tonight's lasagna, but somehow you've picked up a new toy for your dog, a shirt, and a Duck Dynasty DVD. Not that that's ever happened to anyone. (Cough, cough.) Your shopping can easily spiral out of control in these stores; resist the temptation by avoiding them altogether.

Make a list. It sounds simple, but it genuinely helps. Going into a grocery store without a list is like going horseback riding without a saddle. Sure, it can be done, but you'll suffer for days. Before you leave to go grocery shopping, make a list of everything you need. Go through your refrigerator, pantry and cupboards to determine what you'll need to make meals and what you're running low on. Stick to your list no matter what.

Don't shop when you're hungry. Studies have shown that shopping while you're experiencing hunger pangs increases the amount you'll spend on food. Don't fill up before you go, either, because that will make you feel sluggish. Instead, eat a sensible meal or snack before heading out to the grocery store. Here's a funny cartoon from the Oatmeal about shopping when hungry.

Pay cash. Instead of using a debit card or check to pay for groceries, pay for your food with cold, hard cash. Going in with a set limit deters you from overspending. No one wants to get to the checkout line and not have enough money to cover their haul. Leave the debit card at home if you think you'll be tempted to use it instead.

Make fewer shopping trips. This may not be feasible for those of you who live in metro areas, but it works for those of us who drive cars to the grocery store. The more times you go shopping for groceries, the more times you're exposed to other temptations. Try to shop no more than once per week. It's friendlier for your wallet and the environment.

What are your tips for saving on groceries?

Photo courtesy of Dan4th via Flickr.