1.) Shop the whole store
Yes even those inner aisles. Think about it, the inner aisle are where you find tuna, canned salmon, canned tomatoes, jarred spaghetti sauce, and peanut butter, all good and food, right. Also not all frozen foods are bad, think frozen fruits and vegetables.
2.) Use Rain checks
Most grocery stores will offer a rain check on sold out sale items. These can be a big money saver so don't be shy about asking.
3.) Shop the prepared foods section
Another rule I disagree with is staying away from prepared foods. The trick is to just buy the main entrée, don’t waste your money paying $8.99 a pound for side dishes. Pick up some incredibly tasty chicken or beef at the hot food bar, then head over to the produce section for veggies and potatoes. I also use the prepared food bar for items like olives or roasted garlic. Only buying what you will use reduces food waste.
4.) Skip the bottled water
Considered buying a water pitcher, I started using the Zero Water Pitcher a couple of years ago. The initial cost of the pitcher is about $20 and the filters cost about $10-$12 each. You can feel good about keeping plastic out of the landfill and never agian have lug those water bottles from the store. For my brown bag lunches I fill up my smaller water bottle (old Pellegrino glass bottle) each day and take it to work.
5.) Don’t buy pre-cut fruit
One exception is Pineapple, I find Pineapple messy to cut up and the skins and tops fill up my trash. I leave the Pineapple to the professionals.
6.) Don’t buy bagged fruits
Remember that some bagged items can be split up in smaller quantities. An example is a pound bag of cherries, it’s not against the rules to just remove what you want from the bag. I always buy expensive fruits in small quantities to avoid spoilage.
Tips for busy and frugal people