The best way I have found to save money is to really stock up on something when it is on sale. Do your regular shopping but check the circulars for items that you use a lot of and when on sale, grab a bunch of them. Even if you stock up on a couple of things per week, you will find you don’t need these items again for a long time and can wait to buy more when they are on sale again.
For example coffee is some thing I always use so when they went on sale for 98 cents a can I grabbed 10 cans which means at using one per week I had enough for 10 weeks. During that period of time if it goes on sale again I will grab 10 more. This way I am never out of coffee and have saved a good ten dollars each time. I do this with toilet paper, shampoo, all the things that you use daily.
If space is a problem make room for a couple of boxes in a closet and put the stuff in there.
Our super markets will have a buy 1 get 2 free sale and again I will stock up. Be careful though and buy only those items as they sometimes will raise the prices of other things to make up for it so I get only what is on sale and go to another store and do the same thing.
Compare prices though. What is on sale may not be the best buy and you can be fooled this way. If an item say is 10 ounces in size and is on sale for a dollar but another of the same item(different brand) is 20 ounces for$1.25 then the sale item is not the best choice for saving money.
Use coupons that can be gotten in the mail, newspapers, and even online. These add up especially if you can combine them with sale items and double or triple coupons. Just take a file box and file them either alphabetically or by the way the store is set up. Take it with you and go through as you are shopping.
Make use of any rebate forms you find in the market but do not buy something purely because it has a rebate. You must shop wisely.No sense in buying 50 batteries that are on sale and have a rebate unless you have a battery charger and use them a lot. They will just sit around and go dead on you.
I too always eat a meal before shopping, make a list but I allow extra for in store specials should I find something that I need that was not advertised.