Top 3 grocery saving tips

Buying is groceries is one expense that you can't live without. However, feeding your family can be a struggle when money is tight. Fortunately, there are numerous tips available that can help you save money at the grocery store, including these top three:

1. Buy store-brand products
Buying Coca Cola or Kraft products may be the norm, but if you're in a tough financial position, you might want to consider passing on these items and going with a store brand substitute instead, according to U.S. News & World Report. Most grocery stores have these products, and they are often much cheaper than name-brand items. For example, a Lays bag of chips could be $3 to $4, while a store-brand bag of chips may cost you $2. This may not seem like significant savings, but if you use this strategy long enough, you can cut down on your expenses greatly. 

2. Plan out your menu
Oftentimes, people overspend in the grocery store because they buy items they don't need. And, when you do this, you risk these foods going bad before you ever get to use them. For this reason, it could benefit you to plan out your menu before going to the store, according to Kiplinger. If you know exactly what you are going to cook each day of the week, you should be able to only buy what you need at the grocery store, which can save you money. The last thing you want to have happen is buying an expensive cut of meat just to have it sit in the refrigerator for a week and go bad. 

3. Stock up during sales
Grocery stores run sales every week. To help cut down on your food bill, you should consider stocking up on items that can't go bad during the time when they're on sale. However, you need to be sure you are buying items that you'll actually use, because stocking up doesn't do you any good if the products stay in your pantry for a year unused. Obviously, buying large amounts of breads, meats and other similar foods isn't smart, but you could load up on soups, pasta and other items that will last for an extended period of time.