Many families are on a tight budget and one way consumers stick to a budget is to save money grocery shopping. In order to spend less money on food bills and keep more money for other needs, it is helpful to learn a few tricks that grocery stores employ in order to get shoppers to purchase items on impulse.

Make a Grocery List and Stick to It
In order to spend less money on food bills, it is imperative to make a grocery list and only buy items that are listed. Grocery stores create sights and smells that make shoppers tempted to buy food items on an impulse. Impulse buys are a budget breaker and can be avoided by following a list of items that are needed without giving in to the smell of great smelling baked goods that is coming from the bakery aisle.

Never Grocery Shop Hungry
A great way to avoid impulse purchases is to eat before going out to the grocery store. With great smelling bread and cookies baking, grocery stores are full of odors that can entice even the most careful shopper. Grocery stores are designed to entice consumers with bright displays and when shoppers go into a supermarket hungry they are more likely to buy items that they didn't really need, spending more money and creating problems with their budget.
Buy Generic Items Whenever Possible

Generic items are a great way for shoppers to save money grocery shopping every month. Even when there is a coupon for name brand items, generic items are often less expensive and equal to the brand name items. Generic brands are often found in less conspicuous places, so look carefully to find the generic equivalent to name brand items.