SHOPPING TIPS TO CHECK OUT

Whatever you do, don't go to the store hungry.
By JOSH MOUND
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
For the thrifty consumer, grocery shopping can be a trying experience. Weaving between distracted customers rubbernecking at a spill in aisle seven, steering a cart riddled with myriad mechanical maladies, all the while glancing at a hastily compiled grocery list and juggling a stack of coupons, a shopper can become very disoriented and frustrated, indeed.
As the status of the shopping carts can attest to, grocery stores are perhaps the only places where the squeaky wheel does not get the grease.
According to Consumer Reports, the average supermarket stocks approximately 30,000 products. With their dizzying exhibitions of smells and colors, grocery stores use merchandisingtheories to fine tune every detail of the store.
Eye-grabbing displays and promotions are designed to distract shoppers' attention to unneeded items.
Basic tips
However, a focused shopping plan can make trimming the grocery budget easy. Shopping specialists and dietitians in the United States, Canada and Britain all cite the same basic tips for bargain shoppers seeking grocery deals.
Never go to the grocery store hungry. Doing so is akin to visiting the mall naked. Such dire circumstances make it easy to confuse immediate necessities with long-term needs. Fudge delight cookies might mysteriously find their way into the cart, despite their conspicuous absence from the grocery list. Although one or two unplanned purchases can seem harmless, the cost of impulse items adds up quickly.
Stick to your list
The easiest way to avoid buying unplanned items is to make a list and stick to it. Before departing for the store, know what is already in the refrigerator and cupboards, and avoid buying unneeded products. When planning meals, consult coupons; however, don't be lured into buying a more expensive item simply because of a coupon. Store brands are usually identical to name brands, and they are often cheaper than name brands even after the latter's prices are reduced by coupons.
Pay attention to the layout of the store. Fresher, less processed items are usually around the perimeter of the store. Items in bins and displays at the ends of aisles and at the front of the store may look appealing, but a less-expensive alternative can usually be found elsewhere in the store.
Compare prices
Comparison shopping is essential. To spot bargains, compare unit prices rather than actual prices. Often, supermarket stickers list unit prices, but if the unit price is not listed, it can be easily obtained by dividing the price by the number of ounces, for example. Shopping on days that grocery stores are typically not busy, such as Mondays or Tuesdays, facilitates comparison shopping, because the aisles are less crowded and therefore less stressful.
Buy vegetables in season, when they are fresher and cheaper. However, be sure to compare the price of fresh vegetables and frozen vegetables, too. Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious and can be stored longer. Similarly, frozen meat is often a better buy than fresh meat.
Buy in bulk when it is financially advantageous, but be sure that the food will keep and that it eventually will be used. Saving money on something that will be tossed into the trash in a few weeks isn't saving at all.
Any left over?
Select essential items first, and bring a calculator. Summing the prices of what is already in the cart makes it easier to stay within a budget. If all of the necessities are in the cart and their total is under budget, then consider buying more long-lasting items, such as potatoes and frozen foods.
Or toss a pack of fudge delight cookies into the cart.