One of the tasks that most of us stay at home moms dread the most is going to the grocery store. Usually, it’s packed and you have to deal with kids, as well as being distracted by some of the new items that are out. After all, who doesn’t want to try those new watermelon Oreos? Sometimes, it can feel like it’s a hard task to get through the grocery store efficiently and make it home with a bunch of unnecessary items. Below, I’m going to go over some tips that will help you navigate your way through the grocery store with ease, save money and also have a full fridge.

Read the Circular

I get plenty of these in my mailbox all the time and I always go through them to see what awesome sales are going on that I can take complete and total advantage of. I also go online to check out the latest and greatest deals, as well. If you’re on a budget and you want a stocked fridge, you shouldn’t be brand loyal. Typically, you’ll see items in the circular on sell that you want, but they’re of a different brand that you’re not familiar with. I would suggest giving the unfamiliar brand a try, so you save money.

Stay Away from the Center Aisles

It’s important that you try to keep away from the center aisles as best as you can. The perimeter is where the major of the fresh and healthy food is located, so just stick to the perimeter of the store. By skipping the center aisles you will save a lot of money and time. The only exception to this is if you need items like coffee, trash bags, seasonings, etc…

Avoid To-Go Cups or Individual Servings

It’s extremely tempting to buy individual servings of items or to-go cups, because you can just toss them in your child’s lunch box and be done with it, but this isn’t cost effective whatsoever. For instance, my kids absolutely love yogurt and I’ve been able to save a ton of money just buying the yogurt in the big tub, rather than buying a to-go cup.

Look at all the Shelves

Have you ever noticed in the grocery store that the items you see directly in front of your face are the items you see mostly advertised on television? That’s because these companies pay stores to put their items at eye level on the shelves, so you’re more likely to go with their brand. However, you should look on the lower shelves, as well. Check out the other brands and you’ll probably be able to save a good bit of money.

Avoid Impulse Purchases

Did you ever notice that when you’re walking towards the checkout that there is a ton of special displays set up for you to quickly take items from? The stores put these images there for a reason. They want to lure you into making a purchase on impulse. Ignore these little special displays, unless one of them has an item you already have on your grocery list.