A few years ago, I didn't think much about the money I was spending on groceries.  I made a list each week, bought what was on my list and that was it. At the time my husband and I were both working and making more than enough money, and while we didn't eat steak and lobster everynight, I also didn't worry too much about my final grocery bill. 

Now, we live in Hawaii, where a gallon of milk costs about $6.00! The change in the economy has affected our wallets since we have an architectural firm that specializes in high-end residential design.  Can you say no work?  All of the sudden, saving money on groceries has become very important for me!  Through planning and making some small changes, we've managed to cut our grocery bill in Hawaii to less than what I was spending when I lived in the midwest - and that's with groceries costing significantly more.  

If you aren't already using some of these tips, I hope they'll help you:

1. The most important tip I've untilized for saving money on groceries is to pay close attention to sales flyers. Only buy the meat that's on sale during a given week.  Yes, you might end up with 20 pounds of ground beef one week and no chicken, but if you buy what's on sale each week, you'll soon have plenty of choices.

2. Use coupons for groceries. I remember my mom doing this when I was a child, but I sort of though the days of coupons were behind up.  Not so! Since I've started using coupons, I've saved hundreds of dollars.  You can find coupons for groceries online, in stores, and in the newspaper.  

3. Sign up for loyalty reward programs at your local stores. Many stores have these and will give members discounts on lots of items in the store each week.  It's sort of like using coupons without having to clip the coupons.  At a local store in Hawaii, everytime I spend a total of $500, I get 10% off a future shopping trip.  When I know I'm going to use my 10% coupon, I stock up big time! This is a great way to help you with saving money on groceries.

4. Buy in bulk...sometimes!  Studies show that many people who buy in bulk think that they are saving money, but they really just end up eating more.  I can see how that's true with snack and convenience type items, but for canned veggies, meat, and other items you use to cook with, I have found that buying in bulk really helps me with saving money on groceries.  The same is true for non-edible items like toilet paper and papertowels.  

5. Shop less!  I used to be in the habit of stopping at the store at least a couple of times a week on my way home from work to pick up stuff for dinner.  I never really realized what I was spending in total. Now that I live more than an hour away from the closest major grocery store, I shop once a month.  I still have to pick up milk and a few things during the month, but we use what we have until the month is done.  I estimate that we've saved close to $1,000 since I started doing this 6 months ago - and it was all on stuff we didn't need anyway.  You know what I'm talking about...you stop at the store to pick up lettuce and you leave with lettuce, chocolate ice cream, strawberries you saw on sale, etc.

6. Don't go to Every Store in  Town: My mom if famous for driving all over town to get her groceries. She'll drive clear across town to get on thing on sale. Sometimes it's worth it, but consider the amount of gas that you are using to get to each store and what you'll be buying - sometimes you'd have been better off paying 25 cents more and saving the extra trip, especially if you are going for one thing.

7. Buy Generic: I've been to the Dole manufacturing plant in Hawaii and watched them can pineapples.  Some of them get a Dole label at the end, and others get a generic label.  I suspect this is true for lots of items, especially canned goods.  at least try the off-brand item to see if you like it before writing it off.

8. Grow your own herbs. I love to cook and I spend a lot of money on herbs and spices.  Then I started growing my own. It's fun, you can do it year 'round, and it's something that kids can easily help with.  Besides the money you'll save, there is nothing that tastes quite like fresh herbs on food.  

9. Start a vegetable garden. We are fortunate enough to live somewhere that allows us to garden throughout the entire year, but even if you can't do that, you can probably grow vegetables in the summer months. Again, it's something that the whole family can get involved in, and it's much healthier than the veggies that you'll buy in the store.

10. Stay away from Convenience Foods: They aren't that healthy and while they look cheap, when you consider how quickly they get eaten, it's not usually that great of a deal. Start making more things from scratch. For example, I recently realized that flour tortillas are really simple to make. They taste better than store bought and cost me only a small fraction of the price that I would pay in the store.  See what you can make at home for added taste and big savings!

Saving money on groceries isn't too hard when you get a little creative and find new ways to do things.