Chances are, while you were living at home, your parents did most of the grocery shopping. And if you did go with them, you probably weren’t paying attention to how they were shopping for different items. Now that you’re on your own and probably have a tight budget for groceries, here are some tips to follow to save you time and money.

• Always go shopping with a list and a budget. Make sure to keep a running total of the items on your list so you don’t go over your budget.
• Do not go grocery shopping when you’re hungry because you’ll probably end up grabbing anything off the shelf that looks good.
• Jot down things as soon as you run out of them or know you’ll need them.
• Plan out your meals for the week and get the things you’ll need for those meals. This way, you’re not grabbing random things and realizing half of them don’t go together once you get home.
• Buying in bulk may seem cheaper, but don’t do it unless it actually makes sense. Buying something in bulk and then having it go bad before you’ve eaten it all isn’t really saving money.
• Enter the items on your receipt into a spreadsheet to make a price list of the items you usually get. This will help you plan meals and your budget later on.
• Buy frozen vegetables. Although fresh vegetables are preferable, frozen vegetables will last longer. If you must have fresh vegetables, check out the local farmers markets.
• Clip coupons you get in the mail, but only for the items you already planned to get. Even if you have a coupon, you’re not saving money by getting extra things simply because you have a coupon.
• Although you may have your favorite brands, try out the store brands. They’re most likely cheaper and probably won’t taste too much different from your favorite brand. If you absolutely don’t like it, you can always switch back.
• Compare prices on things, but make sure you pay attention to the unit prices, not just the overall price.