Falling into debt not only affects your pocketbook and bank account, it also affects a lot of things in life, such as grocery shopping and other things that we need weekly to keep our bodies running.  Grocery shopping being one of the main things many of us do can add up fairly quickly.  I’ve provided a few tips you can follow in order to start saving today.  Take what you save and start attacking that debt!

Use websites – There are so many websites online that help you with coupons but my favorite free website is CouponMom.com.  Here, you can simply register for free and search for deals in your area.  Make sure that you get the Sunday paper coupons.  You can either do this by subscribing to the Sunday newspaper or you can get them from a friend or newspaper vending machine on Sundays.  Every week, check the website for the deals and clip the coupons that go with the deals.  You’ll be amazed at what you can save!

Always buy on sale – I don’t care what you’re buying.  If it’s not on sale, don’t buy it.  This is my general rule of thumb.  Every week, no matter what you’re buying, there’s always some brand that’s on sale.  Try and look for the sales tag and buy on sale.  If you can get into this habit, you can save yourself a lot of money just by doing this.

Buy off brand – Off brand food taste just as good as the name brand.  Did you know that most supermarket brands are just a contract from the major brands?  So, you’re essentially paying less just for a name and it’s going to taste the same!  Don’t fall into that trap where you need to buy everything because of it’s “name”.  Start buying off brand today.

Hit the clearance- Sure, you’re probably reading this and you’re thinking, “Clearance rack at the grocery store?”  Well, most grocery stores do have a shelf of some sort that will allow you to look at items that need to be sold.  These items are edible and comply by law.  Take advantage of these as well and you can save up to 75% most of the time.

Try your dollar store- The dollar store, specifically the Dollar Tree usually has a lot of great deals on items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, and so much more.  Believe it or not, it’s not even off brand!  If you have a dollar store near you, hop on in and see if there’s something in there that appeals to you.

Bring cash only - This is probably my favorite tip.  Let’s say you want to spend $75 on your bill and nothing else.  Simply go into the grocery store with $75 cash and nothing else.  Don’t bring your purse, wallet, credit card, nothing.  This way, you’re only going to have that $75.  This will help you with your spending as well as you shop throughout the store.

Saving on grocery shopping isn’t the hardest thing in the world.  Take your savings and apply it toward your debt.  If you’re good enough, your debt can be gone in no time.