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Regardless of how many people you have to buy groceries for each month, the grocery bill is always a consistently huge household expense. If you plan well before going to the store and apply the following seven suggestions, you will be able to successfully spend less on groceries on a regular basis.

* First and foremost, make a grocery budget and stick to it. Consider the amount of money that you have been spending over the last few months at the grocery store and then calculate an average that you can use for your budget. As you get better at finding bargains, you will eventually be able to lower this amount and save even more.

* Discuss and establish a menu that lasts two weeks with the entire family. This will help you to use the same menu items more than once will maintaining a variety in meals. At the same time you will be wasting less time and still keeping everyone in the family satisfied.

* Based off of the ingredients you will need for your family’s menu items, make a grocery list. Before buying food, check to make sure that there isn’t anything on the grocery list that is already hiding in the cabinets or pantry at home. Arrange your grocery list by grocery store department and estimate the cost of each item so that you have a general idea of how much is to be spent before even leaving the house.

* Go through the paper or search the internet for any coupons that might be available for the items you need. You can ask your friends and family to save coupons for you as well. Match your coupons to the list (and note on the list that you have a coupon and what it is for two for one, off of three, or whatever the discount may be).

* Make a coupon club with friends and family. Have everyone involved bring coupons that they are not going to use and share. You can also form a club on the Internet.

* Keep an eye on flyers and advertisements announcing special discounts or sales at stores that you frequent. Even in small communities there should be opportunities to maximize savings in this way.

* When it saves you money and is possible, buy in bulk. Make sure to compare prices before buying, since bulk purchases do not always work out to be cheaper. Non-perishable items are the best choices, like paper products and cleaning supplies that you can use any time. If you opt to buy meat in bulk quantities, make sure you repackage it individually before you store them.

These seven tips will help you reduce the money you spend on groceries, letting you put it to good use in some other way.