1. Shop on Wednesdays. Data from Google Maps show that stores are less crowded on Wednesday evenings. Many U.S. supermarkets also start specials that day, according to Reader's Digest.
2. Look down. Less pricey items are often shelved lower on the rack.
3. Buy whole. From chicken to carrots, buy whole things. If it is pre-cut, it usually costs more.
4. Shop alone. Friends distract, family demands. The kids want this, the spouse wants that. Shop alone and follow your list.
Rick Good spent ten years in the newspaper business, including with The News & Observer (Raleigh, NC) and The Greenville News (Greenville, SC). He co-wrote, with Melinda Coleman, Rutledge to Riley: Governors of South Carolina, 1776–Present (Published by The Greenville News), and is the author of Mind Games Trivia #1 (Amazon). He has recently spent 15 years creating original trivia content through Sounds Good Mobile Entertainment and continues that with his new company, SGME Software. He edits The Smart Reader’s money, real estate, and business coverage.