Smart shopping at the grocery store is the easiest way to save money quickly.

My management job after college was running a grocery store in Houston, Texas for over 2 years. They gave us weeks of intense training in each of the departments. They taught us how to maximize the profits of each department. Now I teach others using my training on how to save money and watch for high mark up pitfalls.

Here are some of the way to saving money in the grocery store.

1. Stay on the inside of the store. The specialty departments are placed in the perimeter of the store; produce, bakery, seafood etc. These are highest marked up items.

2. Shop against the flow. Shop for items in the back of each department. Higher priced items such as special cut stakes are found in the beginning of the department and whole chickens are found in the back.

3. Look high and low. Whether  you are shopping for detergent or salad dressing the lesser costing brands are found on the top or bottom row. Big brands pay high dollars to be placed at eye level.

4. Read the tag. Compare the price tags. Bulk items are not always cheaper, sometimes bigger is is just bigger.

5. Generics are comparable. Not all generics are created equal. Some genreics are actually processed by a brand name but the qualifications are just a little off. For instance, green beans while a brand name may have less ends in the can, this isn’t noticiable when you cook green bean cassarole. My kids ate generic mac and cheese. I found that if I added a bit more butter than the directions suggested then it tasted more like the leading brand.

Saving money at the grocery store is great because it has imediate savings. This is important for those who are living pay check to pay check.

So how much money can you save this week?