I thought I'd share with you how I begin to make my shopping lists. Things may be common knowledge to some people, but new information to others. I was going over my spreadsheet at home tonight, preparing for a shopping trip tomorrow... so I just thought I'd share how I usually get started.

Now that I live in a town with many choices for grocery stores, I am taking FULL advantage of price comparison. There are so many different stores and so many ads that come out each week.

Here are some ideas that may help you save at the store:

• Most grocery store chains start their sales on Wednesdays.
• The ads usually show up in your mailbox with a handful of other ads and coupons for fast food chains and car repair shops.
• I take all the grocery store ads and set them aside. Then I wait until my kids to go bed and I can actually look at them!
• I recommend making a list of what is on sale while referencing what you have coupons for. I hate to buy something that does not apply to those two things - must be on sale and must have a coupon.

This is no joke. There was a period of time last year that I wouldn't buy salad dressing because it hadn't been on sale for several months. Most food usually goes on sale every three months.

The salad dressing at my local grocery store hadn't been on sale for longer than that time... and I'd run out at home! My husband begged and begged me to get more, but I couldn't get myself to do it. It wasn't on sale yet! Finally he went to the store and bought it himself. :) But I wasn't going to cave! It eventually went on sale again and we haven't run out since.

If you monitor sales and your coupons well enough, you shouldn't have to feed your family based on whatever is on sale on a particular week. Hopefully you'll have some things saved in your pantry that will give you variety to get you through week to week.

Happy couponing :)