Stick to Sale Items

• Stores use sale items to lure customers. Once you are in the store, they tempt you with many other products, so it is best to only go into the store with the sale product in mind and not allow yourself to buy anything else. Also, some sales offer multiple products for one price. For example, Keebler cookies may be on sale, two for $4. The stores make you think that you must buy two boxes of cookies to get the sale, but in most cases, the computer is set up to ring each Keebler cookie box at $2. If you don't need two boxes, don't be tricked into buying two boxes. Similarly, it is common practice for stores to now sell items in blocks such as 10 Nabisco items for $10. In reality, each item is just $1 and you do not need to buy all 10.
  
  

Make Your Own

• Any item in a store that is made for you has a hefty price tag. You are not only paying for food but also paying for time. Instead of buying a $5 TV dinner, purchase $3 of ground beef, $1 dollar can of corn and $1 head of lettuce. With these ingredients, you can make a meatloaf dinner with a salad and a side of corn for your whole family for the same price as one TV dinner.
  
  Also, it's a good idea to compare the price of the generic and name brands, because generic brands are usually cheaper. The store-brand cereal is going to taste very similar to the name-brand cereal but will costs $2 less on average. The extra cost isn't paying for flavor or ingredients. It is paying for advertising. Your stomach doesn't care about whether the product was heavily advertised or not.
  
  

Purchase Out of Season

• One of the biggest ways to save is to purchase items out of season. As soon as Christmas ends, Christmas items and toys go on sale 50 percent off. A few weeks later, the price has dropped to 75 percent off. Purchase everything you will need for the following year and then store it in the attic.
  
  Once school has started, all of the stores that stocked up on school supplies begin to get rid of them at a discount. You can pick up bookbags, lunchboxes and more at half the price, to save them for the following school year.
  
  After summer has ended, stores need to get rid of their summer merchandise to make room for fall items. You can then buy bathing suits, pools, beach towels and beach toys really cheap. If you don't mind storing the items until next year, you can save a bundle.