Grocery shopping is something most of us do on “auto-pilot.” We go through the motions each week and often give little thought to the investment we are making. Your grocery dollars add up, quickly. Are you doing everything you can to make the most of them?

Know Your Competitor.

Begin to see grocery shopping as a competition between you and the grocery store; they want you spend every dollar you have-and even dollars you don’t have if you use a credit card-while you want to only leave as little money as possible while still getting what you need. Unless you have been seriously studying your grocery purchases for a while, the grocery store is more skilled than you realize.

If you have never compared prices between grocery chains, know that regular, every day prices vary widely. Make sure you use the grocery chain that has the best every day prices. If you have two or three stores near your home or office, pick five or six items you buy every week and make a point to notice what each store charges for them.

Write It Down.

Shop from a written list to avoid the temptation of impulse buys. Nothing about your local grocery store is accidental. Ever notice you have to go to the back of the store to get milk? The store wants you to spend as much time inside as possible so you will buy as much as possible. Be smart and be armed: have a written list!

As you make your list (preferably at home, not in the store parking lot), think ahead to the meals you would like to eat at home in the coming week. What will you prepare for main dishes? Side dishes? Review your recipes for these items and make sure you have everything you will need. Nothing sabotages your plan to eat at home like getting halfway through a recipe and realizing you do not have everything you need. So as you make your menu plan for the week, if a recipe calls for flour, take a moment to open the flour canister and make sure you have enough.  Eating meals at home saves money (and is almost always more nutritious, too), so build your grocery list around your menu for the week.

Take a moment to review your calendar for the coming week. Is there anything that will require special groceries?  Are you making cookies for the PTA bake sale?  Do you need special snacks for your child’s friend spending the night? Did you sign-up to take a dish to work or to a social event? Does your child have a school project that will require special supplies?  Write it all down on your grocery list. Think ahead for anything you might need. Remember, anything you forget on your main, weekly shopping trip means an extra trip to the grocery store later in the week. Extra trips cost time and gas, plus they put you at risk for spending more than you need to at the grocery store.

Get in Shopping Shape.

You may have heard it before, but it makes a difference: never shop while you are hungry. Studies prove that hungry shoppers buy more, so eat before you shop.

Take what you need.  Make sure you take your written list, your coupons and grocery store ads (more on these in future articles), and something to sip on while you shop. Ladies, if you plan to shop on the way home from work and you know your feet will be aching from wearing heels all day, toss a more comfortable pair of shoes into your bag just for shopping.

Whenever possible, if you have children, leave them at home while you shop. If you do not have childcare for them, consider swapping childcare with a neighbor so you can each shop alone. Groceries are a major chunk of any family’s budget, and the more you can focus on your shopping decisions, the better use you will make of your money. Even if it means a neighbor comes over to your home after your children are asleep so you can go to the store alone, it is worth it.

Take the time to think about the changes you need to make.

If you think you can shop well without a list or that some of these suggestions seem “over the top,” stop for a moment and consider how much money you spend in a week on groceries. Hypothetically, if you spent just $100 every week, that adds up quickly to over $5,000 per year. Can you really afford to handle a $5,000 investment without planning and forethought? Grocery shopping is a major investment. Treat it like a major investment. Take steps to put the odds in your favor that you will make wise choices each time you shop.