Everyone loves to save money, and since the average American goes grocery shopping a little more than twice a week, there is no better place to start looking for those extra dollars.

You already know that you should have a list prepared before you head to the store (those shoppers save an estimated 25% on their shopping bill by eliminating impulse purchases) and bring those coupons (which now have an average face value of almost a dollar), but what you may not know is that WHERE in the store you shop may also make a difference.

Today every retailer seems to be selling groceries, and why not? We buy foodstuffs more often than any other category of goods and therefore so is the likelihood of us visiting a particular store more often. And when we are there...if the merchandising is doing its job, we will buy more items than we planned to and that leads to extra profits for the store. As a result, there is a battle going on between warehouse clubs, supercenters, drug chains and our traditional supermarkets to entice us to their stores and purchase our groceries at their check stand.

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Here are a few tips that can turn your next shopping trip into a windfall.

  1. Shop around for cheese.

Love cheese? You better shop around. Look carefully in three places in your store for the same product -- all with different prices. The dairy case will usually have staple cheeses such as cheddar, Swiss and Monterey Jack, prepackaged at the lowest price. The deli and cheese tables may have the exact same products, but you'll pay more. Know what you want, and shop all three areas for the best price.

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Top 10 Ways to Outsmart the "Super" Marketers

1. Shop around for cheese
2. Pay attention to package sizes
3. Don't be fooled by "New" or "New and Improved"
4. Check the calories
5. Don't trust "tastes great!" claims
6. Read the nutritional label (not the brand)
7. Think twice about rebates
8. Enter contests without buying the product
9. Don't believe the scanner
10. Don't go shopping when you're hungry or cranky

Get more information on Today on iVillage.

 3. Don't be fooled by "New," "New and Improved"

Don't be fooled by "New," "New and Improved" which can mean the product has just come out or has been made better -- or it can mean a new color, new flavor, or just a tweak in the formula. There is no word more coveted than "new" for a product on the supermarket shelf. The government knows this, so it limits use of the word on labels and packaging to six months. You probably won't be able to tell if the "New and Improved" label is true, unless you can find an old one to compare it with. Check the ingredients and the nutritional data.

 4. Check the calories.

Are you buying those expensive no-fat products but gaining weight? You've switched to frozen dinners with hardly any fat and eat only no-fat cookies, but your weight hasn't changed? You are not alone. Remember that fat, besides delivering terrific texture for a product, is also a bulking agent. Taking out the fat requires replacing it with another bulking agent. A lot of the time, it's sugar! Check out the ingredients and calorie counts; you might be surprised. You might be better off eating smaller portions of the "regular" version.

 5. Don't trust "tastes great!" claims.

"Tastes great" or "improved flavor" claims always make me ask, "According to whom?" You should ask the same question before you switch brands and buy. This is one of those marketing slogans that drives me nuts! If it tasted so bad before, why should I believe you now? The average package in the supermarket has about one-seventeenth of a second to attract our attention, so the manufacturer will try anything to stop us and make us look, pick up the product, and put it in our cart.

 6. Read the nutritional label (not the brand).

Healthy Choice brand started it, and everyone else followed. Now there are dozens of brands containing the word "healthy." Under new label regulations, brands and products can't incorporate the word healthy into their brand name. But the brands that were on the shelves before the regulations were enacted are "grandfathered" and can continue to use the word. Some brands are more healthful than others. Always read both the nutritional label and the ingredients list, and judge for yourself how healthful the product is.

 7. Think twice about rebates.

Less than 6 percent of shoppers ever redeem rebates or mail-in offers. But they're a great incentive to buy a product we usually don't or to purchase multiple packages to comply with the offer. Before your put the products in your cart, decide that you really will redeem the offer.

 8. Enter contests without buying the product.

Winning a free trip to Hawaii is especially appealing midwinter. And even though the package says in very small type that you don't have to buy the product to enter, you feel your chances have to be better if you do. Wrong! State regulations on contests are very strict and prohibit companies from showing a preference toward purchasers. If the contest appeals to you, but the product doesn't, don't buy it. But do enter the contest. Your chances are just as good, and you haven't bought a product you'll never use.

 9. Don't believe the scanner.

Do you relax when you see a sign at the checkout that says, "We guarantee our scanner price is correct or you get the product free"? Well, don't. While systems are getting a lot better, many errors still occur at the checkout. Don't blame the cashier or the scanner. The problem is with the prices being put into the computer system. For specials, especially on the first day of a sale, bring the newspaper ad with you and watch the register's display to make sure the scanned prices are correct.

 10. Don't go shopping when you're hungry or cranky or in a bad mood!

Our supermarkets are getting better and fresher all the time, so when we walk in, we are bombarded with great colors, tastes and smells. Eat first, shop later.

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #7: Keep your eyes closed! Stores now have flat screen TVs and newspapers in the cafe seating area. This is a multi-purpose concept to get people used to staying longer in the store: the longer we stay the more we buy…and lets not forget that a rested shopper is a better shopper!

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More in this series from Phil Lempert

• Tip #1: The eye-level trick
• Tip #2: End-of-aisle displays
• Tip #3: Kids' cereals
• Tip #4: Shelves change constantly
• Tip #5: Fresh deli
• Tip #6: Specialty items grouped together

Get more information at Today on iVillage.

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #6: Specialty items grouped together. Items for special occasions (for example, chips, dips and sodas) are often grouped together to increase impulse sales. Produce managers are notorious for displaying fresh strawberries alongside cans of whipped cream and pastry shells. The result? Their sales can increase four-fold!

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More in this series from Phil Lempert

• Tip #1: The eye-level trick
• Tip #2: End-of-aisle displays
• Tip #3: Kids' cereals
• Tip #4: Shelves change constantly
• Tip #5: Fresh deli

Get more information at Today on iVillage.

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #5: Fresh Deli. Employees lavishly preparing deli meats or trays right before your eyes creates excitement and sales, especially if a free taste is part of the strategy. BUT check the prices, very often you can find the same foods already packaged and less expensive in the dairy case

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More in this series from Phil Lempert

• Tip #1: The eye-level trick
• Tip #2: End-of-aisle displays
• Tip #3: Kids' cereals
• Tip #4: Shelves change constantly

Get more information at Today on iVillage.

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #4: Shelves change constantly. Supermarkets will often rearrange shelves, making shoppers search for their regular staple items (typically ketchup, mayonnaise, etc) and we then wind up discovering (and buying) new products in the old, familiar locations.

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More in this series from Phil Lempert

• Tip #1: The eye-level trick
• Tip #2: End-of-aisle displays
• Tip #3: Kids' cereals.

Get more information at Today on iVillage.

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #3: Kids' cereals.

The most expensive children's breakfast cereals are often placed at their eye level (not adults'). As you shop the aisle, you don't even realize what's causing your kids to want to put just about every cereal box imaginable in the cart. Look for the plastic bagged cereals – these are typically 30 percent less expensive.

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More in this series from Phil Lempert

• Tip #1: The eye-level trick
• Tip #2: End-of-aisle displays

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #2: End-of-aisle displays.

End-of-aisle displays don't mean the products are on sale; in fact only about 60% of the time are these products on sale.

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More in this series from Phil Lempert

• Tip #1: The eye-level trick

One of the best ways to save money at the supermarket is to be aware of marketing strategies used to encourage you to buy more and spend more. Every week for the next couple months, I’ll be posting a new tactic you should look out for the next time you’re at the grocery store.

Tip #1: The eye-level trick.

A recent survey of shampoo products in Northern California supermarkets showed that in almost all of the 20 stores visited, the higher-priced shampoos were at eye level. This is true for other products throughout the supermarket.

I am positive that you are well aware that the cost of food is rising, and quickly! According to recent figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, during the 2007 calendar year U.S. food prices increased by a whopping 4.9% - 8% higher than 2007 inflation rates and 2.8% higher than food prices increased in 2006. And most food folks would agree that we ain’t seen nothin' yet!

In the past, agricultural commodity prices tended to be volatile, with an overall decline trend, because they were supply-driven. Technology and productivity improvements in farming increased agricultural yields to meet supply, keeping prices down. Today, higher fuel prices are increasing the cost of transporting commodities, while various weather conditions and trade issues are currently contributing to lower supply. The result is higher prices across the board.

In the U.S., staples like milk, cheese and bread experienced especially marked hikes, with poultry, fruits and vegetables, cereal and meats following close behind. Internationally, increases in the prices of dairy and grains pushed the food price index used by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations up by almost 40% over the last year. By comparison, in the previous year period, the food price index was up only 9%.

With global commodity stocks at historic lows, a growing demand for food, feed and fuel, tight supply, and no plan for increased agricultural productivity, the phenomenon of higher prices is likely to continue. The International Food Policy Research Institute estimates that global cereal prices will rise 10 to 20% by the year 2015.

So what can you do?

Here are my 5 basic tips to keep on budget.

1. Make a shopping list and stick to it.
   Create the ultimate shopping list by taking receipts from the past month, list all the groceries you regularly buy by name on a spreadsheet. Then go thru the fridge, freezer and cupboards and look at what you have. Then cross what you don't need off the week's list. You'll cut your spending by 15 to 25 percent by not buying more of the same.
2. Use coupons.
   Don't think you're above clipping coupons from the newspaper, magazines or even online. The average coupon value is almost one dollar! Also, put your kids in charge of coupon cutting and gathering, since it teaches valuable lessons about money, and be sure to give them a percentage of what you save as their allowance.
3. Sign up for frequent-shopper cards.
   You will end up giving up brand loyalty because you'll be going for whatever is on sale. But there is no doubt you'll save money.
4. Buy the store’s own brand.
   Most stores offer a 100%, money-back guarantee on their products and most of today's store brands are of the same quality or exceed the quality of name brands. This alone can save you 15% or more.
5. Buy produce in season or from local growers.
   It’s tastier, more nutritious (as it had a longer growth cycle and was picked when ripe) and less expensive. For those fruits or veggies that are not in season, head to the frozen food case. Frozen and canned fruits and veggies are picked and processed at the height of flavor and can be up to 50% less than their out of season imported counterparts

Share your tips on how you can save $$ on your grocery bill and we will select 5 people at random and send them a SupermarketGuru canvas tote bag as a thank you!

If you are like most parents, you dread going food shopping with your kids. Those tens of thousands of packages all seem to reach out to them and force them to say “buy me this!”

Here’s my suggestion, put your kids in charge of the coupons. Give them your shopping list, the Sunday paper and the store circulars. You’ll avoid that tedious task and at the same time be teaching them how to save money. Coupons are one of the best ways to save money, but surprisingly less than 3 percent are actually redeemed.

Give your kids half of what they save you as their weekly allowance, and when you are walking up and down the aisles let them hold the coupons and search for the product. Have them bring a calculator to keep a running total of the savings, and hand them their share at the checkout.

Get ready to be surprised at how focused they’ll be…and how much more money you’ll save!