A grocery store is where you buy food. Most grocery stores also sell magazines, newspapers, medicines, greeting cards, and many other items.

There are several large grocery store chains serving Virginia, including Giant, Kroger, and Food Lion. To find a grocery store near you, look in the Yellow Pages under "Grocers - Retail."

THREE TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY

1.) Make a list. Never go to the grocery store hungry and never go without a list. Try to keep similar items together on your list. For example, list all dairy products you need, then all frozen foods, then all fresh fruits and vegetables. These items are generally grouped together in the grocery store, too. Keeping them together on your list makes it less likely that you will forget something.

2.) Use coupons. A coupon is a piece of paper that gives you certain benefits, such as money off the price of an item.

You can find coupons in:

· The newspaper
· Coupon booklets in the Sunday paper
· On the Internet
· On the back of your cash register receipt

When you use scissors to cut the coupon out of the paper or booklet, it is called clipping.

Clip coupons as you find them. Keep them in an envelope or in coupon holder. Try to keep them in groups. For example, use a paper clip or a smaller envelope to keep all cereal coupons together. Do the same for dairy products, frozen foods, snacks, household supplies, and drinks.

For more clipping tips, go to http://www.couponmonth.com/pages/cliptip.htm

3.) Sign up for the grocery store's shopper's card. Most grocery stores now have shoppers cards that offer special discounts. These cards look like credit cards but instead of costing you money, they save you money. Ask at the Customer Service Desk to sign up. You will have to fill out an application form.

*New*  Watch one class as they shop at a grocery store.

The Main Street project is a partnership of the Virginia Department of
Education, James Madison University and the Workforce Improvement Network
For more information about this project, contact Lisa Schick

Last Updated On Tuesday March 4, 2003 9:28 AM