I am not a fan of grocery shopping. You may as well just eat the money. Or throw it in the garbage because those are the two places it's going anyway, so if there are ways to save money at the grocery store, I'm all over it. Here's what I found.

This isn't a new concept, but I've done it to save time; buying pre-cut or pre-packaged fruits and vegetables. It's so easy to just reach for the bag of salad than stand there and chop it up yourself. Produce that's already chopped and packaged (or canned) may have tons of salt in it so it can sit on the shelf, and it costs more than the fresh, in season veggies. Sure, it may take you a little longer to prepare dinner, but you're already going the healthy route with the fruits and vegetables. Why not just take the extra step and chop it yourself? If you do buy prepackaged veggies, go for the frozen kind and for fruit, find the kind that's packaged in its own juice, rather than a sugared syrup.

You want a lot of bang for your buck? Rice, rice, baby! Buy a bag of rice and have it as a side one night per week until you run out. It's easily flavored, costs pennies per serving and can easily bulk up any dish to make it more hearty. It's also a good idea to use up the pastas and other grains like quinoa. Quinoa is having a really good year and rightfully so. It like of looks like cous cous. It's high in protein and fiber which are two things that make you feel fuller longer and help you eat less. Quinoa Tabbouleh is like the Middle Eastern dish with a twist. Normally made with bulgar, Quinoa Tabbouleh includes cucumber, herbs and tomato. You can check out the recipe HERE.

Make it a point to sit down one evening or a random afternoon and plan your meals for the next week. Write down what you're going to eat for dinner, create a list and when you go shopping, stick to the list. That way when you hit the store, you'll know exactly what aisles to hit so you aren't walking up and down all of them buying random crap and spending more money than you wanted to.

I can eat breakfast any time of the day. It's my favorite meal and a meal made out of eggs doesn't have to cost a ton. Toss in some French toast and pancake mix with a side of turkey bacon and you have breakfast for dinner for about $2 per person, if that.

Of course, you should always take the time to clip the coupons and if you aren't picky about labels, look for brands that are on sale to save even more.

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