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What are some good ways to control costs for groceries?
All excellent answers.  Scott W. already mentioned to look out for sales and many other answers are ways to be smart with portions:  don't overbuy, or be smart with bulk buys. But, I'm surprised nobody mentioned one of the things I'd consider obvious about saving money on groceries:  coupons! Coupons can save cash.  We'll sometimes use coupons for brands we'd be buying anyway, or other comparably-priced brands that we're willing to try.  The thing to be careful of with coupons is when the manufacturer is attempting to up-sell you to a premium brand, or trying to get you to buy a product you'd never have bought anyway. Anyway, we especially like the coupons that Costco sends in the mail once in a while, or those they hand out at the warehouse entrance.  What better way to save than to: All the better if the items aren't perishable.  When we have the space and those grocery savings stars are all in alignment, we load up on such items as paper towels, oatmeal/cereal bars, soap, etc.