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" Dreaming up family dinners is always a challenge, but it gets even tougher when money&amp;#039;s tight. Here, Teri Gault, coauthor of Shop Smart, Save More, offers tips to help you get the most bang for your grocery buck.    CLIP COUPONS. &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s an average of $350 in savings in the paper each week,&amp;quot; says Gault. But don&amp;#039;t stop there: Coupons are also available online at sites like everydaysaver.com and smartsource.com. And be sure to ask the customer-service desk at your store if they have coupon booklets \u2014 bundles of coupons distributed to the store by food manufacturers. Also, call or e-mail the manufacturers of your favorite products to request coupons, suggests Gault.  STACK UP YOUR SAVINGS. Find out if your store has a double-coupon policy and when it&amp;#039;s in effect. Then match your coupons to the store&amp;#039;s advertised specials (found in the weekly circular). Thegrocerygame.com offers a service that does much of the legwork for you \u2014 for a small fee, the site will send you a list of sales, specials, and available coupons in your area.   RECONSIDER ONE-STOP SHOPPING. &amp;quot;Regular prices of groceries at a super-center, such as Target or Wal-Mart, tend to be cheaper than at traditional supermarkets, but I&amp;#039;ve found that sale prices dip much lower at supermarkets, especially since they&amp;#039;re more likely to have frequent sales and double coupons,&amp;quot; explains Gault.   STOCKPILE. &amp;quot;Take advantage of sales to buy what you need before you need it,&amp;quot; suggests Gault. Stock up on nonperishables such as pasta, cereal, and canned goods, for example, when they&amp;#039;re on sale. Then you&amp;#039;ll have to pay full price only for fresh foods like dairy and produce.   MAKE THE MOST OF MARKDOWNS. &amp;quot;Meat and bakery items are almost always marked down right before their sell-by date,&amp;quot; explains Gault. For tonight&amp;#039;s dinner, ask an employee what time of day perishables are marked down (usually late afternoon). &amp;quot;And for maximum savings, look for items that are on advertised sale as well as close to their sell-by date,&amp;quot; suggests Gault.   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/life/money-career/advice/a4653/save-money-shopping/>