Save on Groceries! ShopSmart Highlights New Strategies to Make Supermarket Shopping Faster, Easier, and Cheaper

YONKERS, N.Y., July 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Keeping up with the science of frugal food shopping can feel like a full-time job. A new guide in the September 2010 issue of ShopSmart, from the publisher of Consumer Reports, takes that burden off its readers by sharing cutting-edge tips and tools to get the best deals on everyday groceries. These new strategies offer interesting and easy ways to slash supermarket bills.

"Our readers are familiar with basic grocery shopping tips, such as clipping and printing coupons and remembering to bring their loyalty card to the store," said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. "So ShopSmart has uncovered ways to save even more — including harnessing the power of the Web and smart phones — to ensure our readers are equipped with the latest information when they head to the supermarket."

ShopSmart's "Supermarket Smarts" features tricks for saving in every aisle, phone apps and website tools to scan special deals, how to find the best produce, strategies for grocery shopping from home, a cost comparison of buying items whole versus sliced and packaged, as well as a lineup of which stores really give you a deal on 12 top-rated everyday products (hint: Walmart is a winner). Below is a sampling of some of ShopSmart's advice.

New Ways to Save the Next Time You Shop:

The Cutting-Edge Strategies to Slash Your Bills

1. CLICK AROUND BEFORE LEAVING HOME: The latest grocery-shopping tools are online.

• MyGroceryDeals.com: Find and compare current circular specials, then create printable grocery lists with one click and print coupons.
• MamboSprouts.com: Check here for healthful recipes and coupons for organic and natural products.
• Sam's Club/Click 'n' pull: Members of the warehouse club can place orders online, then head to the store the next day to pay and pick up.

2. USE YOUR PHONE: These mobile tools make saving at the store easy.

• CompareMe; Unit Price Compare: Available on the iPhone and Android respectively, these apps help you figure out which product and which size package offer the best deal.
• Zavers: Get mobile coupons even if you don't have a smart phone. Sign up for text messages with coupon info for A&P network stores. To redeem a coupon, just respond to the text, and the coupon will be added to your loyalty-program card.
• Grocery iQ: Powered by coupons.com, it creates grocery lists that instantly integrate the week's deals and finds related coupons. Bookmark frequently purchased items to automatically add them to future lists.

3. SHOP FROM YOUR COUCH: Long week? Get groceries delivered to your door, just be wary of extra costs for this convenience.

• Organic Sections on National Sites: Check out Netgrocer.com and Amazon.com for their organic sections and at ShopOrganic.com you can choose vegan, raw, gluten-free or kosher among other categories.
• Food with International Flare: Find foods from other countries on sites like eFoodDepot.com which has everything imaginable in one place. Go to www.smartlifeblog.com/100-places-to-buy-your-groceries-online for a list of great sites; ShopSmart found Asian (Asian Food Grocer), Russian (russiantable.com), and much more.

About ShopSmart magazine:

Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon Consumer Reports' celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. The magazine features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and "best of the best" lists. ShopSmart is ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $4.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Borders, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.

ShopSmart is now available 10 times a year. Subscribe at www.ShopSmartmag.org

SOURCE ShopSmart Magazine