Is Your Grocery List Promoting Gout? What Foods to Eat and Which Ones to Avoid

If you have a condition like gout, one of the last things you want to think about is what's on your grocery list. After all, gout is painful and uncomfortable and the swelling is not only a nuisance, it can also be quite embarrassing. However, you don’t have much choice. Gout does require that you will have to avoid certain foods that will aggravate your condition.

How food is linked to gout

Gout is a condition caused by elevated levels of uric acid in the blood. In some cases, genetics could be the culprit. However, some people pre-disposed to gout may be asymptomatic, meaning they do not suffer from any symptom at all and will not require treatment.

There are some, however, whose lifestyles directly cause the occurrence of gout. Food and drink may contribute to the development of this condition and cause unnecessary discomfort and pain.

Certain foods promote the production of uric acid in the body. In normal levels, it is easily dissolved in the blood and excreted through the urine and therefore do not cause any harm. However, when too much food high in substances that produce uric acid is taken, the body may not have enough time or resources to properly process uric acid and dispose of it. This is where trouble begins.

How uric acid harms the body
Uric acid is the end product of the bodys effort to metabolize purine and is obtained from guanine and adenine. These are purines that are necessary components of our DNA and RNA. It's not entirely useless because uric acid serves to rid our bodies with excess nitrogen.

Uric acid is not completely soluble and when increased to intolerable levels, can cause gout. This is the same uric acid that promotes the formation of kidney stones. It forms sharp, needle-like crystals that deposit themselves in the joints, causing inflammation, redness and pain.

There are two main reasons why uric acid levels increase in the body: either the kidneys are impaired and not functioning properly, or there's too much intake of substances (i.e., food) that promote the production of uric acid.

Foods that promote gout

Most foods are actually nutritious and are harmless by themselves. However, when taken in excess or in situations where gout is already pre-existing, they can produce unpleasant effects.

The foods that are most likely to aggravate gout are those that are rich in purine. These include sources of animal protein like red meat, organ meats or offal like kidneys, tripe, sweetbreads, heart and liver and some shellfish and seafood – oysters, mussels, anchovies, mackerel and herring. Foods that are moderately high in purines are mutton, bacon, salmon, scallops, trout, goose, pheasant, turkey and other game meats.

Other foods that need to be either avoided or taken in moderation are dried peas, beans, spinach, mushrooms, cauliflowers, asparagus, oatmeal, wheat germ and wheat bran.

Purine may also be found in other kinds of meat, poultry and fish, although in small amounts. Therefore, their intake should be limited, preferably to 6 oz. per day at most.

Other foods that need to be avoided are junk food and sweets, including ice cream, pastries, rich desserts and those made with simple carbohydrates. Fructose is a main contributor to weight gain and people suffering from gout need to watch their weights more carefully. Overweight and obese people have high levels of uric acids in their blood.

If going on a diet, avoid crash diets or fasting, since these can raise the blood's uric acid level. It would also be wise to stay away from diets that use high protein and low carbohydrates to promote weight loss.

Drinking too much alcohol can also aggravate a gout attack and can contribute to its occurrence. Alcohol and beer interferes with the body's ability to excrete uric acid which may lead to hyperuricemia, a condition where there is increased levels of uric acid in the blood. However, there is no proof that wine can increase the risk of gout occurrence and may be taken in moderation.

Managing gout does not necessarily mean completely eliminating the abovementioned foods from your diet just to avoid an attack. The trick is to take them in moderate amounts and if it can be done, to eat alternative foods like tofu, low-fat dairy products and eggs instead, which are low in proteins. Meats don’t have to be avoided completely either, as long as portions are smaller and leaner and prepared with little or no oil.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://gout.topicgiant.com where you can learn more about how to combat symptoms of gout and which gout foods to avoid.

Grocery Delivery Chicago

Grocery delivery in the Chicago metropolitan area is on the rise.

Are you tired of making trips to the grocery store every week, circling the parking lot looking for a parking space and navigating your way through the grocery store trying to beat the mad rush? Are you tired of treating grocery shopping like an Easter-egg hunt? Does it raise your stress level, having to play "bumper carts" with your fellow shoppers, and having to stand in long lines at the checkout counter? Do you dread having to load and unload your car with groceries and haul them into your house? If you live on the upper floor of a multi-unit building, are you averse to the laborious task of hauling groceries up the stairs or the elevator?

Are you elderly or have a physical impairment that makes the physical exertion associated with the entire grocery shopping experience difficult?

Are you pressed for time, juggling a career, family, hobbies, and housework? Would you rather be spending what precious free time you have, doing other, more important things, than the mundane task of grocery shopping?

Grocery delivery direct to your home is an excellent solution for people living in the Chicago metropolitan area. You can save time, money, and energy if you shop for your groceries online via the Internet.

- Save time! You can shop online anytime you want, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Browse for items by category or by name, and place them in your "virtual shopping cart". You can be done grocery shopping in a matter of a few minutes!

- Save money! By shopping online, you are less likely to engage in any impulse shopping. You also have the ability to comparison shop with a few mouse clicks. You can take advantage of sales, coupons, and preferred customer sale items. You also save money on car gas or bus fare.

Save time. Save money. Be more productive. Live your life! Shop for your groceries online!

New Jersey Grocery Delivery

If you live in New Jersey, then how would you like to experience a little bit more free time each week? Online grocery shopping and delivery is finally available to you!

Shop online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from the convenience of your own home and have your groceries shipped directly to your house at the time of your choosing.

No more wasting gas driving down to the grocery store and circling the parking lot in search of a parking space. No more playing "bumper cars" with your shopping cart in the crowded store. No more bringing your nagging, screaming, and restless kids with you to the grocery store. No more standing in long lines at the checkout counter. No more loading and unloading groceries to and from your car.

Whether you are averse to the physical exertion associated with the grocery shopping experience, or if you are a busy person who is pressed for time, then grocery delivery can greatly simplify your life, here in New Jersey.

Not only do you save time by grocery shopping online, but you also save money too. While you may be charged a modest free for the service, you will more than make up for it:

- You will save money on car gas.

- You are less likely to engage in any impulse shopping when you are buying groceries online.

- You can quickly and easily comparison shop multiple items right online with a few mouse clicks.

- You can take advantage of store coupons and sales online just the way you would in the store.

So if you live in New Jersey, experience the luxury of shopping for your groceries online and having them delivered right to your door. Enjoy more of your free time.

Home Grocery Delivery Service

Using a home grocery delivery service can be an excellent time-saver and is one of the luxurious conveniences of the modern age.

Just imagine never having to waste your time at the grocery store ever again.

Avoid the long lines at the checkout counter.

Never have to waste your time circling the parking lot looking for a parking space.

Avoid the crowds.

Never worry about food being out of stock.

No need to deal with all of the physical labor of loading and unloading your car with groceries.

No need to drag your restless, screaming kids to the grocery store with you.

No more impulse buying! Stick to your budget!

Shop anytime you want, at your own convenience, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What would normally take at least 2 hours can be done in 15 minutes!

Automate your grocery shopping by maintaining a grocery list on file. You can schedule to have the same list of groceries delivered to your home on a regular basis.

Comparison shop easily and quickly by comparing multiple products at the same time.

Take advantage of sales and use coupons for great cost-savings as you would do in a traditional grocery store.

Even though a home grocery delivery service may charge you a few dollars for their service, you still end up saving not only time but money in the long run. You don't have to spend money on gas. You will be less likely to impulse shop. You can comparison shop more easily. You can take advantage of special sales and coupons through the delivery service as well.

Behold one of the greatest luxury conveniences of the modern age: grocery shopping online!

Internet Grocery Store

Is your life hectic enough as it is without having to make frequent runs to the grocery store? Wouldn't it be nice if you could spend what precious little free time you have doing the things that really matter to you rather than on the mundane task of buying the same groceries over and over again. Wouldn't it be nice if you could pay somebody else to buy your groceries for you? Even better: What if your groceries could automatically be replenished on a regular schedule and that your groceries could just "show up" at your doorstep?

Well, wish no more! Thanks to the Internet, it is now possible! Millions of people are already shopping from an Internet grocery store. They log onto the Internet, select the items they want to buy and place it in a virtual "shopping cart". When they are done, they simply check out and pay online. The groceries then arrive at the time of your choosing.

Shopping from an Internet grocery store can be a true time saver. You can log on and buy groceries 24 hours a day. You never have to leave the house. You don't have to stand in long lines at the register. You don't have to worry about the weekend rush, competing for a parking space. You don't have to drag restless, screaming kids along with you.

Some may argue that shopping from an Internet grocery store is not a good idea because you don't get to see and examine the merchandise before you buy it. If you rarely ever go to the grocery store and have some sort of emotional desire to "experience" grocery shopping, then Internet grocery shopping is not for you.

However, if you feel that you have spent enough time in your life at the grocery store and would really like devote your free time to bigger and better things, then Internet grocery shopping may be just the thing that you need, to liberate you from one less mundane chore. Besides, you can comparison shop online just as you would if you were at the store in person, with pictures and product descriptions. You can even automate your grocery deliveries on a regular schedule.

Grocery Savings - Your Kitchen is a Goldmine!

Your food budget is the most flexible area of your household budget. Grocery savings will free up a significant amount of money if you need to balance the budget, or fund your savings accounts.

If you haven’t figured it out already, your kitchen is a Goldmine. There are numerous ways to reduce the grocery budget and free up funds to use in other areas.

How much should you be spending on groceries?

The USDA Food Plans at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion suggests that a family of four is currently spending about $100 to $116 per week based on the "Thrifty Plan", depending on the age of children. Anyone trying to reduce the food budget should follow the guidelines for the "thrifty plan."

This should give you at least some idea what the average family spends.
I recommend you shoot for something less than that figure if at all possible by implementing as many of these grocery saving tips as possible!

• Eliminate eating out! Period! - O.K. if you’re family is screaming mad at you then take them out at least once a month.
  Make it an occasion. Most of us get caught up in fast paced living and eat out at least one or two times per week. It’s just an insane waste of money.

  Your family will appreciate a dinner out much more when it's not such a regular event. Consider it “quality time out”. And, remember to look for coupons good at local restaurants for additional savings.

• Minimize the use of convenience foods. - You can make it yourself for a fraction of the cost, try it! Many of us are so accustomed to convenience foods that we forget we can make it ourselves.

  If you already love to cook from scratch then congrats! For the rest, I know this is a scary thought. It’s hard to go back into the kitchen and actually get your hands dirty. However, I must insist you try this. There’s gold in them there hands! Use ‘em.

  If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t worry there are literally hundreds of recipe books for the busy lifestyle. There are many that promote frugal living as well.

  You'll find substitute recipes for everything from baking mixes to shake and bake and salad dressing. All it takes is a little extra time. Even if you had to pay yourself for doing the cooking you would come out ahead.

• Do your homework! - Know what’s on sale and plan your menu around the weekly sales flyers. Investing a little extra time in planning will help maximize grocery savings and reduce the food budget!

  I make it a rule to never buy meat over $2 a pound. Although I allow myself $2, I usually only spend on average 39 cents to $1.69. Occasionally, (rarely) I indulge in something special if it’s a good value.

• Eat meatless meals at least twice a week. - Beans and rice are a good example. Egg dishes are a nice change in routine for dinner. Try a vegetable stir fry or casserole.
• Don’t use packaged mixes. - Cake, breads, muffins, pastry, pizza dough, pancake, and waffles all come in a variety of pre-packaged mixes. Make your own for not much more effort and a lot less money!
• Know what your local stores offer. - Which ones have the lowest prices? Start carrying a little memo book to record prices of items you buy regularly. You can organize trips to save time and money when planning your grocery shopping.

  Who accepts coupons and do they double? Do they have a rebate program? Do they have a clearance or bargain area? Which grocery stores accept additional discount programs like ValuPage?

• Build your coupon file! - It seems coupons are available everywhere now. Your newspaper is a great starting point. Pay careful attention when looking through magazines. These are easy to miss. I often find coupons in home, ladies, or cooking magazines.

  Check out the free grocery coupons on-line. Be sure to do your research, many stores do not accept computer generated coupons due to the high incidence of fraud. Be sure not to waste your valuable time on this one if you don't have a local store that accepts them.

Be an informed consumer. I can’t stress this enough!

Informed consumer = More grocery savings!

Once you know where to shop, use all your resources. Combine rebates, sales, and coupons whenever possible for maximum grocery savings. This takes a bit more dedication but, you can literally get paid to purchase items if you’re willing to invest the time.

Grocery savings aren't just for the grocery store. many drugstores now have food sections where you can save on groceries.

Here's a great tip:

Always check your cash register receipt. Many stores offer a refund of full price policy for items that do not register the correct sale price.
I have cashed in on this one many times. Remember, these price adjustments are usually entered by humans. Human error is always a possibility, so cash in on it!

Because of a simple mistake, you have increased your grocery savings!

If you....

Plan ahead - Use your sale flyers to plan weekly meals.

Use what you have on hand first - Plan meals based on foods you have in your fridge, freezer, and cabinets already

Utilize your savings tips - Get more for your money using a combination of resources listed above

Make it yourself whenever possible

....You will be able to tap into that Goldmine hiding in your very own kitchen!

Cheryl Johnson is a mother of four helping herself and others become and remain debt free. Publisher of Simple Debt Free Living at http://www.simpledebtfreeliving.com - A self-help plan, ideas, and resources for debt management, household budget planning, frugal and debt free living, and extra income opportunities. Money saving tips for groceries, clothing, home decorating, and much more, maximize savings everyday.

The Hazards of Grocery Shopping

Working collaboratively with people isn't easy. If you're the type of person that struggles in this area then being put in a group setting is probably one of your least favorite things to do. It can be an agonizing feeling that creates more knots in your stomach than a boy scout convention.

The reality is that relationships make the world go round and exist in every aspect of our society, so there's no way of avoiding them. If you're a fan of the TV series Lost, you'd know that much to his chagrin, Sawyer still had to depend on his castaways for help from time to time, essentially proving that no man is an island.

It may not be the easiest thing in the world to do but with a little practice, it is possible to take the "work" out of teamwork to make it work.

You might be saying, "Why would I have to practice dealing with people?"

I'm reminded of the words of my former music teacher, Mr. King used to impress the importance of regular practice as a way of getting better. This probably explains why I'm such a horrible trombone player.

Tiger Woods, is arguably one of the best golfers ever to play the sport and prides himself on not letting his opponents outdo him when it comes to practicing. So my question is, if it's good enough for the greatest of all time, then what harm can it do to you?
If you're looking for an opportunity to practice dealing with others, then I'd suggest paying your local grocery store a weekend visit.

While you're not directly working with people in this environment, you'll most likely be dealing with situations in which you'll have a glut of opportunity to develop some keys skills.

Patience, acceptance and forgiveness to name a few.

The supermarket is an excellent training ground because its busy but also due to the fact that they are filled with people who are as focussed as Hilary Clinton was on being the 2008 Democratic party leader. There are a whole bunch of people you'll meet at the grocery store, here are three of the more common individuals you may "run" into:

Forgetful Jones - Good ole Jones will leave his shopping cart in the middle of the aisle and block others while he goes back and picks up the low fat cottage cheese he forgot three aisles back. Or maybe he couldn't resist taking advantage of the free samples of a new multi-grain cereal bar. The fact that he's blocking the way for others means nothing to him.

Distracted Debbie - Debbie is one of my personal favorites. As opposed to pulling over to the side out of your way, Debbie will suddenly stop in the middle of the aisle with little or no warning to adjust her make-up or maybe take a phone call which could last for several minutes before noticing she's inconveniencing others.

Speeding Scott - Scott is probably the most focussed person of the three. He'll race up and down the aisles like he's in a one minute shopping spree filling his shopping cart with as many things as possible. He'll create pile ups like an demolition derby and take out as many people as possible including the back of your heel.

An all points bulletin is out on these suspects, if you see any of them, be prepared to put your skills into practice. One thing is for certain, if you can master dealing these characters, then you just might be ready to take on a shopping mall during the Christmas season.

Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success. --Henry Ford

Audley Stephenson AKA The "Relationship" Manager" is an engaging public speaker who encourages individuals to make their mark through positive relationship management strategies. He's an excellent communicator with a long history of developing relationships with organizations and people.

Make Your Mark (MYM) strives to enhance the lives of others through practical relationship management strategies and advice designed to make a positive difference and cultivate our professional and personal interactions.

Grocery Coupons And Food Secrets

How can grocery coupons cost you more than they save? When is whole wheat not really whole wheat? Why are some frozen foods better for you than fresh foods? Should you buy the small or large bananas? Read on for the answers.

Grocery Coupons

Coupons are designed to get you to buy something you weren't planning to buy. If the things you buy with them don't replace more expensive options, you spend even more instead of saving money. To save money with them, then, you should use them for products you regularly buy, or to try new brands that are similar in price to what you already use.

Some stores still offer to double the value of your coupons on given days or for temporary promotions. The key to saving money in these cases is to use as many coupons as you can, and buy the smallest sizes of the product that the coupons allow. This will almost always get you the lowest unit-cost.

For example, if you have a coupon for 50 cents off on dish detergent, and the store is doubling your coupons, you'll get 1 dollar off. If you buy the 38-ounce size, priced at $2.19, it will cost you $1.19, or 3.1 cents per ounce. However, if you buy the 18-ounce size, priced at $1.19, it will cost you only 19 cents! That's just a bit over a penny per ounce, or one third the cost. Sometimes you can even get a 99-cent item for free with a doubled 50 cent coupon.

Other Grocery Store Secrets

Read the labels and you'll see that sugar is showing up in almost everything. Most recently, it has been added to most brands of kidney beans, which used to be packed in just water and salt. Why? For the same reason it is added to peanut butter and many other products that don't need it for taste - it is cheap. Cheaper than the other ingredients, in fact. Due to government subsidies, there is so much cheap sugar that growers need to dump it into as many products as they can.

You will also notice that almost all packaged products have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil in them. This is the stuff that is used to give mice heart disease when scientists want to study that disease! Fortunately, due to consumer demand, some brands, like Doritos, have stopped using it in some of their products. It is still in well over half of all packaged products, though.

Whole wheat is only whole wheat if it says exactly that. "Wheat flour," "unbleached wheat flour," and "wheat," all just mean some variety of processed white flour. "Wheat" bread is nothing more than white bread with enough whole grain thrown in to color it. "Wheat blend" pasta is yet another trick to make you think you're buying whole wheat.

Frozen fruits and vegetables, when tested against "fresh" fruits and vegetables, usually have more vitamin content. It makes sense. They are flash-frozen shortly after being picked, while the "fresh" foods are in trucks for days, exposed to heat and air. Then they sit at the grocery store for days, then in your refrigerator for days. Buying frozen fruits and veggies, then, can be healthier, and they are even cheaper at times, like when the particular fruit or vegetable isn't in season.

Grocery coupons aren't the only way to save money buying food. Store brands are often substantially cheaper, and guess what? Often they are really the name brands in disguise. Read the label and you may see something like, "Packed for ABC Grocery Stores by Kraft Foods, Inc." In any case, you can try the store brands, and if you can't tell the difference, why pay more?

Finally, what size bananas, eggplant and other fruits or vegetables should you buy? If they are sold by the piece, buy the biggest, to get the most for your money. If they are sold by the pound, buy the smallest. You'll still eat one banana at a time for a snack, right? The small ones might be half the price of the large, saving you money with every snack. When it comes to saving money shopping, there is more to it than grocery coupons.

Steve Gillman has been hunting down obscure knowledge and useful secrets for years. Learn more and get a free gift at: The Secret Information Site

How to Save at the Grocery Store

We would all like to know how to save at the grocery store. Record high fuel prices are forcing groceries to reach higher and higher prices. It is a vicious cycle, from the cost of producing food to the high cost of getting it to the shelves. What we need is a new way to shop. Power shopping for groceries may be the answer.

One type of power shopping is to be on the prowl for bargains. Scan all the mailers and newspaper flyers for items that are on sale. Clip any grocery coupons to take full advantage of discounts offered.

You may need to plan ahead to get the full benefit of of this type of power shopping, but the added planning could result in significant savings. For example, canned goods will keep for quite a long period. If you see a sale on canned green beans, for example, and you know you will use them within a few months, stock up! Buy the maximum allowed from the coupons or specials offered at the store.

I remember my grandmother clipping coupons from newspapers and magazines while she watched her favorite soap operas on tv. I often thought she was wasting her time, but I now believe she was a prophet. She actually was forewarning me of an energy crisis that I could not imagine twenty years ago. Well, it is here now and we are feeling the crunch in several areas. Any means we can use to create a little savings here and there will surely be a benefit to the old bank account.

Power shopping for groceries can be fun. Make coupon hunting and clipping a family affair. Young children will enjoy clipping coupons, even if they do not comprehend the reason behind their efforts.

Some websites offer coupons, too. If you have a printer you can easily print them for some nice savings.

A little planning and minimal effort is all that is required to learn how to save at the grocery store. With grocery prices expected to continue their uphill march, it is time we mount at least some semblance of defense.

Learn the real secret of power shopping for groceries. Here is a way to save at least $100 per week on your grocery bill. Click over to Power Grocery Shopping and start saving today! Grocery prices are only getting higher. Start saving now!

10 Things Your Grocery Store Doesn't Want You to Know

Grocery shopping seems like a harmless enough activity. It’s a chore, but it’s one that most of us do at least once a week, without giving much thought to what’s going on behind the scenes at the supermarket.

How we shop has become a science that’s studied endlessly. “Market researchers have worked for years to come up with ways to make sure shoppers see as many products as possible, because the more they see, the more they buy,” says Marion Nestle, author of What to Eat: An Aisle-by-Aisle Guide to Savvy Food Choices and Good Eating.

So to make yourself a smarter shopper, learn about the top tricks and other secrets lurking at the supermarket.

1. The shopping carts have cooties.

According to studies done on shopping carts, more than 60 percent of them are harboring coliform bacteria (the sort more often associated with public toilet seats). “These bacteria may be coming from raw foods or from children who sit in the carts,” says Chuck Gerba, Ph.D., a microbiologist at University of Arizona. “Just think about the fact that a few minutes ago, some kid’s bottom was where you are now putting your broccoli.” According to studies done by Gerba and his colleagues at University of Arizona, shopping carts had more bacteria than other surfaces they tested—even more than escalators, public phones and public bathrooms. To avoid picking up nasty bacteria, Gerba recommends using sanitizing wipes to clean off cart handles and seats, and to wash your hands after you finish shopping.

2. Dates are open to interpretation.

Except for baby formula and food, product expiration dates are not required by Federal regulations (some states, however, have their own rules requiring product dating). Labels that give a “Best if Used By” date are more of a suggestion than a safety issue—the food will taste best if eaten by the date on the label, but won’t necessarily be unsafe if eaten after that. If a product is stamped with a “Sell-By” date, that is how long the store should display it. Once you bring it home, perishable products (like meats) should be kept refrigerated and used within a few days. For more detailed charts explaining the shelf life of various products, go to USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

3. Kid-friendly food is purposely placed within their reach.

Anyone who shops with a child (or several) in tow has to keep an eye out for products the kids grab and toss into the cart. “I always tell parents never to bring a kid to a store,” says Nestle. “The packages with the cartoons on them are often placed on low shelves where even toddlers can reach for them.” A trip down the cereal aisle will confirm this. “Sugary cereals are at kid’s eye level, while the healthier, all-bran options are usually on the highest shelves,” says Tara Gidus, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. It’s the same situation at the cash register, where candy and gum are strategically placed to encourage impulse buys by adults and kids can easily grab low-lying products.

4. They cut up food so they can charge more.

In the produce department there are luscious-looking slices of pineapple and melon, veggies cut up and ready for cooking or salads. At the meat counter, chicken breasts and beef are cut into chunks and marinated—ready for immediate grilling. There’s no denying that these pre-cut foods can make life incredibly easy. And nutritionists agree that if they get people to eat more healthfully, there’s nothing wrong with them. But realize that you’re also paying a tremendous premium—sometimes up to twice as much as uncut versions of the same food—just so you don’t have to bother picking up a knife.

5. Good-for-you foods require bending and reaching.

Not surprisingly, grocery store eye candy (which sometimes is actual candy)—those foods with enticing come-ons and delectable photos on the packaging that aren’t on your shopping list—are prominently placed to encourage you to reach for them. Even in the pasta aisle, you’ll find the most popular noodles (including packaged mac and cheese) at eye level. Look up to the highest or lowest shelves if you want to find healthier whole wheat options.

6. End-of-aisle displays are there to distract you from your mission.

“Food companies pay the stores to place their products where they can be seen most easily—such as in a display at the end of an aisle,” says Nestle. That prime real estate is likely to hold high-profit items or grouped items (such as marshmallows, chocolate bars and graham crackers for s’mores) designed to inspire impulse buys. And although sometimes those aisle-ends are used to promote sale items, we will buy even when there is no discount. “People are 30 percent more likely to buy items on the end of the aisle versus in the middle of the aisle—often because we think what’s at the end is a better deal,” says Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University and author of Mindless Eating.

7. Bargains aren’t always a bargain.

Who can resist an offer like “buy five, get one free,” or “three for $1”? Apparently, very few people can. “Any time you see numbers in a sign, you’re likely to buy at least 30 percent more than you may have purchased otherwise. “So if you go looking for soup and the sign says “limit 12 per person,” chances are you’ll purchase several more cans than you intended to buy,” he says. And of course, if you buy more than you need, it’s not necessarily a bargain. Or worse yet, it could lead to over-indulging. “Mindless shopping leads to mindless eating,” says Wansink. “Once the stuff is in the house, you’ll eat it whether you really want it or not.”

8. You’ll walk the store the way they want you to.

There’s nothing haphazard about the layout of your grocery store. Sure, some of it is practical (like refrigerated cases along the periphery or meat cases in the back by the store’s loading dock), but some is carefully calculated to help you part with more money. Walk in the front doors and chances are you’re faced immediately with hard-to-resist items (not on your list) like fresh-cut flowers or just-baked loaves of bread. Just try walking past them en route to a carton of milk without tossing something extra into your cart. In fact, research has shown that 60 percent to 70 percent of what ends up in our carts is unplanned.

9. The salad bar can make you sick.

Raw produce at the salad bar, pre-made salads at the deli counter and other pre-cooked prepared foods all have the potential for harboring harmful bacteria (like E. coli, salmonella and Norovirus). “The biggest contributors to unsafe food are foods that are held at unsafe temperatures, handling of food by individuals with poor hygiene, and refilling partially used containers of perishable food with fresh food,” says Michael Doyle, Ph.D., director of the Center for Food Safety and Quality Enhancement at University of Georgia. He recommends that consumers pay attention to cleanliness, freshness (all prepared food should be thrown out if not sold by the end of the day), and way food is stored (cold foods need to be kept at 41 degrees or below; hot foods at greater than 135 degrees). As for those bulk bins of candy and trail mix—while it might be a bit gross to think about people reaching in and “sampling” the goods with their dirty fingers, according to Doyle, the risk of catching anything from them is very low. “Harmful microbes are not likely to grow in bulk-bin foods because most of those foods do not contain enough moisture to support microbial growth,” he says.

10. They don’t always clean as often as they should.

Health inspectors routinely visit supermarkets to look out for the red flags that may signal unsafe conditions for your food. But you can do a little snooping yourself. Flies in the produce or meat departments could be depositing bacteria on raw food. Roaches scurrying across the floor could also be harboring dozens of different diseases. And of course, check the shelves and products for dirt and grime—cans that are covered in dust may be an indication that they’ve sat around past their shelf life.

Win at the Grocery Game

· Click here for more smart shopping tips.

Most Americans shop for groceries at least once a week, but that doesn’t mean they like it. Although the 24,000 readers surveyed last year by the Consumer Reports National Research Center were generally happy with the supermarket they used most often, they still had complaints.

Supermarket Ratings

About 30 percent griped about closed checkouts, 16 percent about congested aisles, and 11 percent about out-of-stock advertised specials. Forty-two percent of readers had actually quit shopping at a nearby store they used to patronize, citing high prices, long waits, and poor selection, among other problems.

Best Supermarkets

Consumer Reports.org
takes an inside look at prices, service, perishables, and shopping options you might not even know about.

• 30-Day Free Trial

The frustration is easy to understand. The average household spends nearly $5,000 a year on groceries, yet it’s hard to find top service, rock-bottom prices, and great goods in a single store. Our top-ranked conventional supermarkets -- Wegmans, Publix, Raley’s, and Harris Teeter -- generally scored high for service; meat, produce, and baked goods; and cleanliness, but those stores did not have the lowest prices. Many stores that emphasized low prices fell short in other critical areas.

We can cut your aggravation. Our survey results, interviews with experts, and shopping trips to all sorts of stores yielded dozens of tips that will save you time and money, and inoculate you against store tactics that can trick you into buying more than you need.

For one thing, you can look beyond old-style supermarkets to a new shop­ping landscape with more competition and more ways to shop.

Among the choices:

· No-frills warehouse clubs, such as Costco, BJ’s, and Sam’s Club. You’ll find big bargains, if you don’t mind big bottles and boxes. But there are drawbacks: Service is practically nonexistent, brands are mostly limited to best sellers, and there’s a $40 to $50 annual membership fee. Survey respondents told us that clubs have the longest checkout lines.

· Supercenters such as Wal-Mart, Meijer, and Fred Meyer. They are inexpensive and offer everything you’d find at a drug and mass-merchandise store (a regular Wal-Mart or Target, for instance), plus banks, hair salons, and maybe even eyeglass stores. But at about 170,000 square feet, roughly five times the size of a typical supermarket, supercenters aren’t the smartest choice if you’re in a hurry.

· Limited-assortment stores such as Aldi and Trader Joe’s. Their strong suits are low prices and small size, which make them easy to navigate. But they sell less stuff (700 to 2,000 items vs. about 45,000), focus on private-label brands, and don’t sell many perishable foods. The ratings provide details about 54 supermarkets of all stripes. Although most chains are regional, you’re likely to find at least two or three where you live. Two high-rated chains with stores scattered across the U.S., Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, may also be options. Trader Joe’s stresses store brands and unusual items (think carrot ginger soup or dried calimyrna figs). Whole Foods is pricey, readers said, but it earned top scores for service, meat, and produce. It carries many organic items.

Whatever store you choose, if you know how to work the system, you can shop smarter, cheaper, and faster

How Gas Prices Affect Groceries

Isn't it a shame how high gas prices affect groceries and other items on the store shelves these days? The obvious explanation is that the high gas prices make it more expensive to get the items to the stores in the first place. Unfortunately, there is more to it when it comes to analyzing gas prices and food costs. The actual cost of producing the foods we consume is also skyrocketing. Farmers can expect a drastic increase in the cost involved in planting, fertilizing and harvesting their crops. This cost, along with the transportation costs involved in getting the foods to the store shelf has already began to show up in the supermarkets across the country. As oil prices continue to rise retail prices of our groceries will follow suit.

There are a few ways to lower your grocery bill and keep a little of your hard earned money in your pocket. It may take a little planning, but the rewards will be worth it.

First, if you have a freezer, use it! Buy in quantities that will last at least two or three weeks. Any thing that will keep in your freezer for over a month should be on your shopping list. Not only can you stock up on specials, but you can limit your runs to the store, thus, saving a little on gas as well. Meats and frozen vegetables are good examples of what can be store in your freezer for later use.

Keep your pantry stocked full of canned and boxed goods, too. Use coupons and watch for specials and again, buy in quantities that will last for a while. You may say this sounds like advice we receive when planning for a catastrophe, such as severe winter storms and the like. That may be true, but this catastrophe of high gas prices and food costs will undoubtedly last longer and be more severe than most snow storms.

Plan your meals for two or three weeks instead of just a few days. The cost of buying in advance will only be felt in your initial trip to the supermarket. Once you have your home adequately stocked it will be easy to keep it that way.

Use these tips to stay ahead of the rising food bill crisis. Limit your trips to the store and you will not only save gas, you will also lower your grocery bill.

How To Save Money On Groceries

Unlike a fixed monthly cost such as your mortgage or car payment, the amount you spend on groceries each month is somewhat flexible. While the common advice of clipping coupons and buying generic brands to save money while shopping is sound, by far the best way to truly keep your grocery shopping expenses under control is by understanding how grocery stores entice you to spend more than you really want. By fully understanding the ways grocery stores encourage you to spend, many of which you probably never even noticed before, you can combat their strategies and spend money only on the merchandise you really need.

Although a grocery store may appear to be simply a place to purchase food and other household necessities, in reality it's a cutting edge example of "how to sell more than consumers really need." Since you are the consumer, it's important that you realize these sales tactics so that you walk into a grocery store to get only what you need while avoiding everything else that the grocery store wants to sell you. Here are some ways that grocery stores manipulate you into spending more than you had planned and some simple steps you can take to counter them:

Smell: One of the first things you'll notice when you enter a grocery store is the mouth-watering smell. There is a specific reason why grocery stores smell of freshly baked goods, and also why the bakery is almost always found near the store entrance. The reason is that a bakery making bread and desserts gives off an enticing smell, and that smell is likely to make you hungry. The grocery store also knows that if you feel hungry while you shop, you are likely to spend more money - a lot more - than if you are not hungry.

A simple way that you can combat this is by going grocery shopping only after you have had a meal and are full. If timing doesn't allow for you to do this, at least drink a couple of glasses of water before leaving to make you feel full before shopping. Shopping while you're full makes it much easier to resist the great smelling temptations that the grocery store will flaunt in front of you.

Overall Store Layout: Did you ever notice that when you only need to buy a few staple items, you have to travel the entire grocery store floor in order to get them? While one might assume that the convenience of putting basic staple items in the same general area would make happier customers, grocery stores know that the longer that they can keep you in the store, the more money you are likely to spend. They also know that making you walk as far as they can inside the store will make it more likely that you'll pick up impulse items. Stores are specifically designed in such a way as to make you spend as much time as possible inside them and walk the entire store floor to get the basic staples that everyone needs.

Although there is no way around going to the far corners of the store to get the groceries you need, you can avoid the trap of impulse purchases on the store floor by taking the time to make a list of the items you need and sticking to it when shopping. Getting into the habit of making a single trip once a week to take care of all your grocery shopping needs instead of several smaller trips throughout the week will also greatly reduce your time in the store and the chances that you'll buy items you don't really need.

Item Display Layout: Manufactures of brand named products pay hefty stocking fees to stores to have their merchandise placed on the shelves at adult eye level (and child eye level in the case of products aimed at children such as cereal). Manufactures are willing to pay these prices because they know that you are much more likely to purchase something that you can easily see as you are walking down the aisle than something you have to stop and search for. The result is that the products placed at eye level are usually the most expensive.

Before grabbing the first item you see, take a few seconds to look at the upper and lower shelves. Similar products are placed together and simply looking will often reveal the same product at a much better price.

"Sale" Merchandise: Grocery stores will advertise a certain number of items at rock bottom prices (called "loss leaders") to get you to come to the store. While these can be genuine bargains, don't get fooled into thinking that everything that has the words "sale" or "bargain" above it is really that. While aisle ends are reserved for these "bargains," they aren't always the deals they seem to be and the discounted products are often displayed along side higher price products. You can sometimes even find similar products in the regular aisle section that are less than the end of aisle "sale" merchandise.

The important thing to remember when grocery shopping is to focus on the price of the product and not all the fancy advertising and slogans promoting the product. Take the time to check the other brands and see if there is a better deal. Also, remember that if you weren't planning to buy the item and you don't really need it, then it really isn't a bargain for you no matter what the price. Only consider those items that you regularly use and you have a need for.

Product Appearance: Product packaging at grocery stores is bright, usually in red and yellows since these colors attract the eye. Just because something grabs your attention, however, doesn't mean that you have to buy it. Keep focused on your shopping list and don't get distracted by products you don't really need.

Packaging will also be much larger than the actual product for many food items. Manufacturers know that shoppers assume that larger sized packaging equals a better deal. It would make sense since bulking items together saves the manufacturer on packaging, shipping and stocking which they can pass along to you. With a mantra "buy in bulk" now firmly grounded in most people's minds as a way to save money, manufacturers are taking advantage of this. While still not the norm, more and more larger sized packages are less of a deal than their smaller sized counterparts since manufacturers know you will make the above assumptions and probably not compare the per unit cost.

Before grabbing the largest box of a product, take the time to calculate the per unit or per weight cost. More often than you would expect, smaller packages of an item are actually a better deal than buying the same item in a larger package.

Check-Out Layout: The check out aisle of a store is like a mini mart in itself. This is because grocery stores know that they have a captive audience while you wait in line to pay for your groceries. They squeeze in every little thing that might remotely peak your interest to rack up a large amount on impulse sales.

The best way to avoid these temptations to is plan your shopping during off peak hours. Avoid the weekend if at all possible since this is when grocery stores are most crowded, as well as the evening when everyone has just gotten off work. With many grocery stores now staying open 24 hours a day, late night and early morning trips when the aisle and check out lanes are practically bare are the perfect time to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible.

By taking the time to understand how the grocery stores try to influence your shopping and spending habits, you have now put yourself in control. Utilize the suggestions about how to counter the grocery store's selling techniques and you will be able to control your grocery spending to a much greater extent and should have a much easier time keeping to your monthly food budget.

Copyright (c) 2004, by Jeffrey Strain

This article may be freely distributed so long as the copyright, author's information and an active link (where possible) are included. A complimentary copy of any newsletter or a link to the site where the article is posted would be greatly appreciated.

About The Author

Jeffrey Strain has published hundreds of money saving articles and the creator of the Daily Money Saving Challenge Program.