How to put your food budget on a diet

Grocery shopping only a minor expense? Think again.

The average American family of four spends $9,200 a year on food, rounded to $10,000 when paper goods and personal-care products are added to the mix.

It's time to treat grocery shopping like the major expense that it is.

Stephanie Nelson serves up some valuable advice on how to cut costs at the supermarket. Expert shopper and author of "The Coupon Mom's Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half" offers tips on how to save on groceries.

"Your mortgage is set, your car payment is set and you have to pay your taxes. The biggest spending category where you have some wiggle room is groceries. People don't realize that by learning a few tricks, they could be saving a lot of money," she says.

Here are some planning tips from Nelson, depending on the time you're willing to commit:

Five minutes for great savings

Take five minutes at the store to go over strategy and save 20 to 25 percent off supermarket prices. Don't worry about the brand as long as the price is good. When buying food, use the five minute rule to avoid unnecessary precooked and pre-washed foods. If it takes more than five minutes to hunt down a deal, avoid the purchase.

"If you need to save money, being brand flexible is a pretty easy way to do it," Nelson says.

30 minutes for fantastic savings

Looking to spend 30 minutes of planning each week? You can save around 50 percent in savings. Rule number one- shop with a list. Check out the store's weekly flier and plan meals around the week's bargains. Match those sales to coupons from your local paper, and online such as CouponMom.com, CouponSurfer.com and Coupons.smartsource.com. Make sure to keep a price log to see if savings for the week are legitimate. Tip from Nelson? Weigh lettuce heads. Lettuce heads are sold buy head, not by weight, so get the most lettuce for your dollar using nearby scales.

An hour for unbelievable savings

Willing to put in an hour or more a week for grocery planning? You'll earn 60 to 70 percent off the full price of groceries. Shop around for the best deals. This means checking out discount stores, warehouse clubs and drugstores for the best bargains. Look into store policies regarding rain checks, internet coupons, competitors, and guarantees on store brand. The trick is to buy in bulk when on sale and freeze the extras until needed.

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