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Find Cheaper Products On The Top Or Bottom Shelves

There is definitely a strategy to stocking shelves in the grocery store. Retailers tend to put the most expensive products on the middle shelves – right in your line of sight. It’s quick and easy to just look for pasta and grab the first box you see. However, if you take a few extra moments to check out what’s above and below, chances are you’ll find a very similar product for much cheaper. You should also grab the stuff at the back of the shelf for the freshest food, as the ones that are about to expire get put up front.

Understand The Labels

When you see things like, “Cheeze-o’s” or other names that seem like a fun play on words, be cautious! A lot of the time these names aren’t just to be cute and funny, it’s because they can’t legally say they have cheese or milk or whatever else they are trying to advertise. Furthermore, when you see things like, “No sugar added,” or “Enriched with vitamins,” that’s actually not necessarily a good thing. No sugar added usually means there are a ton of artificial sweeteners, and enriched with vitamins means there are a lot of fillers and additives. So make sure to read the ingredient list!

Make Sure You’re Really Getting Organic Food

First of all, “organic” means the food was grown and/or processed in such a way that didn’t use pesticides, synthetic ingredients, ionization, or bioengineering. A lot of things might be labeled as organic that aren’t actually USDA approved. Some things have the USDA sticker, which is helpful. When it comes to produce, one quick and easy way to double check is to look at the pricing sticker and find the 5 digit PLU. If the first number is 9, then the food is organic!

Choose Local Goods Whenever Possible

Not only is it a good idea to support your local farmers and community, but also you’re going to get better quality and taste every time. The less handling and shipping of your food, the better the quality it’s going to be. Meats, produce, and dairy that has to be stored and shipped across the country is always at risk for shipping and storage violations that can cause contaminated foods.

Ask Employees For Their Advice

Sure, the employees might be asked to arrange food a certain way or stock shelves in a deceptive manner, but they probably won’t straight up lie to your face in you ask them a question. In fact, most of the workers there would probably be glad to let you in on where to find the best of the best. Even if they seem a bit slippery in their answers, that still gives you an idea of what to buy or not to buy.

Watch the video below for more info on grocery store tips!

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