Don’t Ever Buy These Things at the Grocery Store

I'm a pretty good shopper. And by that, I mean, I watch my prices, I look for sales, and most importantly, I know that cheaper is not always better.

Country Living Magazine has come up with a list of 15 items you should never buy in the grocery store. I agree with some of them, but not all of them. And they run the gamut of everything from 'they are overpriced' to 'they aren't worth the money', to 'you can do it better at home'. And I definitely want to know what your thoughts are!

• Pre cut vegetables and fruit - way less money if you do it yourself
• Baked goods - mark up prices on these items can sometimes be as much as 300%
• Pre cut chicken pieces - even though it might seem easier to use these, you can get almost 3 times as much for the money when you buy a whole chicken
• Pre seasoned meat - I don't agree with this one. In south Louisiana, pre seasoned is one of the delights of going to the specialty meat section in your local store
• Out of season produce - usually the quality isn't nearly as good, and the price is more
• Fat - you're paying for it whether you want it on your piece of meat or not. Ask the butcher to trim it, and then re weigh, if possible
• Snacks in individual bags - you can save up to $150 a year by buying the bigger bags of snacks, and bringing an individual portion with you
• Pet Food - usually a better deal to buy at a big box store, instead of an independently owned grocery store
• Frozen french fries - waaaaay cheaper and better for you to cut up your potatoe and bake them at home
• Cleaning supplies - I'll be honest, I buy all of mine at dollar stores
• Kitchen utensils - unless you are a gourmet chef, you can either get these at the dollar stores, or pay way less at discount stores like Taget or Wal Mart
• Herbs and spices - you pay for the packaging here. Try getting them in the bulk goods aisle at your local specialty store. Way cheaper, and you can control how much you really need. Ever bought a jar of spices that you only needed one teaspoon of?
• Greeting cards and party supplies - dollar stores, for sure have just as good a selection, at a fraction of the cost
• Batteries - better priced at warehouse stores, Amazon, or dollar stores
• Canned beans - if you buy a pound of dry, it is about 65% cheaper to make. And super easy, if you use your crock pot