Eating is an expensive habit and food consumes a significant portion of your budget. To help us get a grip on this tasty but often expensive cost-of-living, here are the ways on how to make your grocery bill slimmer.

• Make a list and check it twice. Planning ahead can prevent impulse buying. You might also save on gas by being organized because you won’t need to make a second shopping trip to buy those forgotten items.

• Stop clipping worthless coupons. Many coupons offer deals on highly packaged foods low in nutrition and high in unknown ingredients. It will be better for your health if you skip these worthless coupons and opting to pay a little bit more for whole foods. So, check the grocery coupons first before getting excited.

• Watch the price scanner. It is common at any grocery stores to have mistakes on price scans and this can cost you additional payments. You have to watch your grocery prices scan and verify their accuracy at check-out in order to save money and may even score you free food because there are stores that will give you the item for free it it scans at the wrong price. It is up to you to spy the error.

• Buy generic items instead over big brand names. Buying generic items can save you up to 10 to 50 percent on every shopping trip. It costs big bucks to market brand name products and you’re paying for that expense when you buy a food item with a recognizable label. If you compare the generic items to the branded ones, you will notice that they are not better than the less-advertised alternatives.

• Buy dried beans in bulk not in the can. Buying dried beans in bulk and soaking them overnight is a frugal way to add protein to your diet without paying for the high cost of meat. Dried beans are very cheap and expand when soaked.

It takes a practice to look for simple ways to cut your everyday food expenses but the payoff can be huge. You can also save money on all your other living expenses if you keep tracking of your budget.