Your tips, Kristine, are similar to how I shop. Looking at my list below, it sort of boils down to "know where to shop". Some stores are better for certain items, whose weekly sale includes what you need:

- Buy what is on sale. I check which of the major grocery stores has the most stuff on the weekly sale that I use and that's where I shop that week

- Buy extra and freeze it if it's a good sale and you have the funds.

- Shop the soon-to-expire section, some stores have better stuff than others

- Canned meats or canned fish, I like sardines and canned salmon, so that's bonus for me.

- Shop the ethnic groceries which usually have cheap produce and spices. We have a great Hispanic grocery chain (Vallarta), always good bargains on produce and meat, not so good prices on yogurt or cheeses or sundries. Asian groceries also end to have good, inexpensive stuff.