4 Reasons You Keep Wasting Money at the Supermarket

It's time to put an end to that cycle.

If you've noticed that your credit card bills are much higher these days than they were a year ago, rising food costs could be partially to blame. The cost of food is up 10.4% compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We can thank the general trend of inflation for that.

But that's not the only reason you may be spending extra at the supermarket these days. The reality is that certain habits commonly lead consumers to waste money in the course of buying food rather than save it. Here are a few such habits it pays to break if they apply to you.

1. You're not looking at expiration dates

It's not illegal for a supermarket to sell items with varying expiration dates. But if you're not careful, you might buy perishables with an expiration date three days out when there are others on the shelf with an expiration date that's five times as long. Take a few seconds to read those labels so you don't wind up having to throw food away due to spoilage.

2. You're not spending a few minutes loading up on digital coupons

Although it's common for supermarkets to send out physical circulars in the mail, these days, a lot of coupons are digital. And if you don't spend a few minutes each week loading digital coupons to your store loyalty card, you might lose out on major savings and sales.

Of course, some stores don't require you to clip or load coupons to reap savings. Trader Joe's, for example, doesn't even have a store card because it likes to make its low prices available to everyone. But many supermarkets won't give you a discount if you don't load the coupon, so it's worth carving out time to get that done.

3. You're not planning out your meals in advance

You might pick up a batch of ingredients on a whim thinking you'll cook up a nice meal. But if your family members refuse to eat it, you could end up throwing food -- and your money -- away. Rather than do that, plan out meals as a group to guide your shopping decisions.

4. You're not buying items you use regularly in bulk

Buying meat, dairy products, and produce in bulk can sometimes be a risk. But if there are non-perishable staple items you consume regularly in your household, then there's no reason not to scoop them up in bulk, provided you can afford to lay out the extra money upfront and you have room to store them.

And believe it or not, you don't necessarily need a Sam's Club or Costco membership to take advantage of bulk buying. Walk around your regular supermarket, and you're likely to come across different items to purchase in bulk.

At a time when food costs so much money, the last thing you want is to waste yours. Aim to steer clear of these habits so you can reduce your supermarket spending -- and bank more money for other purposes.