With the price of groceries higher than ever, here are some thoughts and ideas on how to be thrifty and stay better organized when you put your grocery shopping process in motion.

1. Decide your trip in advance to make sure you save on gas. What do you actually need? Where should you go first to check on possible discounts? Where are your fall back stores? Then, map out where you plan on going for the entire trip so you create the most economical trip route.

2.Think outside the box about stores that might carry discounted items. Walgreens or similar drugstores or variety dollar stores are a great place for some sale items like cereal, discounted snacks and waters and pops. If you don’t find any sale items at those stores move on to the next location.

3.Go to at least one high end grocery store near you next, there are always a few items even at the high end stores that are cheaper than other stores. Make a mental note, when you get low on those items to include at least one high end store on your next shopping trip to look for those cheaper items.

4. Next, include in your trip any specialty store items, for example a meat shop, specialty ethnic food store or a big box store that also has specialty food items that you use on a weekly basis.

5. Finally, figure out which store you want to go to for the remainder of your shopping list items. Do your homework and know what is on sale at a regular group of grocery stores you shop at, then go to the main grocery store that has the greatest number of deals that fit into your grocery plans for that week.

6. Don’t shop on an empty stomach. You’re more inclined to go over budget when you shop on an empty stomach picking up snack items and unnecessary groceries.

7. Be willing to not pick up an item on your list if the price is higher than you expected. Look at the potential to replace one item for another. If hamburger is too high in price, see if ground pork, chicken or turkey work.

8. Be willing to pick up something on sale that might not be on your grocery list, if the price is right. But be reasonable. Know how you will substitute that sale item into your food plans for the week.

9. Have your meals for the week written down. Know what ingredients you have at home and what is missing.

10. Sales items especially ones that are buy one get one (BOGOs) are great if they fit your meal plans. But don’t just buy a number of BOGOs that wind up being overlooked in the freezer or refrigerator. Those items that you wind up never using eventually will be thrown out when they get too old. Then it’s just throwing money out the window.

11. Once you get home from your shopping trip, organize your groceries on your shelves as you take them out of the grocery bags. Not being able to find your food when you’re getting ready to cook your meals, wastes time, expands cooking prep time and can cause food to be overlooked and allowed to expire.

12. Stick to your food menus for the week. Even if you’re tired one day, don’t give in to the temptation of picking up the phone and ordering out food to go. Your waist line and your pocket book will thank you for sticking with your meal plans.

Proper grocery shopping these days involves starting with planning your trip, organizing your meals before hand and planning your various food purchases before you leave the house so you know what and when you need to restock. Also, keep your kitchen organized so you know where you can find the ingredients for each meal. And finally, always continually rethink your cooking menu list to come up with new recipe ideas that are cheap, tasty and quick to make.