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3 On Your Side: Avoiding Supermarket Traps

By Jim Donovan

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- You think you've heard all of the ways to spend less at the supermarket, but there are ways that go beyond coupons and club cards. Knowing what else to look out for could help you save money.

You clip coupons, you buy store brands, and you loyally use a store loyalty card, but you may be missing out on some other ways to save money at the supermarket. The May issue of Consumer Reports identifies some areas where shoppers might overspend and not even know it, starting with what looks like a sale.

Consumer Reports' Senior Editor Tod Marks says, "When you talk about those deals, ten for $10 dollars, five for $5 dollars, the reality is that rarely, if ever, do you have to buy the maximum amount to qualify for the discount. It's that marketers are planting a number in your head."

Shoppers should also survey the entire store shelf from top to bottom. Vendors can pay retailers money to secure shelf space right at a consumer's eye-level, but that product may not be the best deal.

Also, consumers shouldn't assume that an item featured at the end of an aisle or in a special display is on sale. Check that price tag!

"Consumers assume that items placed on endcap displays are in fact on sale, and while that's true most of the time they are, there are many instances in which they're not on sale," explains Marks.

If you're one of those people who simply can't avoid impulse shopping in-store, consider ordering groceries online or with your Smartphone. Many supermarket chains do in-store pickup or home delivery for a fee.

For more information from Consumer Reports, click here.

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