18 Supermarket Tips And Tricks That Will Make You Go, "Why Did I Never Know That?"

Put the "super" in your supermarket trips.

We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share their best supermarket hack. Here are the tips you're going to want to remember:

1. "Literally every item in a grocery store that's in the front expires faster (it's not just the milk). It's called F.I.F.O. (first in, first out). The older products are put in the front so they're the first ones out."

garenscribner / Via instagram.com

—hermanfreakinpotter

2. "Stores not only stock the oldest milks in the front, but also in the two middle columns."

Mike Mozart / Via bit.ly

"Most people pick from the two middle columns, so when I worked at a grocery store we were told to put the oldest milk in front and towards the middle. So, if you want the freshest milk, pick one or two from the front and far sides."

—marissamariew

3. "If you squeeze a soft drink bottle/can and it's hard, that means it's fresh. If it gives way, it's losing its carbonation."

bubblebee_therapy / Via instagram.com

—m480461e22

4. "The ripest and best tasting watermelons are the ones that feel hollow when you tap them."

silentvovka / Via instagram.com

—nathanield4a9086f0e

5. "When buying bagged lettuce, look for bags without too much air in them. The older the lettuce, the more gas it releases, hence the puffed up bags."

clevelandcouponer / Via instagram.com

"I'll usually dig through to the back (just like milk) to find a newer bag."

—nataliem4bb6324eb

6. "The bread clips are colored to correlate to their sell-by dates."

mushy42 / Via instagram.com

—jessicay440de10fa

"I used to work the bread wall at a grocery store and I think this was the pattern we followed:

Red-pull the bread Monday (expires)

Blue-pull Tuesday

White-pull Wednesday

Yellow-pull Thursday

Green-pull Friday

So if you are in the store on a Sunday buying bread, buy green because it is the freshest. It's rotated to the back bottom of the display."

—lcrowder001

7. "Unless things are wickedly marked down, store brand versions of your favorite foods are ALWAYS cheaper."

theplanesnyc / Via instagram.com

"Don’t think you are bougie for buying brand names. Act frugally and your wallet will thank you later."

—maryj42b55b693

8. "A lot of store brand and name brand products are EXACTLY the same. My friend used to work at Kellogg's and a lot of the time the only difference between the store brand and name brand was the box."

jayaomyoga / Via instagram.com

—sarahelizabethf4582a289e

9. "If you like deli cheeses and meats but don't care too much about the size and shape, ask the deli staff if they have any 'ends' to sell."

cjg_x10 / Via instagram.com

"'Ends' are literally what they sound like — the end of the meat or cheese that is kind of unsafe to slice on the machine. Delis sell them for much cheaper and they don't taste any different. Sometimes the deli will already have them packaged and out."

—lostunicorn

10. "Always check the price per weight/unit. My grocery store prints it on the price label."

internetbt / Via instagram.com

"Often, the jumbo box of cereal costs more per 100g than the regular-sized box. Sometimes, it's more economical to buy two of a smaller size if they're on sale and the large one isn't. If you start paying attention, you'll be surprised at how often it happens."

—jodis4d616cdd9

11. "Most stores will give you free samples from the bakery and deli. Sample the meat, cheese, bread, cookies — whatever — before you buy."

advantagekitchens / Via instagram.com

"I've bought roast beef that ended up being terribly dry and chewy. I could have saved money if I'd tried it in the store and known before I bought."

—katiehunt2413

12. "If you see a new product on the shelf and don’t want to buy it without trying it — ASK!"

sleepless_91 / Via instagram.com

"At a grocery store I worked at, the employees were actually told to open up the crackers/cookies/cereal/BBQ sauce/etc. so that the customer could try it and then we would shrink the product off the shelf. It was even mandated into our 'secret shopper' surveys."

—ajk4a8308780

13. "Most grocery stores will allow you to return (and get refunded for) lunch meat you aren't happy with. My mom has been a grocery store deli clerk for 30+ years."

fit_vet_tech / Via instagram.com

—chrissyw7

14. "Anything that’s been packaged in store can be re-packaged in store."

melbournedeli37 / Via instagram.com

"Only need one steak? Want some of that block of cheese but don’t need the whole pound? No prob. Most places let you take it to the butcher/deli and have them package only what you need at no extra cost."

—dutchtritan

15. "The spices are in alphabetical order. I was 32 years old when I found this out and no one should go that long without knowing that fact. You’re welcome."

freshlife_inc

—mirandab487c17bf7

16. "Why bother paying for bags that flop around and spill groceries in your trunk? Ask a produce clerk for a cardboard box — it's so much easier to box up your groceries and carry into your house."

producepax / Via instagram.com

—topoli

17. "The spices in the ethnic food sections are cheaper than in the regular spice section. And sometimes larger quantities to!"

ameliechilli / Via instagram.com

—gottabefresh

"Same with the beans! I buy my dried beans in the ethnic foods section!"

—ajk4a8308780

"If you buy chicken bouillon cubes in the Middle Eastern section they are far, far less expensive than if you buy the American version."

—jodic41da9211a

18. "The belt you put your groceries on when you check out at the register is filthy."

greatscottimages / Via instagram.com

"Bring your own reusable produce bags to put your fresh produce in, I’d never put it right on the belt. Even though it gets wiped down frequently, when it’s super busy and people are piling on their groceries one after the other it leaves no time to wipe down during busy rushes."

—iwillalwaysvoicemyopinion

19. "The most expensive items are on the middle shelves, at about eye level. They keep all the cheaper brands on lower shelves."

sens_sational / Via instagram.com

—tffnyfearn

Want to be featured in future BuzzFeed posts? Follow the BuzzFeed Community on Facebook and Twitter!

Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.