A good portion of what we earn each week from our jobs gets stuffed right into our mouths. While we need food, we don’t always do a great job of watching our spending when we buy it.

With a little planning and some willpower, we could save a lot more money at the end of the month if we just pay more attention when we’re thinking of our stomachs.

Here are some tips to help your food costs shrink.

Watch for Sales

This should be a basic rule everyone should follow. Before you walk into a store and start throwing items in your cart, it pays to pick up the sales flyer at the entrance. Take a minute to look it over or look up the sales online before you get to the store.

Think about what’s on sale and how you can use it. It may not be your favorite food, but it wouldn’t hurt to incorporate some of it, especially if it’s healthy and cheap, into your diet for the next week or two.

Clip Some Coupons

You might think of clipping coupons as something only old ladies do, but you can save a lot of money by using coupons. Some national chains, like Kroger’s, also offer digital coupons you can add free of charge online to your membership card.

Scanning the digital coupons for five minutes could easily save you $10 or more per trip. And the best part is you won’t have to clip anything or watch as an exasperated checkout clerk has to enter each coupon. Because they’re digital, they’ll instantly be taken off your total as soon as the clerk scans your card.

Don’t Go Shopping While You’re Hungry

Bad things happen when you walk into a grocery store on an empty stomach. You’ll regret it almost instantly – and so will your bank account. You’ll be tempted to throw every piece of tasty-looking food into your cart, no matter how much it costs.

All you’ll be thinking of at that point is feeding your face. So it’s best to eat a meal or have a snack before you head to the grocery store.

Cut Out Some Meat

No one expects you to become a vegetarian, but your body doesn’t need meat at every meal either. Have a big salad or a filling soup once or twice a week for dinner instead of a big burger or steak.

You’ll be just as full after that meal and you’ll see some savings too because of how expensive meat can be.

Plan a Menu

At the start of each week, plan a menu detailing what you’ll eat at each meal for the week. By thinking ahead, you’ll be able to keep your shopping list to only the ingredients you’ll need to make those meals. Plus, you’ll be less tempted to decide last minute to go to a restaurant or hit a fast food joint when you already have a meal planned out.

That will help you avoid spending unnecessary amounts of money on eating out when you’ve had a long day.