"Basically, a lot of people have a tendency to plan out their meals, then go to the store," Armogida says. "I look through the ads, see what's on sale and plan our meals based on that."

Armogida also only takes $60 in cash to the store. She buys her family's necessities first: fruits, vegetables, meat, bread and milk. If there is money left, she buys the splurges, like ice cream, french fries and soda.

Trudy Thornton, meanwhile, is a big believer in coupons. In January, Thornton and her sister attended a workshop run by Faye Prosser, author of "The Smart Spending Guide: How to Cut Your Grocery Bills in Half, Save on Your Everyday Expenses and Live Within Your Means." Before Prosser's workshop, Thornton says she would clip coupons and let them expired unused. Now, saving money is her hobby.

Her best advice: "The biggest tip is to clip coupons. That is No. 1. Pair those coupons with store sales. That is really where you save a lot. It takes a lot of work, but it's worth it."

Other saving suggestions from readers include:

• Make a shopping list and stick to it. (This basic starting point was repeated by many readers.)
• Buy store brands, which are consistently cheaper than name brands.
• Buy name brands only when using a coupon.
• Write to manufacturers offering a critique of their product. They often send coupons in return.
• Look out for triple coupon days, when grocery stores triple the face value of coupons.
• Buy meat only when it is on sale, then stock up your freezer. If you have a deep freezer, consider doing what Gina Gardner of Smithfield did: Buy a quarter of a cow. She paid $1.25 per pound for all cuts, from steaks to hamburger.
• Another note on meat: The grocery store's prepared foods, such as ribs and rotisserie chickens, often see their prices slashed by Sunday night. Several readers reported taking advantage of those bargains.

Going green

Plant a vegetable garden. It's little work and little expense for a big reward. You will probably have more than you can eat and will end up giving vegetables to friends and neighbors.

Even apartment dwellers can grow tomatoes and herbs in pots on balconies. I recently bought two basil plants for $3 at the flea market at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. I'll have basil all summer, which is a lot better than paying $3 for a thin plastic box of herbs at the grocery store that will last no more than two weeks.

Meat is one of the most expensive items at the grocery store. Consider serving your family vegetarian meals one or two nights a week. Most recipe Web sites have vegetarian sections. Check out allrecipes.com and epicurious.com.

Where to shop

My best find was the wholesale market at the State Farmers Market off Lake Wheeler Road in Raleigh. The market is housed in a large building with a "Welcome Drive In" sign above the entrance, past the Seafood Market & Restaurant.

Warning: This is not the shopping place for the faint of heart. It can be akin to a scrum.

This is the scene on Saturdays from about 8 to 11 a.m.: On the perimeter are the wholesalers selling boxes and bags of fruit and vegetables. The action occurs along two rows of tables in the middle. Regular people will buy a box of fruit or vegetables and then sell shares of the produce to others. For example, a friend bought a box of bananas for $12, split it into 6 shares at $2 each. I paid $2 for 13 bananas. Some other deals found on recent visits: $4 for 18 oranges, $3 for 16 tomatoes, $3 for 21 limes, $5 for three bags of red seeded grapes.

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