16 items people waste too much money on at the grocery store and should stop buying immediately

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• Groceries cost more than $4,000 a year for many people, but there are plenty of ways to save money at the grocery store.
• Buying in bulk and knowing where to buy what are good strategies for saving on groceries.
• It's also smart to know what not to buy if you want to save money next time you're at the grocery store. 

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Grocery stores — whether your local store or a big-box chain — have tons of items in stock and many for a fair, reasonable price. But that doesn't mean it should be your one-stop shop for anything you need to buy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average American spends more than $4,000 a year on food for the home. That's in addition to the over $3,000 spent per person on food outside the home. Meals rack up big costs.

Still, it can seem difficult to save money when grocery shopping. One way to trim expenses is to make a list and stick to it — but that's not the only saving strategy that works. 

Shopping online, using price matches, waiting for products to go on sale, and meal planning are other ways to save money on groceries. You can also figure out which stores have the best prices on different products. It may seem like a hassle to shop in multiple locations, but the savings can be worth the sacrifice.

Throwing away food that was never used is another problem worth solving. The American Chemistry Council found that the average household wastes $640 in groceries per year — over $50 a month.

In addition to these steps, there are certain groceries you should think twice before buying. The 16 products below could be the cause of sky high grocery bills — and skipping them can help you save money on your next trip to the grocery store.

Out of season vegetables

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Not only will buying corn in the winter be more expensive than in the summer, as Erin Brodwin of Business Insider reported, but off-season produce travels from further away and will perish sooner.

Anything on the checkout rack

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Those candy bars and gossip magazines are put there for a reason. As Business Insider's Kate Taylor reported, stores try to capitalize on customers willingness to spend a few extra bucks on impulse purchases found at the checkout line.

Gluten-free products

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Unless, of course, you have celiac disease and need to keep a diet without gluten. Gluten-free products have been found to be on average of 242% more expensive than their gluten counterparts by The National Center for Biotechnology Information — and some foods can be as much as five times more expensive, as Reuters found.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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