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If you enjoyed grocery shopping before, you probably don’t right now. Why? Because not only are many items missing and take a long time to get restocked, but prices are also surging.

This can be worrisome if you’re on a limited budget and are doing your best to keep those food costs low. To help you stay within budget without having to make any significant sacrifices, follow these tips in addition to standard ones like looking for sales and using coupons.

Ask For a Rain Check

Speaking of coupons, one of the best ways to cut grocery costs is with buy one, get one free (BOGO) sales. These two-for-one deals are frequent, and they can help you stock up on necessities for half the costs.

What’s the problem with BOGOs? Other shoppers love them too, so they may sell out quickly before you get to the store. Instead of losing out on the deal, speak to a manager and ask them for a rain check. It lets you take advantage of the deal once the item is in stock again, so you never have to worry about missing out on savings in the future.

Don’t Shop When You’re Hungry

It may be the oldest money-saving shopping trick in the book, but it works. Go to the store when you’re starving, and you’ll want to buy everything you see. And if that wasn’t bad enough, those cravings and hunger will tempt you to buy unhealthy foods or ones that are ready to eat. So, not only will your health suffer, but so will your wallet, as prepared foods are much more expensive than buying actual ingredients to make meals at home.

At the very least, have a snack before hitting the store. Even better, have an entire meal, so you’re stuffed and have zero desire to buy junk.

Pay Attention to Unit Prices

Any particular item can have several options from different brands. And those options tend to vary significantly in price. How can you figure out the best deal? By looking at the tag on the shelf and seeing the unit price.

It will tell you what each unit costs so you can make a quick price comparison. Opt for the lowest unit price, and you’ll see the biggest savings on your total bill.

Cut Foods Yourself

Do you buy pre-cut veggies or fruits because they save time from having to chop, slice, and dice? What about shredded cheese? Is that in your fridge versus a whole block?

If so, know that those pre-cut items cost a lot more due to the convenience. Buy them whole and take a few seconds to chop them yourself, and you’ll save.

Avoid Eye-Level Items

It makes sense that a store would put its most expensive items at eye level. They know that’s what you see first, and if you buy it, they make the most money.

Instead of looking at eye-level items, look above or below them. You’ll probably notice the prices are lower.