Food prices are rising at a record rate and more and more people are looking for ways to save on their grocery bill. The good news is that there are simple ways to save more money when shopping for your food. Here are five easy tips to save on your monthly grocery bill.

1. Check the supermarket flyers

Every week, most if not all grocery store chains put out advertising flyers. These circulars draw attention to what's on sale for the week. Pay attention to items on the front page of the circular as they usually feature items that give you the biggest savings. Plan your weekly meals according to what's on sale. Try to buy items that you can divide up and freeze. It pays to invest in a freezer.

2. Signup for supermarket loyalty and reward programs

Almost all large supermarkets and grocery stores now have some kind of loyalty program. The programs are free to join. Supermarkets often give additional discount on select sales items when you shown a loyalty program card at check out. On top of that, every dollar you spend at the store using the card gets added up and you can use the "points" toward specific rewards, such as a free turkey of ham during the Christmas holidays.

3. Buy store brands or generic

Don't assume brand names grocery products are better than supermarkets' own brands. Many large stores offer generic brands of some products as a way to keep their cost down and to offer a lower cost alternative to more expensive brand name products to their customers. There's often very little difference, in terms of taste and nutritional value, between a name brand food item and a store brand.

4. Buy in bulk

More often then not, bulk packaged foods cost less than individually packaged foods products. Most grocers now have a bulk food section to compete with the big box membership stores. It's cheaper to buy large packages of chicken breast or wings, ribs, beef, fish, etc. than smaller packages. Be sure to compare prices using the unit price for the products. Invest in a freezer to be food fresher longer to cut down on wasting food.

5. Buy your groceries using grocery coupons

Thanks to the Internet, grocery coupons are easy to find. There are hundreds of coupon websites on the Internet that offer you free online grocery coupons to print out on your home printer. Clipping grocery coupons have never been easier and there is really no reason not to use them with all your grocery shopping.

Besides the five tips mentioned above, make it a habit to do your shopping only with a list that you plan out at home and sticking to the list when you are at the supermarket. Saving money at the supermarket doesn't mean going hungry. With a bit of planning and willpower you can drastically cut hundreds of dollars off your monthly grocery bill.