(WXYZ) — These days, a lot of people are talking about cutting down costs at the grocery store. One way is to watch the snacks you're loading up with.
Every item you add to your cart is adding more dollars to your grocery bill, and that's why we're taking a closer look at the snack aisle.
When Krystal Thompkins goes through the grocery, there's a lot going through her mind.
"What do we already have? I want to be super conscious to not over buy," she said. "I have three kids – nine, seven and three – and they have to go to school with snacks, the two oldest every single day, five days a week."
That's a lot of snacks, and recently, she noticed those adding up.
"If we are in like, a snack deficit, and I have to get all, you know, chips, pretzels, cookies, fruit, all the things, the bill is noticeably higher," she said.
It has her switching up brands and being more selective in the aisles to help her stick to her budget.
"Going in on a whim is just not working," she said.
It also has her getting creative.
"Like the charcuterie trend, and so I'll put stuff out so, it kind of, they focus there. If it's out, they will eat it, and that kind of helps with inventory control. And then the other thing is, I've been buying bigger bags of chips, rather than the individual size," she said.
Smart shopping expert Trae Bodge said it's important to look at shopping habits and make some tweaks to save money. Bodge said those little treats make a sneaky impact.
"Especially if you're feeding a lot of people," Bodge said. "For parents who have little kids at home who need those snacks packaged up, ready to go to school lunch, for example, snacks are a really important part of our grocery bill."
Bodge's tips include buying in bulk, using technology to help you save, shopping at your local dollar store and even making snacks at home if you have time.
