I'm usually quite organized and frugal with my shopping. I don't buy more than needed and love making frittata or pasta dinners from leftovers. But this summer, I've fallen out of that routine and need to re-calibrate my shopping and cooking habits to save some money and get into a groove before school starts. So in an attempt to get back to basics, I checked out our Shop Smart sister site, and found these five tips to help us with the weekend grocery shop:

1. Make your own salad dressing instead of bottled
Seems obvious, but it hasn't stopped me from collecting five bottles of various Caesar dressings over time that I don't even like--they're all too sweet and creamy. Making my own would've saved a bundle--and tasted better to boot.

2. Buy heads of lettuce rather than pre-washed, bagged greens
I usually justify buying bagged by saying it helps me eat more greens. But in fact I end up throwing out more because it doesn't last well for me. Buying head lettuce tastes fresher and is a huge cost savings too. And it's not really that time consuming to wash and chop up, is it?

3. Same goes for carrots
I use the same reasoning when buying bagged carrots as I do with lettuce. But buying a big bunch of whole carrots, then washing and chopping isn't hard, really. And my family can still have the same convenience as the ready-to-eat baby carrots we usually buy without the expense and the occasional ick-factor of slimy preservatives. 

4. Try a hunk of Parmigiano instead of grated
I had some friends from Italy over last night for dinner and was embarrassed about the grated tub on the table. No, not for snobby reasons, but because I realized how much better freshly grated cheese tastes--and it costs about $1 per pound less too.

5. Buy in bulk wisely
Buy in bulk only those items you frequently use. For me, that's potatoes and onions--stapes I use in soups, casseroles, and quick mid-week dinners. At one local store, a 5-pound sack of potatoes was $2.99, while the same variety loose was 99 cents a pound. Likewise, don't buy perishables in bulk if you really don't use them.

What frugal shopping tips do you have? We'd love to hear them!

--Trisha Brandon, online editor