groceries

If groceries are a common expense for you, why not take advantage of it by choosing the credit card that will give you optimal rewards for supermarket spending. After all, if travel is not your thing, it wouldn't make any sense for you to sign up for a credit card that's best for flights and hotels. Here are the cards that'll get you the best rewards if grocery shopping is one of your biggest expenditures:

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

• Rewards: Get six percent cash back when spending in US stand-alone supermarkets. The first $6,000 spent in supermarkets will qualify for the six percent cash back. After that, you will receive one percent cash back. Get three percent cash back on gas at at stand-alone gas stations and select department stores. Get one percent cash back on all other purchases.
• Sign-up bonus: Earn $150 reward dollars for spending $1,000 within three months.
• Annual fee: $75.
• APR:The APR rate is zero for the first year, then 12.99 percent to 21.99 percent.
• Pros: The points are easy to redeem and you can start earning cash back as soon as you get the card. You also get the typical benefits as an American Express card holder which includes roadside assistance, car rental damage and loss insurance, extended warranty for up to one year, and more. Further, you get access to the Blue Savings program, that offers members discounts on things like Hertz rentals (up to 25 percent off) and more.
• Cons: Fees are pretty high and don't get waived in the first year. You need a high credit score to get approved. There is a 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee and American Express isn't accepted everywhere.

Read on for more.

The last thing you want to be confused about is the food you're eating, but with all the grocery buzzwords out there, it can feel like you're staring at some insider jargon. To break it down, we've put together meanings behind common terms that you'll find all along your supermarket aisles. Hopefully this will make it easy to remember why the labels are there in the first place — to help you make better decisions about what you're consuming and what's worth your money.

• Free-range: This is a bit of a tricky one because, according to the FDA, free-range simply means that the birds have access to the outside; that doesn't necessarily mean that they actually spend large amounts of time outside. In contrast, cage-free typically describes birds raised outside of a cage, but it doesn't imply much else.
• Grass-fed: Instead of being fed grains, these cows have only eaten grass throughout their lives. Advocates of grass feeding say it's a win-win for the cow, the consumer, and the planet because it requires less energy, there's less fat, and it's more humane.
• MSG: In scientific speak, MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. In regular speak, it's a salt that's added to food to taste better. It's extremely hard to find items without MSG — it's in everything from frozen foods to restaurant meals — and there are different opinions on its effects. Some say it doesn't hurt, while others claim it's harmful to the body.
• Whole grain: This means that the entire grain is used in the product, including the parts of the kernel with the most nutrients. Rye and brown rice are common examples of whole grain. It shouldn't be confused with multigrain, which simply means that more than one grain is used in the product.
• GMOs: Also known as genetically modified organisms, this term refers to organisms that have been altered to grow faster, have a longer shelf life, be disease-resistant, change color, and so on. Certain GMO-products don't require labeling for different reasons, so it's important to research before buying.
• Natural: It's hard to believe, but just about anyone can slap a "natural" sticker on their product; that's because there's no set definition of the term from the FDA or USDA, so it can mean many different things. For example, even sodas have been labeled natural.
• Organic: To be labeled "organic," a product must go through rigorous federal regulations. Essentially, you can rest assured that something organic has gone through strict farming or production practices and is made without pesticides, other toxins, GMOs, or artificial growth hormones. Many people say the quality of the product is worth its higher price tag.
• Gluten-free: We should first understand what gluten is. The protein, commonly found in wheat and barley, gives dough its elasticity and allows it to keep its shape. Gluten-free diets have become increasingly popular these days, and they're essential for people who suffer from digestive diseases, because it can damage their intestines. It typically doesn't affect others that strongly, but many are boycotting gluten because it's an unnatural additive.

Groceries are a regular expense that can seriously eat up your budget if you're not careful. Here are some of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to stock their fridge and pantry:

• Not making lists and a meal plan. Before you step out the door, it's always advisable to be more organized with your grocery shopping. Create a meal plan for the month, and based on that, start making a list of groceries you need to buy. If you follow the list, you won't be buying more than you need or buying unnecessary items.
• Not returning groceries. You can return most groceries if you haven't used them and if they are in the same condition you bought them in. Just remember to call your store and check its return policy. I usually do this when I buy too much food for a party.
• Going hungry. Going to the grocery store with an empty stomach is never a good idea. You'll end up buying more than you need with hunger pangs clouding your judgement.
• Buying name-brand goods. Most of the time, generic tastes just as good as name-brand. Pay a little less for a less well-known but equally great product.
• Being unaware of shelf life. Start educating yourself on the shelf life of products, which will help you decide whether to buy the items in bulk. You'll also be able to make better choices. For example, did you know that organic milk lasts longer than regular milk? And that white rice lasts longer than brown rice?
• Not researching supermarkets. Sure, your neighboring supermarket may be convenient, but is it really the cheapest option? Do the math and figure out if it's worth the convenience. Ethnic supermarkets tend to be cheaper, so be sure to check them out as well. If the affordable grocery store is a little further away, consider buying more items and taking fewer trips.
• Avoid overpriced items. Grocery stores tend to mark up a lot of products, so make sure you avoid these eight items. One example is precut produce and meats, which are usually marked up and expire more quickly.

If you're the type who has a hard time finishing milk before its expiry date, opt for organic milk, advises Reddit user RoamingAmber.

That's because regular milk lasts a week or less, while organic lasts about a month, says Scientific American. The reason behind organic milk lasting as long as it does is because it's ultra-pasteurized. That basically means the milk goes through pipes that are heated at a much higher temperature than regular pasteurization. The milk is also heated and cooled more quickly. The downside to that is the taste and texture may be affected through ultra-pasteurization. Apparently, since some of the sugars in the milk are burned or caramelized because of the higher temperature, ultra-pasteurized milk is sweeter. "[Ultra-pasteurization] also destroys some of the milk's vitamin content — not a significant amount — and affects some proteins, making it unusable for cheese," says Scientific American. On the upside, "milk that undergoes [ultra-pasteurization] doesn't need to be refrigerated and can sit on the shelf for up to six months."

If you're wondering why organic milk has to go through more extreme heating process, it's because organic products have to stay fresh longer since they have to travel a further distance. Organic products aren't produced all over the country, so they tend to take more travel time.

Technically, you don't have to get organic milk, just one that's ultra-pasteurized. But regular milk that's been ultra-pasteurized is harder to find, says RoamingAmber. However, if you're not fussy about your products being organic, you will be able to save even more by buying nonorganic ultra-pasteurized milk.

Browsing the supermarket aisle is always fun, but doing it week after week can get old, especially if you have other errands to take care of. It's important to be more efficient when shopping for groceries to avoid wasting time and potentially forgetting some grocery essentials. Here are a couple of tips that will help you be more organized:

• Keep a list. Lists are always crucial to organization, and just to make sure you don't forget anything or buy unnecessary items, document your weekly grocery needs. There are plenty of ways to do so — you can keep your own Google Doc, a text document, or a simple notepad. There are even free printable grocery lists online that let you check off which groceries you need. A good one to check out is the very detailed Ultimatest grocery list (they even have a vegetarian version).
• Use apps. Experiment with grocery shopping apps and consider keeping a running list of groceries on an app like Ziplist, which lets you sync up with lists of other people on your phone for convenience. You can even use discount-seeking apps like Grocery Pal, which shows you what items are on sale, and coupon locator apps like Coupon Sherpa or Yowza!!. The coupon apps will display bar codes, which the cashier can scan to give you the discount.
• Time it well. Pick the right time to go grocery shopping. You want to avoid going when there are crowds, because shopping and waiting in line for the cashier may take longer than usual. It's also good to go before the supermarket rush because most items will be in stock; this will prevent you from having to go back if a certain item was not available. The best dates to shop may differ depending on the grocery store, so be sure to observe your supermarket and pick up the crowd patterns. Lifehacker suggests Wednesday night as an ideal time because "many grocery stores release their new sale advertisements that day but also honor the sales items from the previous week." Personally, I like going on Saturday nights to avoid the crowds.

Read after the jump for more grocery organization tips.

When you're shopping for one, it can be very easy to overbuy and ending up with more than you can consume. And you certainly don't want to go to the other extreme, where you don't buy enough and end up going back to the supermarket the very next day.

Here are some tips to help you save money when you're grocery shopping for one:

Check out the salad bar. It might even be cheaper for you to do your fresh produce shopping at the salad bar. You can get what you want in smaller portions, which means you are more likely to use what you bought before it goes bad. Of course, some of the markups may be really high, so do some calculations to see if the savings are worth it.

Watch what you buy in bulk. As a solo shopper, you don't really need to buy too many things in bulk, which can result in unused items that go to waste. You definitely need to stay away from this list of items you shouldn't buy in bulk.

Plan your meals. Make sure you're properly planning your meals ahead of time so you're not stuck eating the same soup for days on end. This is good for your wallet, because it will help make eating out less tempting.

Make the most of what you have. Take stock of your pantry and fridge to see what you have and if you can come up with meal ideas for grocery items you've already purchased. If you're looking for recipes, just Google "What to do with leftover [insert food]," and you'll find plenty of ideas.

And if the foods are approaching their expiration date or are starting to lose their luster, then make it a priority to cook them before using your new groceries. For example, make a stir-fry out of the old produce, or make baked goods from the really ripe fruits, such as banana bread out of old bananas.

Read on for more tips.