The price of living continues to rise in the United States, and grocery prices are no exception. When you are trying to eat healthy food, your grocery bill can easily skyrocket, as the cost of fresh ingredients is often more expensive than buying processed and pre-packaged goods. If you want to buy organic groceries, your bill can rise even higher.

Fortunately, you can eat healthily on a budget. There are several ways in which you can save money on your grocery bill. You may already know about some ways in which you can save money on groceries, such as using coupons. However, there are other ways in which you can save money on your grocery bill you may not have thought about, such as buying seasonal produce and getting rain checks. The next time you go to the supermarket, try using these tips to help you save money on your grocery bill.

1 - Coupons

Use coupon sites to find money-saving deals on things you purchase often. Some stores offer digital coupons you can add to your member card. Be sure to check out your store's digital coupons on a regular basis. You can save even more money when you combine coupons with sales at your local grocery store. The store's circular is a good way to find out what's on sale each week, so be sure to look at it every time it comes out.

2 - Go Generic

You may like certain brands of products, but generic products are usually cheaper. Generic products typically contain the same ingredients brand-name products do. To be sure you're getting the same thing, compare ingredient lists before you purchase generic items.

3 - Buy Seasonally

Fruits and vegetables are cheaper when they're in season, so buy seasonally. Buy apples, beets, carrots, kale, eggplant, pumpkin, and celery in the Fall. Clementines, potatoes, chard, oranges, and turnips are great produce to buy in Winter. Spring is a good time to purchase asparagus, strawberries, broccoli, honeydew, and rhubarb. Apricots, blueberries, figs, parsnips, plums, pears, watermelon, tomatoes, zucchini, peas, kale, grapes, and corn are great fruits and vegetables to enjoy during Summer.

4 - Look Up and Down

We tend to look at items that are at our eye height. Shops and grocery  take advantage of this by placing the most expensive items at a convenient eye level height. When shopping, look at the shelves above and below eye level to find cheaper options for the same thing.

5 - Don't Shop When You're Hungry

If you go to the grocery store when you're hungry, you tend to buy more than you really need. Instead, go grocery shopping on a full stomach. Make a grocery list, and stick to it. With a list, you'll remember the things you need to get and avoid buying things you don't.

6 - Rain Checks

Sometimes, when a store has a sale on an item people use a lot, such as toilet paper, it sells out. Ask about getting a rain check for the item. Some stores will extend the sale for you if they sell out of the product.

7 - Convenience Costs Extra

Buying pre-washed lettuce and pre-cut fruit is certainly more convenient, but these items cost more than unwashed lettuce and whole fruit. Buy a head of lettuce and wash it yourself, and purchase whole fruit and cut it up yourself in order to save money. Likewise, buying a block of cheese and grating it yourself at home is less expensive than buying grated cheese from the store.

8 - Avoid Impulse Purchases

It's tempting to throw items into your cart while you're waiting in the checkout line. Try using the self-service checkout instead. There are fewer temptations in these lines, which will help you avoid making impulse purchases.

9 - Start Your Own Herb Garden

Purchasing a few sprigs of fresh herbs at the supermarket will cost you quite a bit. Instead, start your own herb garden. You can grow your own herbs even if you don't have a lot of space. Many times, you can buy a whole plant for what you would spend on a few herb sprigs at the grocery store.

Grocery shopping can easily lead to large food bills. Try using these nine tips to help you save money on your groceries every time you go to the store.