MADISON, Wis. -- Area grocery store managers said a few simple changes in your shopping habits can help you save money on food.

According to the American Express "Everyday Spending" Index, the average U.S. household spends more than $5,000 a year on food alone. For a family of three, the average grocery bill is more than $300 a week.

And with an ever-growing cost of living, that number will likely increase.

"People are probably cutting out that weekly night out for dinner, and staying at home having that home-cooked meal," said Cindy Olver, an assistant manager at Woodman's.

Local store managers said one way to get the most bang for your buck is to first know the real differences between name-brand and store-brand items.

"Every consumer has a different perception of what their quality level is. In many cases, store brand is the superior quality," said Daniels-Sentry General Manager Ken Riley. "It's hard to convince the customer of that a lot of times who might be brand loyal."

While they're virtually everywhere, shoppers seldom use coupons. Woodman's said coupon purchases make up only 3 percent of its total sales.

And while Sentry's clippings are popular on its double-coupon days, not everyone's using them.

"People are using coupons, but not as much as they have in the past," said Riley, "I think as busy as people are, they won't take the time to cut them out of the paper. They're looking for a price on the shelf with value, and it's quicker to grab that and to go."

Madison shopper Mary Peschl said she doesn't plan on using more coupons.

"Half the time, if I cut a couple coupons out, then I forget them at home anyway," said Peschl. "I mean, I realize this is a big thing with some people, and that's great -- they probably do save quite a bit of money that way. But I've just never gotten into it, and I don't plan on it I guess."

Shoppers said the endless number of choices hinders their ability to budget, eventually leading them to convenient, ready-to-go products. But buying those convenient products can be a financial inconvenience. The key is to be picky.

For example, you can pay $3.99 for a bag of romaine lettuce, already washed and chopped. Or wash and chop a head of romaine yourself and save $2.

Both Woodman's and Sentry managers agree that the best way to save is to keep up with weekly specials.

Most supermarkets are divided into fifteen sections. Usually, two sections are put on sale each week. The idea is to stockpile goods when they go on sale, WISC-TV reported.

"The specials I think are the biggest thing. We try to do things with additional sales during the week, whether it be a three-day sale through the weekend," said Riley. "Last Friday, we had a one-day meat sale that was very popular."