8 Grocery Store Policies You Should Be Taking Advantage Of

The return policy: One of the best things about Trader Joe's is the generous return policy. You can return anything to the store for a full refund — even after you open it. Trader Joe's encourages customers to try new products, so if you don't like it or find something wrong with it, you're allowed to return it.

The Try Before You Buy policy: Whole Foods employees know there are a lot of products in their stores, so they encourage customers to have the best shopping experience by implementing a Try Before You Buy policy. The policy isn't limited to the middle aisles of the store where the packaged foods are — it even applies to fresh produce and cheese.

The coupons: Did you know Costco has online coupons? You can browse the coupons weekly to find deals on meat, snacks, frozen foods, and more, which proves there are plenty of ways to save at Costco besides taking advantage of free samples.

The Cartwheel app: Everyone knows that spending money at Target is a little too easy to do. That's why you're seriously missing out if you haven't tried the Cartwheel by Target app yet. Not only can you search the app for existing coupon deals, but you can also scan the bar code of any product directly within the app to see if it has a discount. Target brands like Archer Farms and Up&Up usually do. Have your cashier scan your app at checkout after you add deals to your cart, and you'll save money on food little by little.

The Shoppers Club: If you're one of the lucky people to have a Wegmans — America's favorite grocery store — near you, you'll want to take advantage of the Wegmans Shoppers Club. Your store membership grants you digital coupons and members-only mailings that can help you save.

The weekly flier: Check the online-only Sprouts Farmers Market weekly flier in your area to see your location's discounts before heading to the store. You can form your list around produce, meat, and snacks that are on sale.

The double coupons: Just one of the ways to save at Publix is to use the company's double coupon policy. This means you can combine a coupon from another store with a Publix coupon to save even more on just one item. You can also return any opened or unopened item, even without a receipt.

The exclusive store brands: The best way to save at one of the most affordable grocery stores in the US is to buy Aldi-exclusive brands. "Switching from national brands to Aldi-exclusive brands can save [shoppers] up to 50 percent on their grocery bill," an Aldi spokesperson told us in an interview. Don't like the Aldi-exclusive product you bought? You can return it for a full refund.