Supermarket tricks you still fall for

…doesn’t mean it’s on sale. There’s a whole lot in there that’s full price. —Teri Gault

…most products are labelled previously frozen in small type. Those same products are probably for sale in the frozen-food case for 40 percent less. Not only that, but you won’t have to use them right away, since they haven’t been thawed out. —Phil Lempert

…and there’s very little difference between what’s been pre-packaged and what we slice fresh. A lot of times, it’s the exact same product. But you’re paying a lot more for the same product just to have us slice it for you. —Bradley McHugh

These 20 food facts will change how you eat. 

…we give it to you in a brown paper bag. Why? Because the bread may go stale faster, sending you back to the store to buy more. A quick fix: Place loaves in airtight plastic bags as soon as you get home. —Lindsay Smith

…or meat department that will expire the next day, say, “Hey, this is expiring tomorrow. Are you going to mark it down?” A lot of times, they’ll mark it down for you right then. You’re really doing them a favour, since they have to unload it anyway. —Teri Gault

Studies show that most consumers buy more when the store is crowded because they subconsciously want to be part of the group. Mondays and Tuesdays are the best days to shop. Whatever you do, avoid weekends. —Phil Lempert

We can cut a chuck roast into stew cubes, a whole boneless strip loin into New York strip steaks, or a flank steak into stir-fry strips. We’ve had people buy one big roast and have us remove the bone for soup, run half of it through the grinder for hamburgers, and cut the rest into a pot roast. That can save you about 30 percent compared with buying everything cut. —Bradley McHugh

What you really want to check is its quality grade. Prime is the best, then choice (usually the highest grade available in grocery stores), followed by select, and finally standard. —Kari Underly, former grocery store meat cutter and author of The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional’s Guide to Butchering and Merchandising

At most stores, it’s between eight and ten in the morning. —Teri Gault

…buy a piece of roast when it’s on sale and have your butcher grind it up for you in-store. —Kari Underly