How to save up to half off on breakfast cereal

Cereal prices are going up steadily and then when you add the price of milk, your breakfast can really start to add up.

The declining demand for cereal is the reason prices are skyrocketing as people are consuming less milk and eating fewer carbohydrates. Still you don't have to pay full price.

To combat cereal prices, try these super-saver strategies:

First, combine sweetened and unsweetened cereal. Buy one cheaper unsweetened cereal and mix with one presweetened cereal for less sugar and less money.

Next, buy the store brand cereal versus the national brand. Most stores will honor a money-back guarantee on their store brand if you are not satisfied.

But, you should try it once, because the savings can be big. For example, we found an 18.7 ounce box of Kellogg's Raisin Bran for $3.49. The same size box of the store brand was $1.87, a difference of $1.62.

To save even more money, choose bagged cereal. The national brand of Captain Crunch is 21.5 cents an ounce, while the store brand is 14.3 cents an ounce. The bagged cereal however is just 12.1 cents an ounce.

Here's another no brainer that can help you save big on cereal: use coupons. You can usually find print or digital coupons, but keep in mind, paper coupons are usually more valuable.

Finally, when you see a sale, stock up if your family eats a lot of cereal. Even without coupons, you can probably stock up for up to 50 percent savings.