This past December I asked a simple question — “What Money Saving Tip Would Help You the Most?” I was not surprised that many of you wanted to know what you could do to save money on your groceries. With the cost of food continually rising, this is an area which we all could use a little more help to help us save. Below are a few simple tips you can use to help save money on your weekly grocery trip.
1. Stick to store brands. Did you know the store brands are the same name brands with a different label? Where I live, the store milk is produced by the same manufacturer as the other more expensive brand. Compare the price of the store brand with the brand name less coupon savings and you might find you can still pay less by opting for the store brands.
2. Stack coupons and sales. This is where it pays to know a blogger to help. When you combine sale prices with coupons, you are maximizing your savings. These are the types of deals that might be good to pick up one or two extra and just create a small stockpile.
3. Shop the end caps / select sections of the store. Many times stores place clearance or discounted items on the end caps or in select ares of the store. Always look these over when you shop so that you can find those close outs — which you can often combine with coupons to find incredible deals!
4. Cash is King. Yes, yes, broken record yet again. When you spend cash at the store, you are less likely to spend as much. The key to this is to keep track of what you spend by designating your grocery spending in a single envelope. You put the cash in on pay day and when it is gone, you are through buying groceries – until your next pay day! This makes you really evaluate items when you shop and separate the wants from the needs.
5. Get the coupons from your Sunday newspaper. Start working on collecting coupons. Start small and just stick with your Sunday newspaper. Make sure you keep them organized so that you can find them when you need them (learn how to organize coupons).
6. Put in the time for your savings. It won’t come to you if you don’t put forth the effort. Take 30 - 60 minutes each week to plan your menu and your shopping list. Pull your coupons together so that you can make sure you have them handy when you shop. A little organization can help you make great strides in savings when shopping at your favorite store!
7. Avoid the gimmicks. There a many advertising gimmicks which make you spend more. Here are some to watch for:
- Limits. When you see “Limits” applied to purchases, it doesn’t mean you have to buy that many. People think limits means it is a hot price so they have to get one.
- “2 Fers”. This is common and you might see something priced 2/$3. Many think you MUST buy 2 to get that price, but you can actually purchase one for $1.50 instead. The only time that they can require a purchase of 2 is when it is advertised as such (like Walgreens does).
- Not really a sale. Many times stores will place a sales ticket on an item, when it really is not a sale. Check the original shelf price by lifting up the tag and you may find that the item is not really reduced in price.
8. Do the math. Make sure you check the per unit prices on items. It may appear that purchasing a larger item gives you a better deal, when it may be less expensive to purchase 2 smaller ones. Here is an example:
- Sale 1: 32 oz Juice on sale 10/$10 or $1 each (10 x 32 oz. = 320 oz., $10 ÷ 320 = $.031 per oz.)
- Sale 2: 64 oz Juice on sale 3/$5 or $1.67 each (3 x 64 oz. = 192 oz., $5 ÷ 192 = $.026 per oz.)
- Sale 3: 128 oz Juice on sale 2/$5 or $2.50 each (2 x 128 oz. = 256 oz., $5 ÷ 256 = $.019 per oz.)
9. Sign up for newsletters. Some stores might share unadvertised deals or even in-store coupons when you sign up for emails. This is a great way to maximize your savings.
10. Think outside of the box. Don’t stick with the big-box stores such as Target and Walmart for your household items. You can find some really great deals if you shop at CVS, Walgreens or even Rite Aid – which really stretch your budget.
What simple steps do you take to help save money on your weekly grocery bill?
Tracie is a stay at home mom to three young children; ages 4, 6 and 8 in Raymore, Missouri. In November 2007, she and her husband decided to eliminate their debt and made many changes in their lifestyle to do just that.
In 27 months, they eradicated over $37,000 in debt through both budgeting and learning how to live a frugal life. She now shares her knowledge in order to help you stretch your hard-earned dollars so you can live the life you want.