Do you want to save more money every time you shop at the grocery store? Whether you are feeling the “crunch” of the current economy or you just want to keep more of your hard-earned money, this post can help you. Anyone can learn and apply the techniques included here. You can save 20-40% every time you shop by just changing a few shopping habits that you already have. You can save even more if you apply ALL the techniques here. Your savings amount is only limited by the amount of time and energy you want to put into it. Even if you don’t have a lot of spare time, there is no reason for anyone to ever pay full retail price for groceries. Read on to start saving more of your hard-earned money today!
Shopping Habits
Most people shop a certain way. You might shop once a week, once every payday, or maybe once a month. However you shop, you probably have a habit. You shop the same way every time without thinking about how you could shop better.
Shopping Lists
Most people make shopping list before going shopping. A lot of people make their shopping list based on things they want or need for the upcoming shopping trip. While making a shopping list is a good thing, the way you make it can be costing you more money. How is your shopping list costing you more money you might be asking? If you make a list based on items you regularly buy or based on a menu you have planned, you likely are buying those items on the list at full price. While making a list or a menu plan is not a bad thing, to save money, these should be done after checking what is on sale that week.
Start by checking the sales ads from all your local stores. Chances are some of the items you may need or want are on sale somewhere. Add those to your list and note the store they are on sale at. Also, if you can be a little flexible with your shopping list, you can save more. For example, if chicken is on sale this week, add that to your list and plan a meal or two with it. Make your menu plan and your shopping list based on what is on sale each week. I always shop based on what is on sale and all of our meals are planned around the sales.
If you make a habit of checking the sales ads every week and changing just a few of your list items to those that are on sale, you will start seeing some savings already. This is an easy change to make and doesn’t take that much time. There are other ways you can use the sales to ramp up your savings even more. You can make the small change I outlined above for a 10-20% savings or keep reading to make bigger changes for bigger savings. The decision is completely up to you how much you are willing to change in your quest for keeping more of your money.
Extreme savings with lists
If you want to save more with your shopping list, here are a few more tips on how to do that:
1. Use whatever is on sale mainly in your list-adding only basic necessities you must have if they are not on sale. (Milk, eggs…)
2. Shop Loss leaders. These are items that are at extremely low prices- usually on the first page of the weekly ads. The stores are not making much if any money on these items, but they are using them to get you in the store. That is why they are called loss leaders. If one store is offering a dozen eggs for $.88 and another is offering milk for $1.50 a gallon, these would be loss leaders and you should pick them up where they are on sale.
3. Pay attention to sale cycles and shop in season. If you watch the sales ads long enough, you will realize there are certain times of the year that certain items go on sale. Make sure you know when items are at their lowest price of the year and buy then. If it is winter, strawberries are going to be more expensive than in the summertime, so buy a different fruit in the wintertime or buy canned fruit.
Loyalties
Store Loyalties
It’s a good thing to be a loyal friend. And many businesses may have earned your loyalty with their customer service or great rates. But you do not have to be loyal to one grocery store. If you shop at the same store every time because it is the most convenient, the “trendiest”, or you feel loyal to them for some other reason, it is almost positive that you are spending more money than you need to. As I hinted at in the previous section, stores must compete and often you can pick up more savings by shopping at more than one store. Obviously, you do not want to drive too far out of your way, or the savings you do get will be outweighed by your cost of gas. But if you have 2-3 different stores within a ten-mile area of your house, you should look at the ads for all of them each week.
Say you buy 2 gallons of milk a week for $3.00 a gallon along with all of your other groceries at the store that is 2 miles from your house. The store that is 5 miles from your house has milk that week for $1.50 a gallon. You can save money by getting your milk at the second store. If you know you are going to need milk when you go shopping, why not check the ads and get it where it is the cheapest? You likely won’t be going too much farther, and it will be worth the savings. And when you check the sales ads, see what else is on sale at that store that you can pick up when you are going. Most of the time there are at least 2-5 good loss leaders in each store’s weekly grocery ads.
If you start checking your store ads regularly, make sure you know when your stores start their sales and when they end. Some sales ads may start on Sunday, and some may start on Wednesday. Make sure you know the time-frame you have to shop for each ad. So, go ahead and shop around to pick up even more savings.
Brand Loyalties
A lot of people are also brand loyal. It’s ok to have favorites, but brand loyalties can really cost you. Again, look at what’s on sale and try to substitute some of the brands that are on sale for your normal brands that you are going to pay full price for. While it is true, if you try a brand that doesn’t work as well as your favorite, you may be wasting more money; there are plenty of things you can make substitutions for.
If you buy a certain brand of butter out of habit, and your store has a different brand on sale this week, make a substitution. Most butter is going to taste the same and most will have about the same calories, etc. See what else you are willing to substitute each week. If you are not sure you are willing to give up a favorite, then try to substitute one item at a time. Then if you do not like it, go back to your other brand next time.
Think about why you are loyal to a brand also. Is it because you have always used it? Maybe your mother used that brand before you. If you haven’t tried other brands, how do you know if that favorite brand is actually the best? Don’t do something just out of habit or because it’s something you always do. Be willing to try something new and maybe it can save you money.
Stocking Up
One thing a lot of people tend to do is only buy for what they need that week or that shopping period. Of course, with the popularity of the warehouse stores, more people are understanding and embracing the concept of stocking up. But some still don’t have the same concept as I’m talking about when it comes to “stocking up”. Do you one of those who love the warehouse and like to buy huge packs of everything from toilet paper (which came in handy recently) to condiments? Or are you one of those people who think anyone who stocks up is a crazy “prepper”? (Not so crazy anymore, though, right?)
Somewhere in the middle is where you actually want to be. Very simply, you should stock up on an item when it is at a rock bottom price. You should buy enough to last you until the next time it is at that price, or that you can reasonably use before it goes bad. This is where tracking the sales cycles will come in handy.
Don’t be afraid to get more than you normally would and don’t think in terms of “I only need one right now.” Granted, you may only need one bottle of shampoo right now, but you will buy another one in a few weeks, won’t you? If you could get your favorite shampoo for $1 on sale this week and you buy one bottle, then in 3 weeks, you buy another bottle at the full price of $4 you are spending more than you need to. Shampoo is not going to go bad and it can sit on your shelf for a long time. If you buy 4 bottles when it is $1, you will have spent the same amount you would have if you paid full price for one bottle. But now, you won’t have to buy shampoo for a long time.
The main idea of stocking up is buying more of an item than normal when it is at its lowest price so that you never have to pay full price for that item again. In the above example if you find that shampoo may go on sale for that low price every 4 months or so, you would want to get enough at the super low price to last you until it goes on sale again. If you use one bottle a month at the price of $1 as opposed to $4 each, you have saved $12 on your shampoo purchases for that 4-month period or $36 for the whole year. If you use this method to stock up on more of your regular purchases when they are at the lowest price, think of how much more you can save each year! It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make little changes that will add up to big savings.
Coupons
Coupons are a great way to save more money on your groceries. Coupons are Have become more popular in recent years. But most people don’t really use them to their best advantage. A common perception is that coupons only save you a few cents and take too much time to clip and match them up for the amount of savings you get. To most people they are a hassle. Some people even look down on the use of coupons thinking that only the “poor” people need to use coupons. On the contrary, most coupon users are in the middle to upper classes. And if you know how to use them, you can save a ton on your grocery bill. The topic of coupon usage and savings is such a large topic, that I will only touch on the basics here.
Coupons come in many different forms and can be acquired from many different sources. The main source of coupons is still the Sunday newspaper. You can also print coupons from online coupon sites like coupons.com and the manufacturers websites. Just look up any product you use online and you will likely find a website. Sometimes there are coupons on these websites also. Coupons can also come in the mail and can be found in the stores next to or attached to products. Magazines also have coupons in them sometimes. You can even load digital coupons to your store card now. (Keep in mind that you usually cannot use a digital coupon and a paper coupon on the same item.)
If you want to start saving even more money, you need to start collecting as many coupons as you can. You also will want to keep these coupons organized. There are many different ways you can organize, but I won’t get into that here. Just find what works for you to keep them where you can find them easily when you need them.
The wrong way to use coupons is to cut them out and try to use them all up the week that you get them. Think of coupons like poker cards. You’ve got to know when to hold them and know when to spend them. The best time to spend your coupons is when the item is on sale or at its rock bottom price. By combining a coupon with a sale, you can get your items at an even greater savings, or maybe even free.
Before you start redeeming your coupons, make sure you know what your store’s coupon policy is. Some stores will double coupons which means your coupon is worth twice the amount it states. Some stores might even triple coupons. But most have limits too. Some might only double up to $.50, which means a $.50 coupon is worth $1, but a $1 coupon is only worth $1. Some might also limit the number of coupons you can double. If you store limits say “3 like coupons” this means you can only use 3 of the same coupon in an order to double. But you can do another order to double more coupons, whether you do another order immediately at the store or you do it on another trip or day. (Some stores will let you do two orders in a row, but some will not.) Some stores might limit you to 20 doubles a day. In this case, you can double 20 coupons each day. Check your store’s website for their coupon policy.
If you are a shopper who buys store brands a lot because you think they are the cheapest, you might be surprised when you start using coupons. Once you get the hang of it, you will find a lot of times the name brand item is less with a sale and coupon than even the store brand! If your store doubles, you can save even more money and you stand a good chance of even getting some of your items for free. For example, if toothpaste goes on sale for $1, and you have a $.50 off coupon for this brand of toothpaste and your store doubles, you will get this toothpaste free. (Most of the time you will still have to pay tax.) This would be a good time to stock up on toothpaste.
You may find there are some items you can get for free on a regular basis by combining coupons with sales. I did not pay for toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, or deodorant for years. Remember coupon policies change, so keep up to date on your store’s policies and follow the rules!
Tips to remember for Coupons:
1. Always try to match up your coupons with store sales.
2. Try to use your coupons where and when they will save you the most.
3. Often using your coupons on the smallest size available and buying several will save you more than getting the larger size. Compare prices based on ounces or other measurements of your products.
4. Look for double or triple coupons at your stores.
5. Try to get extra coupons when you know it is for an item you use regularly. Ask others to save their coupons for you or find someone to trade coupons with.
6. Make sure to follow all the rules when it comes to your coupons. You can save plenty of money without “cheating”.
7. Look for “store” coupons. You can often combine these with your manufacturer coupons. But make sure you know the difference-you cannot use two manufacturer coupons on one product. (These say “manufacturer coupon” on the top.)
8. Always watch carefully as you are being rung up to make sure all your coupons go through. Sometimes coupons are missed when the cashier is scanning them costing you more money.
9. Always check your receipt. Along with missed coupons, make sure you are not being overcharged for your items. A lot of states have a scan right policy where you will get the item free or your money back if the item scans at the wrong price.
Rebate Apps
I used to send in for a lot of manufacturer rebates. While you can still do this, there are fewer out there now. But there are now rebate apps which make it even easier. You can sign up for these apps and check to see if they have any items you plan on buying before you go to the store. When you are done shopping, you usually just have to scan your receipt and maybe the item’s bar-code and the app will give you cash back! You can use apps like: Ibotta, Checkout 51, or Fetch to save on groceries. Click the links here or look for them in your app store.
Start Saving!
These are the most basic steps to start saving more when you shop for groceries. Use one or more of these tips and you WILL start saving money. Add all of these together and you can start seeing your bill go down by as much as 40%- 50%! As with anything new, it will take practice to get these new techniques down, but you can do it!
