Are you tired of spending a fortune on groceries? Really you should know that you can easily save $100 on food within the next month with mastering only a few savings tips:
1. Get a store loyalty card. Most of the promotions offered in major grocery chains are only available at the lower price to club members.
2. Buy only what is on sale. It is just that simple to save. Grocery store sales are generally in the 25-50% range. Buy only what is on sale and reduce your bill by up to 50%.
3. Study the sales flier before you go. Take the time to figure out what is really on sale and which items are at regular price or above. Usually you will find the weeks loss-leaders either on the front or back pages of the flier, so look there first for the best deals.
4. Use supermarket coupons. Clip and use grocery coupons on every shopping trip. You guessed it, discount food coupons are absolutely the fastest way to save on the products you buy the most often. Clip and save, then clip some more.
5. Have a coupon for every item in your shopping cart. Coupons save money, the more discounts the better. Do the math to be sure you are getting a good deal when using a coupon by comparing unit prices. Most often you will find that the price is right.
6. Use your coupons at a double or triple coupon store. Prices at double coupon stores are generally only a bit higher than in discount grocery stores. When shopping with a large number of coupons, hit the double coupon store where your savings will be the greatest. Of course this strategy assumes that you have a coupon for nearly every item in your shopping cart to compensate for the slightly increased prices. If not, go on to tip #7.
7. If the cheapest grocery store in town does not double coupons, shop there for everything besides your coupon purchases. No doubt about it, shopping in more than one grocery store for sale items is the best way to widen your choices and still get the discounted sale price. If you are not using double coupons then hit the cheaper store. It's worth the savings to shop in more than on store when sales are good and time permits.
8. Maximize savings by combining double or triple coupons with store sales. This is where the savings are the best. Quite often you will find free items when using this strategy.
9. Max out purchases when items are free or close to it. When you find a free item stock up. Free is good!
10. Look for markdowns when shopping, especially in the bakery and meat departments. I have found London broil for $1.00 a pound, lunch meat at $1.00 and bakery bagels for $1.00 for 8. Markdowns can save you a fortune. Either use short dated items right away or freeze as soon as you get home to avoid spoilage.
If you start using the 10 money saving strategies above I am absolutely certain that you will save much more than $100 in the next month. There are easily several hundred dollars a month savings in just the first two tips alone. That said savings strategies are individual preferences. What works for me will not necessarily work for you, hence the 10 tips for saving $100 on groceries next month. Pick and choose which strategies will work best for you, then get saving!
Showing posts with label grocery shopping strategies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grocery shopping strategies. Show all posts
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
10 for 10 Grocery Sales: When NOT to Buy!
Yesterday we talked about what a good deal 10 for $10 grocery sales are. It is true that 10 for 10 grocery promotions are USUALLY a good deal. The more I thought on yesterday's post, the more I realized that I had been a bit remiss in telling the whole story.
In truth, there are a few situations that your may want to pass on the 10 for 10 grocery sales that are becoming the norm lately. Let’s look at those reasons today:
1. When the deal is not a deal. We have all seen sales where the prices are anything but a bargain. 10 for 10 sales are no different, sometimes the prices are a value, sometimes not. Once in a very great while you will find the odd product or two that is priced either at or above regular retail pricing. Unless you have a double coupon, you may want to pass.
2. You already have a full pantry. Yes, it is true. You may have become such a savvy shopper that you already have a pantry full of bargains at home. If you do, then pass, waste will escalate spending far faster than either poor shopping skills or running out of bargains before the next sale.
3. You have never tried the product before.If you are unsure of the quality of the product offered, then pass. Do a taste test to check both flavor and quality before stocking up. Again, sales and bargains are great; however waste will torpedo your best intentions for scaling back expenses.
4. You will not use the product. Yeah, the item is on sale and the price is right, but if you won’t use it, don’t buy it!
As you can see from the above, the concerns are not many. If the price is right and you will use the item without waste then go for it! If you already have enough on hand, the price is too high or you are not sure of the quality of the product then even the 10 for $10 grocery sales and promotions can be a bad buy.
In truth, there are a few situations that your may want to pass on the 10 for 10 grocery sales that are becoming the norm lately. Let’s look at those reasons today:
1. When the deal is not a deal. We have all seen sales where the prices are anything but a bargain. 10 for 10 sales are no different, sometimes the prices are a value, sometimes not. Once in a very great while you will find the odd product or two that is priced either at or above regular retail pricing. Unless you have a double coupon, you may want to pass.
2. You already have a full pantry. Yes, it is true. You may have become such a savvy shopper that you already have a pantry full of bargains at home. If you do, then pass, waste will escalate spending far faster than either poor shopping skills or running out of bargains before the next sale.
3. You have never tried the product before.If you are unsure of the quality of the product offered, then pass. Do a taste test to check both flavor and quality before stocking up. Again, sales and bargains are great; however waste will torpedo your best intentions for scaling back expenses.
4. You will not use the product. Yeah, the item is on sale and the price is right, but if you won’t use it, don’t buy it!
As you can see from the above, the concerns are not many. If the price is right and you will use the item without waste then go for it! If you already have enough on hand, the price is too high or you are not sure of the quality of the product then even the 10 for $10 grocery sales and promotions can be a bad buy.
Monday, March 9, 2009
4 Simple Grocery Shopping Secrets
Are you tired of watching the price of food go up and up? The experts may be saying that grocery prices are relatively steady, but anyone who shops knows otherwise. The economy is still sliding daily and most of us just want to know that our lifestyle is secure. How to accomplish this task is as seemingly monumental as the answer is simple…spend less and save more. With your grocery bill being one of the very few expenses that is not fixed in your budget, trimming what you spend on groceries is likely to free up some cash for you to save.
Here are 4 simple budget trimming grocery shopping strategies you may not have thought of:
1. Shop around. Experts will tell you to write down the prices of local retailers to learn where the cheapest price in town is for the items you use most often. If you don’t have the time to go that far, just keep an eye on the prices as you shop and start to notice which store has the best price.
2. Know that the warehouse stores like Sam’s and Costco generally have fair prices but are not always the lowest price in town. Don’t get me wrong, I love these stores and shop there myself. I caution you to be selective, because not every item is a good value. It is easy to spend more than you planned on when you shop in this type of store. Check your unit prices to make sure you are getting a good price.
3. Fresh Produce is not always best. While I’m not a big fan of canned produce, there have been recent studies to suggest that nutrition does not suffer much over fresh. I keep a few cans on hand to avoid extra trips to the store, and then stock my freezer with organic frozen produce. Frozen organic vegetables are usually a lot less expensive than the non-organic fresh vegetables. Better nutrition at a lower price is a value in my book.
4. Free coupons are easily printed online. Free coupons are everywhere online, so there is never a good reason to pay full price for anything. Most families will find that selective couponing can reduce their grocery expenses by 10-25% with very little effort. Go for high face value coupons and take a few minutes to print online before you head to the grocery store.
Just four simple grocery shopping strategies can save you thousands of dollars a year. Who knew that reducing grocery spending was so simple?
Here are 4 simple budget trimming grocery shopping strategies you may not have thought of:
1. Shop around. Experts will tell you to write down the prices of local retailers to learn where the cheapest price in town is for the items you use most often. If you don’t have the time to go that far, just keep an eye on the prices as you shop and start to notice which store has the best price.
2. Know that the warehouse stores like Sam’s and Costco generally have fair prices but are not always the lowest price in town. Don’t get me wrong, I love these stores and shop there myself. I caution you to be selective, because not every item is a good value. It is easy to spend more than you planned on when you shop in this type of store. Check your unit prices to make sure you are getting a good price.
3. Fresh Produce is not always best. While I’m not a big fan of canned produce, there have been recent studies to suggest that nutrition does not suffer much over fresh. I keep a few cans on hand to avoid extra trips to the store, and then stock my freezer with organic frozen produce. Frozen organic vegetables are usually a lot less expensive than the non-organic fresh vegetables. Better nutrition at a lower price is a value in my book.
4. Free coupons are easily printed online. Free coupons are everywhere online, so there is never a good reason to pay full price for anything. Most families will find that selective couponing can reduce their grocery expenses by 10-25% with very little effort. Go for high face value coupons and take a few minutes to print online before you head to the grocery store.
Just four simple grocery shopping strategies can save you thousands of dollars a year. Who knew that reducing grocery spending was so simple?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Subscribe To Use Supermarket Coupons
Posts
All Comments