As a child growing up, I remember going to the grocery store with my mom. As a single parent she had to watch every penny, nickle and dime. Trying to get the best deal for her money. We used to walk through the store and she would explain to me why she was choosing one item over another. Why she bought that box of cereal over the one I had seen advertised on TV with that cool little leprechaun and his pot of gold.
Now that I am a stay at home mom, I have to watch our grocery budget like a hawk. Trying not to go over budget but still get all the things we need to get through the time ahead. With rising costs at the grocery store, but with a stagnent salary coming in, I still live by the rules my mom taught me as a child, but with an even better selection than was available when I was young.
Here's what I do to save some money at the grocery store.
1. Check your local stores sale ads (most stores now put there ads online too!). Base your menu (#2) on what you find on sale that week at your store!
2. Make up a menu. However often you want to go to the store, set up a menu for that amount of time. Once a week, twice a month, once a month. Set up a menu for that amount of time, making sure to cover all meals and snacks that you will prepare for that time.
3. Make a shopping list (based on your menu) before you leave the house. If you have a list of what you need, you are less inclined to buy things that aren't on the list.
4. Eat before you go to the store. When you are hungry you are more likely to make that impulse buy at the store because you have an empty stomach.
5. Clip coupons from your local paper. BUT, do not buy something JUST because you have a coupon for it. If you need that item, great, buy it. But if you don't need it, leave it on the shelf.
6. I'll let you in on a grocery store secret. Shhh. Ready? Most store brand products are made by the companies that make the name brand stuff. But without the advertising and fancy packaging the store brand USUALLY costs less! When was the last time you saw a commercial for your local grocery stores store brand product? Yes, there are a few. But compare that with the number of times you see commercials for the name brand products. All that advertising has to be paid for by someone... the consumer. You.
7. Look for the deals. Did you know that the brand name companies actually pay to have their items in certain locations (the most popular being right at eye level) in the store? Yes they do. Premium spots cost premium bucks too. And the consumer ends up paying the price. Look on the high and low shelves for the better bargains for your buck.
8. Look at price AND weight on the product you are buying. That 12 oz. package of pasta may be on sale for $1.00 per package but hiding on the shelf below is a 24 oz package of the same thing for $1.25. (Some stores have the price per ounce on the price label... at our store the regular size jar of peanut butter is .254 per oz but the large jar of peanut butter (2 lb) is .174 per oz. I get the large one, it lasts longer and saves us money).
9. Check to see if your store honors the buy 2 for $2.00 even if you only get 1 of the product. Our store does. So if I see a buy 10 for $5.00 but I only need 5, I only pay $2.50. I still get the sale price even though I am not buying all 10.
10. Lets talk cereal! You know those boxes of cereal you buy? Look at all the packaging, that is all included in the cost of the cereal. Do you see the bags of cereal down there? Yup, less packaging, USUALLY, less expensive. They also come in store brands at some places. Always compare the price and weight to the boxes but in most cases, the bag of cereal is going to cost less. Invest in some kitchen storage containers for ease of pouring once you get home.
11. Meats. If you have completed #1, you will know what meats are on sale and if you have finished #2, you know exactly how much you need. Here's where I'm going to go out and say, if the sale is REALLY good, buy extra and put it in the freezer for use later (comes in handy when you come across a week when few meats are on sale). I love finding chicken for 78 or 88 cents a pound... I stock up my freezer.
12. Baking supplies. Instead of buying that package of "just add water" brownies or something similar, find a few recipes online or in a cookbook. You can easily make these things from scratch (my husband loves my brownies, they don't have the glossy top like the ones from the package but they also don't have any yucky ingredients).
13. Skip on the pre-packaged and processed "convenience" foods. There are MANY ways to cook from scratch and achieve awesome results in 30 minutes or less of cooking time. Most pre-packaged foods are going to require 15-30 minutes anyway. There are so many resources on the web now for recipes that are wholesome and nutritious and take only a little time and effort to prepare.
14. Forgo the soda and drink more water. It is also better for your skin, hair and health.
15. Get a store card. You know those little things that hang on your key chain? They can save you a bundle of dough (mine saved me $54.00 yesterday when I did my monthly shopping trip). BUT, always comparison shop! Just because something is discounted on the card does NOT mean it is the least expensive item!
16. Do NOT skimp on some things!!! If you REALLY prefer a brand over the generic, go for the brand. That is where I go for my cheese and mayonnaise. I have to have my Kraft cheese and my Miracle Whip. That's just my thing. BUT I save enough in other areas of the store to make up for the little extra I pay for the Kraft. Same goes for the garbage bags. I pay a little extra but have huge savings because now my bags don't break as I am taking them out of the trash can. That box of 80 bags for $5.00 might look like a good deal but when you have to use two because the bags keep breaking, you are only really getting 40 bags.
17. Look for a grocery outlet in your area. I am so excited, we JUST got a grocery outlet in my town! I cannot wait to check it out. Many of these places offer deep discounts on name brand merchandise. It's worth a try to check it out, you may run across a bargain!
That's my list and over the years it has saved us a lot of money. This rise in grocery prices hasn't effected us as much as it has others, because I have always shopped this way, and always spent less than most. We do not eat fancy but when a special occasion arises, I have that little extra to buy something special (birthdays, holidays, and my husband's request for Father's Day).
