Groceries

One of the best ways to get ahead financially is to know how to shop smart, without diminishing your lifestyle.

Reduce your costs at the grocery store simply and easily each week with these tips:

Clip Those Coupons.

Sift through your Sunday newspaper, magazines and circulars, or download and print coupons from Internet coupon banks. Make sure that the coupons you clip or print are for items that you would be likely to buy, even if you didn't have a coupon. Some Internet coupon sites allow you to print only the coupons you know you'll use. You simply place a checkmark near the coupons you like and print them before you go to the store. Whichever coupon method you choose, make sure to keep your coupons organized with an inexpensive coupon organizer so you aren't spending a lot of time at checkout sifting through coupons.

Luxury versus Necessity.

Determine what constitutes necessity as opposed to luxury. A bottle of shampoo is a necessity. An expensive salon styling hold gel is a luxury. If there are luxury items you love, price them at various online retailers and order from the site that offers the product at the most significant discount. Use a coupon code, too, if at all possible.

Reuse and Reduce.

Try to eliminate disposable containers as much as possible. And think about ways you can reduce the quantity of an item that you use. For example, my family pours a great deal of cereal, and we used to leave a good deal of it in the bowl. Teach your children to pour just a bit into the bowl, and assure them they can always go back for more. Try diluting fruit juices, as well.

Get the Family Involved.

Your family members may be more excited about helping in the process of reducing the family grocery budget if there's a common goal. Let them know what those pinched pennies will be used for, whether it's a Disney vacation or a contribution to their college fund. Or maybe you are cutting back at the store so the family will be able to enjoy other amenities, such as premium cable channels, and high-speed Internet connections. When everyone is informed of the reasons for cutting back, they are more likely to be supportive, and to help out in little ways. Make sure to ask your family members for their own money-saving ideas, too. Work on coming to an agreement as a family as to which products you can do without, and which you absolutely must have.

Flexibility.

Do not be afraid to try different products and brands. You may have been loyal to one brand of laundry detergent over the years, but many soaps and detergents contain the same ingredients, and most detergents will get your clothes clean. Consider selecting lower-priced store brand items more often.

Specials and Discounts.

Check with various grocers in the area for double coupon days and special discounts. Some supermarkets offer "buy one, get one free" sales on many items such cold cereals, breads, soft drinks and more. Just make sure you aren't buying in quantities larger than your family can consume. Browse through the discount rack for non-perishables and slightly damaged packages such as cosmetics, deodorants, mouthwashes and toothpastes. And look for after-holiday specials on meats such as turkeys and hams.

Eat Before You Go.

There are so many impulse items available, and grocers know our weaknesses. Candy, potato chips and other junk foods are much easier to resist when your stomach isn't rumbling.

When Shopping with Kids, Remember that "No" is a Complete Sentence.

While purchasing the "I want" items may save temper tantrums and sulking fits all the way home, it will not help your pocketbook. Once you begin to practice being firm on a continuing basis, those episodes will decrease.

Grocery List.

Make a list of the items you need and try to stick to it as much as possible. Bringing a list with you while you are at the grocery store will help keep you centered and focused.

Household Hints.

Become familiar with various household tricks and tips. For instance, you would be surprised how many uses there are for vinegar, baking soda, lemons and salt. Rubbing salt inside the cavity of a chicken before cooking will keep it moist, and a solution of white vinegar mixed with water can be used to clean your coffeepot. (Just remember to run a few cycles of cold water through it afterwards to rinse.) Lemon juice and baking soda can be used to clean your sink drain. Even old aluminum foil pieces can be crumbled up and used to scrub barbecue grills in place of scouring pads.

About the Author: Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com, which features lots more ideas on saving money on groceries, including a source for printable grocery coupons, as well as the latest online coupon codes.

 

Tips

 

 Tip # 1  - Be careful when shopping at grocery stores that require a membership card to get items for their special 'SALE' price, which is just about most of them these days.  Especially when new cashiers are in training, they just simply forget to run it through.  I've never had a problem before now but twice in the last 6 weeks I've had to ask the cashier to refigure my bill because the card didn't go through and they charged me full price for everything!  (This was especially bad since 75% or more of everything in my cart is usually on sale, not just one or two items.)  And yes, it is inconvenient to ask for the refunds and wait for the total to be figured, but both trips resulted in a membership card credit of about $17.00 each!  On the second trip, I had even asked the clerk to check the receipt because I saw an item wring up at full price, she checked it and said, "yes it's there."  But when I got home (always check your receipt before leaving the store, which I usually do!), I put the groceries away and was looking at the receipt and saw I had been charged full price for everything.  Back to the store I went (don't worry, it's very close to my house!).  I tried to be really nice and so did the store manager but I could tell she was not thrilled at having to refigure the bill and give me a cash credit.  I'll do whatever I can to make sure this doesn't happen again, and will never leave this particular grocery store without checking my receipt first, but good grief!  Super Wal-mart is looking better and better to me all the time, and they not only take coupons, they price match too!!! 

(Editor's Update:  It happened again--the cashier did not scan my grocery store "saving card!"  This time, the grand total of my refund was over $28!!!  And no, I'm not giving up on this store, they have the best prices in town... everyone makes mistakes.  These are particularly frustrating mistakes, but I can handle it, I have four children and this is nothing!) 

 Tip # 2  - This may be a surprise to you (it certainly was to me), but grocery clerks do not always know their own store's coupon guidelines!  Recently, I had some special store coupons I wanted to use with matching manufacturer's coupons.  Since I was fairly new to this store I stopped by the customer service desk first to make sure it was okay to do this.  With no employees attending the desk, a cashier happened to be walking by and asked if I needed assistance.  I asked her about the coupons and she said "No, you can only use one coupon per item!"  Later, as another cashier was ringing up my groceries I mentioned it to her and told her I thought it was okay to use a store coupon with a manufacturer's coupon, and she said "Yes, it is!"  And, I would say in MOST cases it's going to be okay... a store coupon is not the same as a manufacturer's coupon, it's really just their own sale price!  However, if you want to make sure your store will honor both coupons at the same time before you try it, just be sure you speak directly to the manager! 

 Tip # 3  - If you have time (or even if you don't) you can also create a price log in a small notebook to record the best price of your favorite products at each store, as well as the coupons you receive throughout the year. This will help you learn the sale trends and know what the best grocery bargains really are. Here's our FREE Printable Price Log to help you get started!   

 Tip # 4  - When items are on a buy-2 for one-price sale, such as 2 boxes of cereal for $4.00, it is usually not necessary to buy two to get the sale price. If you use the item regularly and will need to buy more before they go on sale again (possibly in just a few weeks) go ahead and buy as many as you need.  And save even more by matching the sale with a coupon!  But if you only need one box of cereal, or whatever the item is, then just buy one. The money you save by not purchasing that second item (just because it’s on sale) may be needed for something else that you might need more, such as milk, bread, produce, chicken, fish or meat. 

 Tip # 5  - When matching sales with coupons, the same rule applies; sometimes it’s better to just buy one sale item instead of the two or more the store is hoping you’ll pick up. And if you have two coupons it’s okay to use both on a buy-2 for one-price sale, because you are purchasing two items!  It might even be worth purchasing an extra Sunday newspaper to get a duplicate set of coupons; if a certain week has a lot of great coupons for products that you use often!

 Tip # 6  - Double coupon offers are great but in our local area we currently have only one store that offers double coupons--and only up to 65 cents--and, they are also one of the more expensive grocery stores.  The double coupons are nice, but then when you buy grocery items that generally do not have coupons (such as milk, bread, meat, produce, etc...) you will more than pay for that double coupon savings.  So, if your "double coupon" store is similar to ours (i.e. on the high-end) use the coupons on their sale items when you have time and purchase everything else at a lower priced store of your choice.

 Tip # 7  - One of the best ways to save more money with grocery coupons is to match them with items that are already on sale. Look through your weekly grocery store sale flyers (they are often first published in the Wednesday newspaper and are also available at the front of the store for free) to find matching items that you'd like to purchase. If you don't have time to look through the weekly sale flyers just clip your coupons from the Sunday paper and match as you go! 

 Tip # 8  - Grocery stores generally do not list everything they have on sale in their weekly sale flyers (though I’m hoping some day they will start!), so, while matching your grocery coupons to the store flyers is a huge help, there will also be some additional sales you may want to match with. You have two options here, simply bring your coupon organizer with you to the store each week, OR, clip the coupons from the Sunday paper and take all of them (that you care to use) to the store. Your coupons will most often match with sale items during the grocery store’s current sale for that week!

 Tip # 9  - Another way to maximize your savings while matching coupons with weekly sales is to shop at more than one grocery store. Since the stores do not run the same sales each week, you can often double your savings just by shopping at two stores instead of one. Now I'm not suggesting that you drive all the way across town to save a few more dollars, especially with the high cost of gas, but if the stores are close to each other or you can combine your grocery shopping errands with other trips, it may not cost you any extra in gas. And, if you've been using my Coupon Savings tips you already know that we're saving a lot more than just a few dollars! ;o)

 Tip # 10  - If you're unable to shop at more than one grocery store each week to maximize your coupon savings (or if the stores in your area are too far apart, considering the extra cost of gas) just be sure to shop at a store that offers price matching. Let's say you have some great coupons for several items that are only on sale at the 'other store.' By asking for a price match, you'll not only get the best sale prices for both stores (without having to make a second trip), but you'll also be able to match those sale prices with your coupons!

 Tip # 11  - When the end of the month is drawing near I always like to take a quick look through my coupons for any that might be expiring soon. Manufacturers set many of their coupons to expire on either the first or last day of the month, so keep an eye out for both dates and take any that you need to the store this week; before they expire!

 Tip # 12  - Many grocery items remain on sale for much longer than a week, giving you plenty of time to match them with coupons or even do a little stocking up without coupons.  So check the sale dates (they are usually located right on the shelf sale tag) to decide whether you need to purchase the items this week, or if they can wait. 

 Tip # 13  - Waiting to purchase these items that are on extended sale will also help you avoid over-stockpiling and keep your weekly grocery budget in check.  And, by postponing the purchase you may find that you don’t even need the items that are on sale!

 Tip # 14  - Groceries are not the only items that have coupons!  Carefully look through those department store inserts in your Sunday newspapers and you’re likely to find some great offers, especially during the holiday season. This past week we received 2 coupons for a $10 ToysRus gift card (with a $75 purchase), a $10 JCPenney men’s wear coupon (with a $50 purchase), a $5 coupon for Bed Bath & Beyond (with a $15 purchase), a $10 coupon for Belk (with a $10 purchase), and a 50% off coupon for any one regular priced item at Michael’s craft store! 

 Tip # 15  - Holiday sales are great for using up coupons and picking up extra items for your local food bank or a neighbor who's in need.  If you don't have a local food bank you can contact your area churches, Rescue Mission, Salvation Army or the American Red Cross, any of these non-profit organizations can give you more information on how you can help and what grocery items are needed the most.