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How To Save Money on Groceries Once You are at the Store
Okay, you made it to the grocery store with your notebook containing a
price list, grocery list, and coupons, right? Now it is time to suit up and get
ready for battle. The goal here is to get in and out as quickly as possible!
Before you go in, remember that you are armed with a grocery list, and
the temptations and tricks (listed below) of the supermarkets will not grab
a hold of you! Don't underestimate your foe! They have decades of selling
and marketing of groceries under their belt, so know they will put up a
good fight.
Saving money on food or groceries is an easy task when you are prepared
and know what to look out for! Let's get STARTED!
price list, grocery list, and coupons, right? Now it is time to suit up and get
ready for battle. The goal here is to get in and out as quickly as possible!
Before you go in, remember that you are armed with a grocery list, and
the temptations and tricks (listed below) of the supermarkets will not grab
a hold of you! Don't underestimate your foe! They have decades of selling
and marketing of groceries under their belt, so know they will put up a
good fight.
Saving money on food or groceries is an easy task when you are prepared
and know what to look out for! Let's get STARTED!
Practice the words "No Thank You": Be on guard the very second you walk into a supermarket! "Would you like to
sign-up(donate) your money for .....?" "You should check out our new ..... over here!" Marketers like to pray on new shoppers
coming into the store, so remember that your grocery list is in hand and politely say, "No thank you."
Pinch your nose: Ever wonder why grocery stores put their Bakery and Deli departments at the front of the store? Fresh
baked bread, cookies, doughnuts, cakes, chicken, and other cooked foods have a very powerful fragrance that can tempt an
unsuspecting stomach. This is the main reason you eat before shopping! (Does not mean you can't take a free sample)
Quick Reminder: If they have a "Rewards or Membership Card" program, and you are not a member yet, sign-up now before
you get started. Otherwise, you may feel overwhelmed with coupons and keeping track of prices to want to take the time to fill
out the registration form at the check-out.
Generic Vs. Name Brand: This is all about personal preference, but before you just stick with loyalty of a name brand,
compare it to the store made or generic brand. There are quite a few instances where store brands are equal too if not better
than the name brand. A few quick examples come from Kroger. Cheeze-it crackers? Kroger brand is actually cheesier! Kraft Mac &
Cheese and Kraft Salad Dressings? Kroger brands are identical in ingredients and taste! Other items, unless you are trying to
impress Chef Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen, like frozen vegetables, cooking oils, sugar, flour, and several other items, would take an
advanced taste pallet to tell the difference. Like mentioned above, it is personal preference and not all store brand or generic
brands are created equal, but can save you money when you find the right ones! Click on Generic vs. Brand Name Products or
Name Brand vs. Generic Brand for more on Generic versus Name Brand.
Buy to Cook, Not for Convenience: Prepackaged meals and foods are costly. For example, bagged salads cost
anywhere from $2 to $4, and typically spoil quickly. For the same price, you could buy the ingredients for a weeks worth of salad.
So get that old cookbook out and start making good old homemade meals. There are more examples of prepackaged foods and
meals throughout this page.
You are NOT at the Hardware Store!: Batteries, air filters, light bulbs, shoe laces, or basically any non-grocery item
are items, that 9 times out of 10, you can get elsewhere for, probably, half the price. Dollar stores, drugstores, and home
improvement stores are all places to price before buying at the supermarket.
2 for 1?: You probably always see "buy 2 get 1 free", "Buy 10 (blank) and get each (blank) for a $1", "Buy 4 for $?", etc..... Guess
what? Some people do not realize that in most cases you get the sales price for just buying 1! So keep your eye out for this one
before you overbuy a product.
High and Low: When going down the aisles, scan the entire shelf. Supermarkets and Manufacturers know how to market
products, and they know us consumers are generally lazy; so they put more expensive items or products they want to sell at eye
level. Sale items and/or good buys might be on the top or bottom shelves. So look them over.
Avoid Them: Don't go down aisles that have products not on your list. This is a waste of your time and can save you from
making an impulse buy. I know I keep saying it, but STICK TO THE LIST! Also, keep your blinders on. Even going down the aisles you
need too, there are temptations all over. Avoid them!
Buy in Bulk?: The best answer I can give you is, SOMETIMES. For sure, never buy perishables in bulk. No matter what your
intentions may be, we guarantee at least half of it will not be used. Another thing to consider is the price. Bulk items are
sometimes priced like convenience foods, high. They give you a false sense of value, when their smaller siblings are actually
cheaper per ounce, pound, quantity, etc... Then of course there is a flip side to this. When our kids were younger, they loved
Kool-Aid, and in the summer we were constantly at the grocery store buying sugar. Finally, I invested in a food grade 5 gallon
bucket, purchased 2-25 lb bags of sugar, and stored it the pantry. These 2 bags cost me around $19.00, making it around $0.38 a
pound. At the grocery store (Kroger), a pound of sugar sells for around $0.49. That was a $5.55 savings, and also saves a few
unnecessary trips to the store! ABC News has a great article on this topic.
Coupon Hunting: Keep your eyes peeled for coupons! Stores and manufactures will sometimes have a product on display with
a coupon for it. If you find one, grab it, and stash it away for the next trip (if you added to your list).
Checking Out: Don't scan or enter your alternate I.D. for your grocery store loyalty card yet! (We will explain this in a
second.) This is the last line of defense for the grocery stores; so be prepared. If you have them, use your own reusable grocery
bags. Some stores offer a discount if you do. Avoid all of the temptations hovering around the register (chocolate, magazines, chap
stick, etc...) You already have everything you need crossed off your list! Also, your eyes need to be glued to the register read-out.
Everything scanned needs to be looked at for accurate pricing. A bunch of stores have price match guarantees (which can get you
discounted to FREE merchandise!) and you can read more about this on the How to Save Money on Groceries at Kroger article. Now
that everything has scanned correctly, hand over your paper coupons FIRST, and then scan or enter your rewards card
information. This is because most stores will not double or triple "ecoupons", and also, these online coupons may overwrite your
paper coupons. In most cases, paper coupons are the better deal!
That is it! You are done! Now start planning your next trip!
sign-up(donate) your money for .....?" "You should check out our new ..... over here!" Marketers like to pray on new shoppers
coming into the store, so remember that your grocery list is in hand and politely say, "No thank you."
Pinch your nose: Ever wonder why grocery stores put their Bakery and Deli departments at the front of the store? Fresh
baked bread, cookies, doughnuts, cakes, chicken, and other cooked foods have a very powerful fragrance that can tempt an
unsuspecting stomach. This is the main reason you eat before shopping! (Does not mean you can't take a free sample)
Quick Reminder: If they have a "Rewards or Membership Card" program, and you are not a member yet, sign-up now before
you get started. Otherwise, you may feel overwhelmed with coupons and keeping track of prices to want to take the time to fill
out the registration form at the check-out.
Generic Vs. Name Brand: This is all about personal preference, but before you just stick with loyalty of a name brand,
compare it to the store made or generic brand. There are quite a few instances where store brands are equal too if not better
than the name brand. A few quick examples come from Kroger. Cheeze-it crackers? Kroger brand is actually cheesier! Kraft Mac &
Cheese and Kraft Salad Dressings? Kroger brands are identical in ingredients and taste! Other items, unless you are trying to
impress Chef Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen, like frozen vegetables, cooking oils, sugar, flour, and several other items, would take an
advanced taste pallet to tell the difference. Like mentioned above, it is personal preference and not all store brand or generic
brands are created equal, but can save you money when you find the right ones! Click on Generic vs. Brand Name Products or
Name Brand vs. Generic Brand for more on Generic versus Name Brand.
Buy to Cook, Not for Convenience: Prepackaged meals and foods are costly. For example, bagged salads cost
anywhere from $2 to $4, and typically spoil quickly. For the same price, you could buy the ingredients for a weeks worth of salad.
So get that old cookbook out and start making good old homemade meals. There are more examples of prepackaged foods and
meals throughout this page.
You are NOT at the Hardware Store!: Batteries, air filters, light bulbs, shoe laces, or basically any non-grocery item
are items, that 9 times out of 10, you can get elsewhere for, probably, half the price. Dollar stores, drugstores, and home
improvement stores are all places to price before buying at the supermarket.
2 for 1?: You probably always see "buy 2 get 1 free", "Buy 10 (blank) and get each (blank) for a $1", "Buy 4 for $?", etc..... Guess
what? Some people do not realize that in most cases you get the sales price for just buying 1! So keep your eye out for this one
before you overbuy a product.
High and Low: When going down the aisles, scan the entire shelf. Supermarkets and Manufacturers know how to market
products, and they know us consumers are generally lazy; so they put more expensive items or products they want to sell at eye
level. Sale items and/or good buys might be on the top or bottom shelves. So look them over.
Avoid Them: Don't go down aisles that have products not on your list. This is a waste of your time and can save you from
making an impulse buy. I know I keep saying it, but STICK TO THE LIST! Also, keep your blinders on. Even going down the aisles you
need too, there are temptations all over. Avoid them!
Buy in Bulk?: The best answer I can give you is, SOMETIMES. For sure, never buy perishables in bulk. No matter what your
intentions may be, we guarantee at least half of it will not be used. Another thing to consider is the price. Bulk items are
sometimes priced like convenience foods, high. They give you a false sense of value, when their smaller siblings are actually
cheaper per ounce, pound, quantity, etc... Then of course there is a flip side to this. When our kids were younger, they loved
Kool-Aid, and in the summer we were constantly at the grocery store buying sugar. Finally, I invested in a food grade 5 gallon
bucket, purchased 2-25 lb bags of sugar, and stored it the pantry. These 2 bags cost me around $19.00, making it around $0.38 a
pound. At the grocery store (Kroger), a pound of sugar sells for around $0.49. That was a $5.55 savings, and also saves a few
unnecessary trips to the store! ABC News has a great article on this topic.
Coupon Hunting: Keep your eyes peeled for coupons! Stores and manufactures will sometimes have a product on display with
a coupon for it. If you find one, grab it, and stash it away for the next trip (if you added to your list).
Checking Out: Don't scan or enter your alternate I.D. for your grocery store loyalty card yet! (We will explain this in a
second.) This is the last line of defense for the grocery stores; so be prepared. If you have them, use your own reusable grocery
bags. Some stores offer a discount if you do. Avoid all of the temptations hovering around the register (chocolate, magazines, chap
stick, etc...) You already have everything you need crossed off your list! Also, your eyes need to be glued to the register read-out.
Everything scanned needs to be looked at for accurate pricing. A bunch of stores have price match guarantees (which can get you
discounted to FREE merchandise!) and you can read more about this on the How to Save Money on Groceries at Kroger article. Now
that everything has scanned correctly, hand over your paper coupons FIRST, and then scan or enter your rewards card
information. This is because most stores will not double or triple "ecoupons", and also, these online coupons may overwrite your
paper coupons. In most cases, paper coupons are the better deal!
That is it! You are done! Now start planning your next trip!
By Christopher Foos
| If you haven't done so already, read the Getting Prepared for the Grocery Store article first. Most of your money savings come from this step! |
Quick Question: Who walks out of the grocery store with more money?
There is a woman in a red shirt with a grocery cart full of groceries, and there is a woman in a blue shirt with exactly the same items in her cart.
The woman with the red shirt uses coupons, her shopper's loyalty card, and pays cash when checking out at the register. The woman in the blue shirt
doesn't have coupons, didn't take the time to fill out the short form for the rewards card, and uses a credit card to purchase her groceries. Who has
more money?
There is a woman in a red shirt with a grocery cart full of groceries, and there is a woman in a blue shirt with exactly the same items in her cart.
The woman with the red shirt uses coupons, her shopper's loyalty card, and pays cash when checking out at the register. The woman in the blue shirt
doesn't have coupons, didn't take the time to fill out the short form for the rewards card, and uses a credit card to purchase her groceries. Who has
more money?
| Lose the Pride! If You and/or Family needs Help getting Groceries, ASK FOR IT! Click Here to get Started! |
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Ten Things Your Grocery Store
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