Tips to Help You Save While Grocery Shopping
With just about everyone struggling in today’s economy. The challenge to save money is the number one concern for many Americans. It is easy to stop buying something or to give up on your luxuries, but when it comes to putting gas in your car, paying the light bill or even buying groceries you find yourself letting go of that hard earned cash.
If you shop wisely you will find that it is not necessary to give up the foods you love in order to save money. I have compiled a list of ideas to help you spend less while possibly buying more. These ideas are ways my family and myself have adapted in our life to save money and I know that they will help you to. You can follow this article word for word or just pick out the ideas that will fit your lifestyle. I feel confident there is a tip or two for everyone.
First thing you need to know is that all grocery stores are designed and setup in such a way that they will entice you to spend your money on things you really do not need. You want to make sure that you never go shopping on an empty stomach. Studies show that if you go in to the store hungry you will spend much more than necessary. Next you want to map out the stores that you plan on shopping at. Spend a few days learning what stores have the best price on meats, produce, bakery, deli etc. You will find that while one store has bargain prices on meats, they will be over priced on your other items. While you shop the first month you will want to pay close attention to when you store runs sales. Every grocery store runs specials during certain times of the month. They will usually do this during their slow periods. It is advantageous to you to find out when they run these special. The next thing you want to do is visit an online coupon website and pick the coupons of foods you already buy. Do not use coupons for things you think you want, otherwise you are defeating the purpose of the coupons. You can then use the coupons during the days your store runs their specials. Also check with the store manager and see if they run a double or even triple coupon day. This is another tactic grocery stores do to boost sales during the slow times of the week. If it is possible, time your coupon use along with a double coupon day that is also running a sale, you will be amazed at the savings. It is very likely that you will experience a forty to sixty percent saving during that week. Another tip is to never buy items from the middle of the shelves. This is because all the high priced items are place at eye level.
Remember at the beginning of the article I said the store is designed to take your money. They spend a lot of time figuring out where to put things and the lay out is one of the way to make money for the grocery stores. Always try to buy the items from the top or bottom shelving. You will want to buy items like ketchup, mustard, cereal and most other items that you consume a lot of in bulk. There is much to save by simply buying in bulk once a month and then repackage the items for daily or weekly use. Finally, make sure you comparison shop, especially when you are using coupons. Sometimes you may think your getting a great deal, but if you compare a store brand item with the brand item, you may find that the store brand is still cheaper than the brand even with the use of the coupon. Make sure you figure the price out by the ounce, lbs. or units. Sometimes you will find that the packaging can be deceiving. By breaking the pricing down this way the cheaper costing items is not always what it appears to be.
Here is a recap for you to follow and develop you new found shopping skills.
1. Find out what store has the best priced meats, produce and dairy.
2. Find out when they run specials and also offer double or triple coupon days.
3. Go to coupon websites and print the coupons you need.
4. Find a store to buy your bulk items once a month.
5. Only shop on a full stomach.
6. Look up or down and never in the center when buying your items.
7. Only buy what you need, when you need it.
After a couple of months you will start to see patterns in your shopping. You will find that you should buy your meats from one store and your produce from another. You will also find that buying in bulk and repackaging will save you time and money. At first you might think this is a lot of work, but when you start to realize the savings it will become a fun and enjoyable process.
