How to Reduce a Grocery Bill
Our weekly grocery shopping routine can be one of the best ways to save hard-earned dollars. All it takes is some planning, a little forecast, a sharp eye for sales, discounts and other money-saving opportunities. Here's how to do it.
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Things You'll Need
- Sunday paper ads and coupons
- Junk mail
- Zip-top plastic bags
- A sharp eye
Instructions
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Only Sale Items, Please
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Always check the Sunday paper for ads, coupons, flyers and brochures that tell you where the sale items are. If commercial junk mail reaches your mailbox, check it out for discount and cents-off coupons on grocery items you're about to replenish.
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No one store will have discounts for everything you need, so plan your shopping route to cover different stores for different bargains. The liquor store will surely have marked down wines, the drugstore always discounts toiletries and the local bakery should have the cheapest breads.
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Be aware of seasonal sales and price slashes, especially on fruits, vegetables and fresh produce. Enjoy the harvest of the season while the supply is plentiful and the prices are low.
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Consider buying sale items in bulk. You will always need paper products and canned food, so stocking up when prices are low could be cost-effective. Buy wholesale portions and store them (like cleaning products and bottled water), repack them into convenient refillable containers (like shampoo and cereal) or freeze them for later use (like ground beef and broccoli).
Skip the Pre-Processed and Ready-To-Go Food
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Head for the deli corner, meat block section and bakery counter and have your meats, cheeses and breads sliced for you because they will be cheaper than the pre-packed versions found in the regular aisles.
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Cut your own greens and salad ingredients instead of buying pre-cut and pre-arranged salad plates. Wash, peel and slice fruits and vegetables yourself. If you have the time and manpower, why pay premium dollar for pre-packaged and prepared appetizers, sandwiches and other foodstuff?
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Instead of buying premium-packed frozen pancakes, waffles, mini-pizzas and garlic bread, fix them yourself and freeze some for future use.
Watch Out for Money-Saving Gimmicks
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Get a store membership card. Many groceries and supermarkets give out free membership cards that offer special discounts, rebates, rewards, gifts and "chance to win" promotions. With regular use, even modest discounts eventually add up to big savings.
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Read the promotional tags. Supermarkets always run various promos like store coupons for instant discounts, markdowns on related products and buy-one-get-one specials. Manufacturers also give buyers bonus quantities, free promotional items and mail-in rebates. Saving dollars is just a matter of taking advantage of these offers.
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Pay attention to seasonal sale posters. Vendors compete with each other especially during holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July and Memorial Day. Check out who is giving the biggest discounts for the items you usually purchase during those holidays.
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Tips & Warnings
Retail is more expensive than wholesale because of the extra per-unit packaging. "Family size" is always cheaper.
For accurate comparison of competing brands, always check the "per unit" cost.
Preparing your own salads, appetizers and sliced fruits reassures you that your food is fresh and free from contamination that could occur on pre-processed foodstuff.
Resist impulse buying. Budget your grocery shopping and stick to your list.
When buying perishable items in bulk, take into account your rate of consumption against the product's shelf life. You may be saving dollars at the counter, but losing them again when you have to throw away spoiled or expired goods.
Resources
- Photo Credit Photo by Ruby Bayan.
