Things You'll Need:
- Car
- Notebook/pencil
- Scissors
- Coupons
- Computer(Optional)
- Printer(Optional)
- Folder/envelope
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Step 1
To save the most money and get the most out of your shopping experience, you need to make a list in a columned format of the items you buy frequently at the grocery store. Make sure that you leave room next to each item to write down prices.
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Step 2
Visit three to four different grocery stores that carry the items you purchase most often (ie. bread, soda, milk, cereal, toilet paper, etc.). Find out what each store' s policy is on taking coupons, doubling coupons, and using more than one (different) coupon at a time. Make a note of what you find out on your list. As you visit each store write down the prices of the items on your pre-made list.
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Step 3
You are going to notice a pattern. One or maybe two grocery stores are going to be cheaper on most of the items you purchase. But you also have to factor in the coupons. So, if they have cheaper everyday prices, but they don't take coupons, you may want to go to that store on weeks you don't have any coupons.
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Step 4
Make sure that you compare prices per ounce/unit/sheet. If a large jar of applesauce is 24 oz. and sells for $2.55 it is not cheaper than the six pack of applesauce that is 4 oz each and sells for $2.25. You can not assume that the bigger package is the better value. You have to do the math on everything. I always carry a calculator in my purse and compare the prices per unit/ounce/pound.
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Step 5
Now, you also have to factor gas into the equation. If there is a grocery store that is a lot farther away with good prices, it might not pay to go there if you have to use too much gas to get there. I often go to one grocery store for the majority of my groceries and then another for a few items they sell much cheaper, but both stores are within 10 minutes of me, so it's not a hardship to go to both.
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Step 6
Don't assume that a big "box" store is going to be cheaper. I purchase a lot of organic and gluten-free products. I compared prices at Wild oats (a natural/organic grocery store), Kroger's, and Bigg's. Surprisingly the best prices for the items my family purchases most often was at Kroger's. The selection and pricing for organic produce at that store was significantly cheaper. You need to keep checking for new stores coming to your area as well. For instance, when Whole foods market bought out Wild oats here in our town, the prices went down significantly on many items. I now purchase items at both Krogers and Whole foods.
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Step 7
If you get the Sunday paper, most of them have a coupon section with the ads. It is a great free way to get discounts on items you purchase all the time. I go through and cut out the coupons we use and then put them all in a little envelope that I take out when I am making my grocery list. Another great way to get coupons is on-line. There are several great on-line resources for coupons that you can print out on your home computer. Manufacturers often have rebates listed on their web sites as well. It really pays to send them in.
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Step 8
Once you know which store you are going to go use, and you have your list and coupons ready, make a layout of the store and list your grocery items on it accordingly. I know it seems like a waste of time, but if you go only to the aisles you need groceries in and go through the store quickly, you are much less likely to purchase impulse items. Impulse purchases are the number one breaker of grocery budgets, so do everything you can to keep to your list, and always make sure you have a list with you every time you go to the store!
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Step 9
If you do the preparation of comparing prices and stores, cutting the coupons, and preparing your list and layout of the store, you will be amazed at how much money you save each month purchasing your groceries!
