How to Save Money Using Multiple Grocery Stores

With the high cost of gas, you have probably noticed that the price of food has risen, as well. This is partly due to the increased transportation costs. However, there are ways to save money at the grocery store.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Microsoft Excel (or another spreadsheet program)
• Local grocery store flyers
• Newspaper inserts with grocery coupons
• Internet access

Do Your Research

1. Keep a list of the grocery stores where you shop. Each Thursday they will ususally release their circulars with that week's prices. Make sure you collect these on Thursday to start your preparation for a weekend shopping trip.

2. Prepare a spreadsheet on your computer. This should include the grocery store names on the top row and the items you normally purchase at the grocery store down the side of the spreadsheet.

3. Each week list the sale prices that you find for these items. If you do not see an item on sale at any of the grocery stores in your area leave that row next to the item's name blank. Save the spreadsheet with the date that you do your grocery shopping that week; for most of us that is either a Saturday or Sunday.

4. On the row of each item on the spreadsheet, list any coupons that you have collected from your local newspaper's inserts for discounts on that item. This way you know which items you have coupons for and won't forget to use them.

Comparing Prices In the First Month

5. During the first month you will have less information to use to your advantage. In general you will be looking at the prices on that week's spreadsheet and choosing which grocery store to shop from.

6. For each item in your spreadsheet, highlight the box in green for the grocery store that has the cheapest price. Put the number of green boxes you have for each grocery store in parentheses next to the grocery store name for that week.

7. View your spreadsheet and see which grocery store has the lowest prices on the largest number of items in your spreadsheet. If two grocery stores have a similar total you might want to see if one has bigger bargains than the other instead of just comparing the quantity of bargains.

8. Shop at the grocery store with the most number of bargains if your time is limited.

9. If you have time to visit multiple grocery stores, bring your spreadsheet with you to the grocery store. Only buy the items that are highlighted in green at that grocery store; do not purchase those items at a different grocery store.

Advanced Comparison Shopping After A Month

10. Note trends that develop in certain grocery stores. Ask yourself which grocery store usually has the best sales on produce, frozen foods, meat/poultry/seafood and other items you typically purchase.

11. Based on your spreadsheets, not the sales each grocery store has on certain types of groceries. This is where the advanced part comes in. Start stocking up on those specific items that week. Keep in mind that if you bought them any other week they would cost more, so it saves you money to stock up a surplus of that item that can last a month.

12. Sign up for a coupon tracking service such as thegrocerygame.com. This site will track what coupons have recently been issued in newspaper insets and what date they were issued. Take note of any coupons for items that you buy regularly.

13. Once you know the coupons you need either visit a coupon trading Web site or a site that sells coupons online such as eBay. Look to purchase just the coupons that you need. There are people on eBay that will sell coupons in groups of 10-25 for a single item on a regular basis.

14. Purchase the coupons you'll need in the upcoming two to four weeks, paying attention to expiration dates. This way you will save money by purchasing items from the store that offers the lowest price and get an additional savings by using coupons.

Tips & Warnings

• Some services such as thegrocerygame.com sometimes offer resources to help you create your own spreadsheets for tracking.
• Visit your local grocery store once or twice a week in the evenings and go to the meat department. You will find that many times grocery stores will reduce the price on excess meat by $2 a day or two before the next sales circular comes out. These sales are not published and usually occur on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings.
• If you are buying perishable items that are deeply discounted, check their condition closely. No sale price is worth spending a night in the hospital stricken with food-borne illness.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• How to Lose 30+lbs Guaranteed. Try it Free.

[shilohdream]

on 8/29/2008 Well all these suggestions are maaaavelous! except my family consumes papertowels, toilet paper, sodas, water, cleaning agents, lysol spray and bread and I don't have a car. It's just me and my two elderly parents but we consume a lot of these products because my dad sweats a lot due to medication. HE's 85. Help.