Saving Money At The Supermarket
By D. S. Mitchell
Old Magazines
I have a cabinet crammed full of old magazines. Every so often I pull out a handful of them and review them at my leisure. In a March 2018, “Reader’s Digest” I found an article entitled “40 Supermarket Secrets,” by Jody L. Rohlena. Jody offered some great advice to help get control of high grocery bills.
Facts And Figures
Over the last couple years my weekly grocery bills has skyrocketed. Jody’s article reassured me I am not alone. According to the Reader’s Digest article, over the past 30 years grocery expenditures have risen more than any other cost in the American budget. 25% of the increased costs can be tied to easy prep items. But, it isn’t just quick and easy that is costing us big money, there are waste factors and other issues at play. In 2018, Americans spent over $700 billion dollars on groceries. Every thing from shopping the right aisles to shopping on specific days can help reduce grocery expenses. Hopefully the ideas I have included here will help your family reduce your grocery expenses.
Size Matters
If you are at the store to do anything but your weekly shopping, take a small cart. A study by a grocery cart manufacturer showed that shoppers will buy up to 40% more stuff when they take a large cart. Yikes, that could add up quick. Strangely, another study showed that carrying a small handheld basket can also be bad for the budget and the waistline. Behavioral study researchers found that there is something about flexing your arm muscles while holding the basket that causes people to grab treats like candy and chips.
Make It Wednesday
The best time to shop is Wednesday evening. Stores are less crowded, and as a dividend, weekly specials start on Wednesdays in nearly half of U. S. grocery stores. Not all stores, but some will even honor the previous week sales and the new week’s sales on Wednesday. Definitely stay away from weekend mornings and early afternoons. These are the busiest times. Also avoid after work on weekdays. Avoiding the busiest times can save you as much as 30 minutes per trip. A more peaceful shopping trip equals less impulsive purchases.
At The Back Of The Store
Milk and bread are two items that are on nearly everyone’s shopping list. That’s why smart marketers place those items at the most distant point from the front door. Such placement forces shoppers to navigate through thousands of other products before they find what they came for. So, the lesson here is, stick to the perimeter of the store as much as possible. This little technique will cut down on impulse purchases.
Eat Seasonal
The best value in produce is fresh locally grown produce. Strawberries are usually about “30 cents cheaper per pound in June than in May,” Ms Rohlena tells us. In March, look for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and lettuce. In April add asparagus, rhubarb and peas. Year round bargains include bananas, celery and potatoes.
Loss Leaders
Loss leaders are items that stores are willing to lose money on in hope that you’ll buy a boatload of non-sale items while on your shopping tour. These great deals, usually include staple items like bread, cereal, soda, eggs and toilet paper. Load up on the loss leaders.
Fewer Trips Alone
This one should be obvious, every time you go to the grocery store you spend money. Stop it. Americans, on average, make 1.5 trips to the store every week. If you can limit your trips to only one shopping trip per week you will save money. You will save both time and money. If you shop with another person you will buy 65% more unplanned items than if you shop alone. So, the tip here is, shop alone and go once a week.
Club Stores & Local Markets
Forget going it alone when you go to one of the big club stores. Splitting bulk purchases with a friend or relative can save you money. Store brands, like Kirkland offer the best prices. My daughter and I have been doing this for years, because it is fun and saves us big dollars. But remember, watch the ads for sales at smaller markets. Sometimes their loss leader sales are far better than the deals at the club stores.
Getting The Best Deal On Organics
Certified Organic products are items that the grower guarantees are grown in better soil without harmful pesticides. Often these products are as much as 50% more expensive than standard products. Experts say spend the extra money on foods whose skin you eat. Examples are, strawberries, peppers, apples, peaches and grapes.
High And Low
Manufacturer’s pay to place their products on eye level shelves. The most popular and most costly items are at eye level. Look for bargains up and down. Store brands and bulk items, generally the biggest bargains, are usually displayed on the bottom shelves.
Prepped Items Cost More
The modern shopper tends to buy bagged salads instead of heads of lettuce, as an example. Save by buying the whole vegetable and prepping it yourself. You will get more and save money. For example, chopped onions will cost you four times more than buying a whole onion.
Misters
Modern produce sections keep displayed products fresh with a system of water misters. Be sure to shake the water out of lettuce and herbs, before you bag them so you aren’t paying for water at the check stand.
Bagged Produce
Bagged apples and potatoes for example can have weight differences of up to half a pound. Lift several bags to compare, and then pick the one that feels the heaviest.
Sweets and Sodas
Sodas, processed foods, and treats add approximately 25% to our grocery budget every year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you really want to save big eliminate these unhealthy items from your shopping list.
Shopping The Ads
Experts claim shoppers can save as much as 30% on their weekly grocery bill if by shopping sales consistently. Buying staples on sale is basic to getting control of costs. Usually the best deals are in the center of the sale circulars, so check them out before you leave the house. You can find sale items on line or in newspaper fliers.
Make A List
Use a list. You can use one of the many free apps such as Grocery IQ or Out of Milk. I’m old, I rely on a pen and paper list. I always write my list on yellow legal paper. That way I can always spot it at the bottom of my purse. My daughter uses the note section of her phone to write her shopping list. Whatever method you choose, lists are essential if you want to save money and reduce those trips back to the store to get what you forgot. Furthermore, a list reduces your time in the supermarket, and helps reduce impulse buying.
Modern Technology
Flipp is a grocery app that automates everything. It matches sale items, rebates and coupons with your grocery list. Flipp can customize by store and will even scan an upload your hand written list. Yahoo! This little app will even sort listed items by aisle speeding up your shopping time.
Coupons
Smartsource.com, redplum.com and many others provide downloadable coupons. Queenoffree.net is a website offering downloadable coupons and offering shopping tips. Each of these sites can help save money at the check stand.
Here Come The Germans
Aldi will probably be in your town soon. In 2018 there were 1900 stores in the U.S. Aldi is a bit smaller than the typical American grocery store, but offers about 35% savings on meat and produce and 45% on items overall. Products are mostly store brands. The German discount chain is expected to have 2500 stores in the United States by 2022.
Label Snobbery
Store brands cost 15-30% less than national brands. Consumer Reports did taste testing and discovered that 33 of 57 times, store brands were the top choice. So, go ahead and grab that private label item; it will be cheaper and just as good according to taste tester statistics.
Store Exclusives
If you shop regularly at just a couple stores check out their websites and find their apps. You will usually ind the retailer’s best offers on their websites.
Fake Sales
Stores often use sneaky tricks to stimulate customer purchases. Ten for $10 sounds good, but it may not be as good as it sounds. You need to know the regular price. If the item normally sells for $1.01, buying 10 of them to save a dime doesn’t make much sense, unless you are the grocer.
Make Your Own
Homemakers can save a lot of money by making their own cleaning products. Homemade products work just as well as name brands and have less chemicals. Go to the book section of Amazon and put in Homemade by Reader’s Digest into the search section, and you will find several books showing you how to make hundreds of items quickly, cheaply and less harmful to the planet.
Unit Prices
Be sure to look at the unit price before you buy. The unit prices are found on a small tag below the item on the shelf. The tag will show the price per ounce. Although the biggest package may look like the best price it may not be.
Group Discounts
Seniors can get discounts at a few stores, typically 5% if they shop on the right days at Publix and Harris Teeter. In my area, Fred Meyer Stores offers 10% off for Seniors on the first Tuesday of every month. Fred Meyer also offer veteran’s a 10% discount by just showing their military ID. Costco and other club stores offer discounts and perks to vets and military personnel.
Holiday Deals
Many stores offer their deepest discounts around the holidays. You will find great prices on many foods to make sure your food centered events are super successful. My daughter and I always have our eyes open for great deals on steaks and prime rib around the holidays. We fill our freezers with great meat cuts at great prices so we can enjoy them for many months.
Misfits Can Be Beautiful
Check the produce section for mark downs on oddly shaped produce items. These strangely shaped fruits and veggies are often priced 25-30% cheaper than perfectly shaped items. Buying these items also helps cut down on food waste.
Dent And Bent
Most grocery stores have racks where they sell products at clearance prices because the packing is damaged or smashed. For safety make sure any inner packaging is sealed. Minor dents are not usually a problem, but don’t buy severely dented cans, because a damaged seal can allow bacteria into the product.
Amazon And Whole Foods
Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017. Since then, things have been changing fast at the formerly high priced outlet. Amazon has slashed prices on hundreds of its items. Direct delivery to the consumer’s home is changing the way Americans shop and Amazon is leading the way. You may pay a “tip” or may be required to spend over a specific dollar amount to eliminate delivery costs. On line delivery services often have their own sale items. With most online suppliers your first delivery is free. Try it, you’ll love it.
Walmart’s Produce Section
Produce at Walmart has had a bad rep. Well, I shop at my local Walmart and have found their produce is equal to any other supermarket. Walmart has over the last several years reduced delivery time from field to store by 2 to 4 days. The quicker to store delivery has dramatically improved produce appearance and extended product life for the consumer.
Savings At The Pump
Safeway, and Fred Meyer sell gas at good prices every day. Regular customers receive bonus reductions from both Safeway and Fred Meyer every month based on the customer’s grocery spending. Costco gives everybody the best low price at the pump everyday. Executive members get a 2% rebate check at the end of the year to use on future purchases.
Waste Less, Save More
My mom grew up in hard times in this country. She survived two world wars and the Great Depression. To her, one of the greatest sins was to waste food. To her, throwing away food was a criminal act. Statistics from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) indicates that today the average American household throws away more than $2,000 worth of food each year. That is equal to 25% of the food and drinks we buy. Stop it. Waste hurts. I could go on a tirade here, but I will refrain myself. Plan your meals for the week, starting with dishes that use up anything you have on hand and need to eat quickly. Go to Amazon books and buy, “Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook: A Guide to Eating Well and Saving Money by Wasting Less Food.”
Things Add Up
When consumers throw away $2,000 worth of food every year that is a huge loss. Putting it another way, that’s $5.48 daily. $38.46 per week. $166.67 per month. If you make $16.00 per hour that’s nearly 125 hours of work per year! What would you tell your boss if he asked you to work for free for a 125 hours? I can only imagine. In 10 years that is $20,000 that is being thrown in the garbage can. OMG. Over 30 years that’s $60,000! Can your family really afford such a cavalier attitude to food waste? It is unconscionable. Of course, my mother trained me to never throw away food. It is a religion at my house. “Waste not, want not,” as old proverb says. It just takes a bit of planning. One thing that helps me, is I keep my refrigerator clean and organized. I regularly rotate older items to the front. It only takes five minutes. Then reach for those items that are up front. Don’t buy new perishables until you have used the ones you have on hand.
Conclusion
I hope you apply some of the lessons highlighted by Jody L. Rohlena’s great article. But, if you do nothing more than stop throwing away food you will save big.
