Lessons in the Aisle from Friends and Family 

By Stanford Griffith

In my last blog post, I wrote that I called my mom to ask her for some advice. After that, I hopped on Facebook to see how people save money when grocery shopping. I simply asked what tips people had to save money while grocery shopping; my usual savvy friends and family quickly answered. I don’t believe the ones who commented are on SNAP, but I know all of them want to save money. Here is what I learned:

Know thy store. A bit of work before you enter the store can quickly add up to saved cash.

  • Know which stores have the best prices on which items. Keep a notebook since Dollar Tree might offer a bag of beans for $1 all the time, but Hy-Vee may have them on sale for 69 cents for one week.
  • Those notes will come in handy too, when you look through the grocery sales for the week. Sales ads used to be just in newspaper inserts, but now they’re online and in smart apps for nearly every store, making it easier than ever to browse for sales. Often their websites have special unadvertised sales too; they’re on sale for everyone, but they just aren’t in the circular. While you’re on the site, look for coupons.
  • Check dollar stores for better deals on canned and frozen goods. They have some packaged foods too, but again, $1 might not be the lowest price at the time.
  • Know if and when your store has special savings days. Maybe it’s double-coupon day on Wednesday, senior day on Friday, wear red on Monday. Whatever it is, know it and use it. And if you don’t know when those days are, just ask a store employee. They’ll be happy to tell you.
  • When you ask, also be sure to ask them what day of the week the store manager specials are displayed. Usually, these are meat or produce (sometimes dairy) that is priced to move because they’re getting too close to an expiration date. There’s nothing wrong with the food; it just needs to be eaten soon. When I lived in Nashville, Tenn., Kroger always put out the meat manager specials on Sunday morning. They went quickly, but it was a great way to buy a roast for $4. I’d buy one, cook it that day, and then eat it over several meals.
  • Know if your store has a clearance/reduced section. Dried herbs and spices sometimes go for a dime a jar in that section. I’ve even found fancy imported salts for a quarter there and day-old bakery bread for 50 cents.
  • Use your store’s salad bar if it makes sense. The lettuce and cheese on salad bars are always high in price since you’re paying by the pound, but sometimes the meat is worth it. When I lived in St. Louis, a pound of pepperoni for a pizza was always around $5 in the package; but on the salad bar, it went for $3.90 per pound. That’s a $1.10 per pound savings. And it gets better. You see, I’d have to buy a whole package for $5, but I would use only half of it before it went bad. So, I’d buy half a pound from the salad bar for $1.95. Lesson here: Buy only what you need and pay less.

Planning is power. Decide on daily, weekly, or even monthly menus. Write your shopping list, starting with the knowledge from above, to maximize your savings.

  • Plan your main meals with a protein, a grain, and a vegetable or fruit. Not sure about serving sizes or need recipe ideas? Check out the resources at Choose My Plate.
  • Plan meals ahead of time and figure how to make leftovers into an extra meal.
  • Use your menu and determine what you need to buy.
  • When you write your shopping list, note brands and quantities so you remember exactly what’s on sale and how many you need: 1 box pasta, 1 jar sauce, 1 pound ground beef, etc.

Never shop on an empty stomach. Eat something, even if it’s small, before you go. That way you’re not hungry when you’re shopping. Hungry-shopping means everything in the store looks yummy, and it’s a sure way to buy more than what is on your carefully written list.

Know when to splurge. Some items do matter, but so does sticking with a budget.

  • If you afford it, some things are worth paying a higher price. You will know what it is for you. I find that cheap tea isn’t bad at all, but cheap coffee is terrible.
  • If an item is the star of a dish, you may want to buy the higher quality option. Star ingredients and flavors should sing; others can play backup. Again, this decision will depend on your budget. Being on the #SNAP challenge was a stark reminder of how hard this can be.

Coupons: the well-known yet hidden secret. Very few people use coupons even though everyone receives them.

  • As television programs like Extreme Couponing have shown, coupons are all over the place. Check newspapers, mailers, online, Facebook, packages, and receipts. You can even try asking companies for them.

Loyalty pays. Loyalty cards can make a huge savings difference.

  • Each store has its own method and rewards. Some stores, for example, have customers purchase specific items that pay off when you buy their gas. I’ve saved almost a dollar per gallon that way. Others have exclusive sales with their cards. Still others just give you a discount; a Red Card at Target is 5 percent off every day.
  • Nearly every store’s card is free, and you usually receive them at the customer service desk.
  • While not a store card, Family Dollar gives you $5 off $25 on Saturday if you’ve shopped in the store during the week.

Shop smart. Sometimes the best value requires more time and effort, but that pays off.

  • Store brands are often as good and less expensive than the name brands. But if there’s a sale, the name brand may be less expensive.
  • Do the math. Price by the ounce or quantity to know the real value of the item.
  • Stock up if you can. If you have the space and budget, you can stock up on a great deal. If space and budget are tight, remember that most stores don’t require you buy the advertised amount.
  • Canned beans are lot more expensive than dried beans. They take more time, but one batch of beans can be transformed into side dishes, main courses, and soups.
  • Tougher cuts of meat often have the most flavor and are the least expensive. The problem is, they take a long, slow, wet method of cooking. That’s when a Crock Pot comes in handy. You can also braise them in a slow oven. Hey, it’s what chefs do!
  • Eggs are an inexpensive protein that still packs of a wallop of good nutrition and can be creatively flavored.
  • Limited or more inexpensive grocery stores often have produce that is more affordable and just as fresh as higher priced chain stores.

Bring your own bags. Not only is taking your own sacks to the grocery store good for the environment, many stores will give you a discount per bag. They can be canvas, nylon, plastic, or paper. And those bags don’t even need to be from that store. It’s a good way to save at least some change off your bill.

Grocery shopping on a budget can be tough, but hopefully, these tips can help you make the most of your meals and money!

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