In my previous blog post on 3/25/21, I addressed where to find the best deals on groceries and today we’re tackling generic money saving advice that you can apply to all of your grocery trips. Let’s do this! Take notes so you’re prepared when you head off to the stores.
Grocery List. You need to go into your trip with a grocery list. This helps you on many fronts. It gives you direction and focus. So many people wander through the aisles and buy a myriad of impulse purchases and whatever looks good at the moment. It’s the “I’ve just got to have this” mentality. Having a list prevents you from purchasing impulse items. You’re less likely to make these kinds of purchases if you only go down the aisles that contain the items that are on your list.
I would recommend the AnyList app where all of your family members can use and add items. No more getting home and realizing that you forgot something because you left your list at home. You can add several different stores to the list, which is very convenient. Most of my list consists of BOGO’s or sale items planning ahead for items that we will need in the future or use on an ongoing basis. Items like meat, vegetables, and fruit don’t typically have coupons nor BOGO deals. My BOGO “go to” store is Publix where they have a large amount of them. However, their standard prices tend to run a little higher than other stores. If I am in need of a product where there is no sale or I don’t have a coupon, I will choose Food Lion or Kroger where the standard prices tend to be lower. They are all located in my area so it’s not a big drive for me to get these savings. Knowing the prices of the items that you purchase on an ongoing basis can make all the difference in the world. You’re able to know if something is a good deal or not when going to different stores.
I know this may not always possible, but try to shop without your children. If you have kids, you know how nice this is, but I say this strictly for the financial purpose. Children tend to “need” items not on your list. They see it and they want it. They are the definition of impulse shopping. You hear a lot of “Can I have this?” You also save yourself a million NOs and a handful of dollars by leaving them at home while you shop. Just think of all the things that wouldn’t get put into your cart either on purpose by you or by your child while you’re reading a food label. This will also help you buy healthier and more nutritious food and keep you away from a lot of the junk.
One item that I want to touch on specifically is bottled water. This really is a totally crazy concept. 20 to 25 years ago we would’ve laughed at someone if they talked about wanting to buy water. That was something that consumers did in other countries where the quality of the water was questionable, but not in the USA. It’s 2021 and Americans are buying bottled water, by the truckload. Not my family. If you like the convenience of the small bottles, buy one bottle and then refill it with tap or refrigerator water. Unless you’re in an area of the country that has water issues, water from the tap or refrigerator is perfectly safe and fine to drink. I grew up in a house with well water and we didn’t drink bottled water. There wasn’t any back then. I survived. LOL! If you must buy bottled water due to poor drinking water in your area, don’t buy the flashy individual bottles. Instead, you should buy the gallon or 2-gallon containers that are much cheaper, not as pretty, but cheaper. Using the water filters like Britta are great options to keep your water expenses in check. Not only is it better for your finances, but also better for the environment. **We do keep bottled water on hand for guests, but do not use them for ourselves. We also use reusable containers to take with us on the go.
When going to shop for groceries, you should never shop when you are hungry. You look at all the appetizing food (especially the expensive unhealthy stuff), and you end up putting it in your cart. It’s best to eat before you go to the store. This way, things that are not on your list won’t distract you and get you sidetracked from your goal.
I mentioned earlier that you need to make a list and stick to it. There is an exception to this philosophy...when items are listed for sale. Before you go to the store, you need to be aware of the sales that are currently running. They can be found in the paper (depending on your local store) as well as online. Even if you don’t have access to online fliers or the paper, you can manually review it upon entering the store. If you know that your family always eats hot dogs (even though they’re not currently on your list), you need to stock up when they’re on sale (for example BOGO items). You are saving 50% on the purchase and you can put them in your freezer until you do need them. It’s much better to buy in advance rather than waiting for when you must buy them and paying full price. This is where that extra freezer or refrigerator will come in handy. If there’s a super good deal, don’t hesitate to buy more than usual. I mentioned that we are cereal fanatics. When cereal is on sale, I may buy up to eight boxes at one time. I know that we will eat it before it goes bad and it helps reduce our grocery bill. Make sure you have the space to store this. When we were tight for space, I use to keep our “stock pile” in our closet. Now it resides under our stairs. We have a pantry in the kitchen and then a stock pile under the stairs where all of the extra items reside.
In making your grocery list, you should go through the flier and add any common family purchases that can be frozen or that are non-perishable. Cheese (not cream cheese), bread, and meat all freeze very well. Of course, any frozen items can also be kept in an extra freezer as well. Canned goods, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, pasta, and the like are also good for quite some time.
In purchasing groceries from the store, you should try purchasing the store’s generic brands. Most of the groceries that I purchase are generic. They have come a long way from the black and white generic labels from when I grew up. I actually prefer the taste of some of the generics to the brand name. For example, I love Kroger cottage cheese. I have tried several other brands, but prefer the Kroger brand. This works well for me since it’s cheaper than the brand names, AND it still goes on sale. Start slowly by working it into your purchases. If you have children that are die-hard brand eaters, take the product out of the package and put it in another container. See if they actually notice the difference. If you are hesitant to try this, begin by using generic brands in recipes where it’s not easily noticed.
Using coupons can help you reduce your grocery bills considerably. You hear people say that they don’t have time to look for coupons or that doing so is tedious. It only takes minutes, especially when you’re only looking for the things that your family purchases. Most of the coupons aren’t applicable to you so it’s quick to go through them. Try to avoid purchasing extra items just because you have a coupon. **This inflates your grocery bill and you’re not earning money for your family; you’re spending it.
If you are going to use hard coupons from the paper or printed online, get yourself a coupon organizer so you can keep track of them. The key to active couponing is organization so they’re easier to find and manage. Take sandwich sized baggies and put a hole punch in the corner. Attach together with ribbon or string. Put blank stickers on the bags to identify the sections (dairy, breakfast, pet, dry goods, etc). If you don’t have stickers, you can use masking tape. Prior to getting to the store go through and pick out the coupons corresponding to the items on your list. This is also a good time to take out any coupons that have expired.
I am a huge proponent of using coupons, however, if you buy a large number of generic items, the generic price is commonly less than purchasing brand names, even with a coupon. Don’t be fooled by the money off, consider the final price. One time when my kids were little and we were at Costco, they were offering a coupon for $3 off brand name diaper wipes. After doing a little bit of calculation, it was still cheaper to purchase their store brand (Kirkland) than to purchase the brand name and use the coupon. Before using a coupon, check to ensure that it is indeed a savings. Generally, the warehouse clubs also don’t accept regular coupons from the paper, they send out their own. BJ’s is the exception to this.
A habit that you must commit yourself to is to buy large and make small. Instead of buying the individual servings of things like pudding, Jello, applesauce, chips, buy the regular sized package and segment it yourself. You pay a fraction of the cost and you can put it in small containers to take with you on the got to work or to send to school with your children. You also save on the excessive packaging that these come in-less to recycle. Convenience versus money spent. You have to pay additional costs for the convenience. If you’re a convenience item purchaser, try to reduce the amount that you spend on those high-cost items. What about your carrots? Do you buy baby carrots so you don’t have to cut them into sticks? You are paying a premium for that.
If you are shopping at a warehouse club, you can do this with almost everything. For example, you can purchase 5 lbs. of hamburger and break it down to 1 lb. increments. We have freezer paper on hand and wrap up the extra meat and put it in our freezer—don’t forget to put a date on it too. You can purchase all kinds of meat as well as fish. It takes a little more time, but it’s great to always have meat on hand when I need it. Another way to reduce time spent eating out if you have food already at home. Our family also purchases grated cheese and I freeze it in 8 oz increments. Warehouse clubs give you the opportunity to buy large amounts of items. Now, keep in mind that if you don’t eat a lot of pork, then you probably shouldn’t buy in bulk. It may get freezer burn before you eat it.
Great tips for cold food storage. https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts
There are several good ways of making certain that you use frozen food in a timely manner. All frozen food prepared at home should be labeled with the amount of food and pack date. When we had all of our family home, we used to keep a frozen food log near the freezer so we could keep track of what goes in and what comes out. It makes quick family dinners much easier.
What if you notice that several of the foods have been frozen longer than recommended? Is it still safe? Yes, it is, but you have to decide if the current quality is acceptable to you and your family. Delicate fruits and vegetables can have tissue damage as ice crystals form during the freezing process. Also, foods that contain higher amounts of fat can become rancid during storage. Finally, many foods are susceptible to freezer burn when foods are poorly wrapped or stored for long periods of time.” An option for those items is to put them in a soup, stew, or crock pot which may mask some of the freezing issues.
I hope that you've learned many tips for you to earn money for your family when in comes to groceries. Now, you have to actually implement them into your life. Happy hunting!
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