Cutting costs on grocery shopping is what first inspired me to share my tips to others. At the checkout counter I would look at those in line around me and realize that they were just spending unnecessarily without even realizing it. For example, they would be purchasing orange juice, but not the brand that was advertised for sale in the circular. They could be getting the exact same product for .75 cents cheaper, but they weren’t even aware of the sale. So many people shop like this. When dealing with groceries, you may be dealing with smaller amounts of money, but it all adds up over time. It’s the day-to-day savings and consistency that can make a noticeable difference. All changes help your bottom line.
If you have a family that you’re shopping for, the first thing I would recommend to do is purchase a separate freezer or refrigerator. This is where you can store extra food purchased until you’re ready to eat it. This can add up to hundreds of dollars in savings.
Let’s first talk about where you should be shopping for groceries. You have several options, such as warehouse clubs, superstores, grocery stores, and even online. Let’s talk about each of them individually and then I’ll talk about savings that work for all of the shopping venues.
Warehouse Clubs are becoming even more popular today. Depending on what area of the country that you live in, you’ll find Costco (www.costco.com), Sam’s Club (www.samsclub.com), and BJ’s (www.bjs.com). All of these have a similar atmosphere. It’s a warehouse setting with no fancy ceiling, carpets, and decorations. It’s the bare minimum, but people are flocking to them like crazy because of the savings that they can get. They offer bulk purchasing to consumers. Instead of buying 1 pack of gum, you can buy 12 in one package. Generally, when you buy in bulk, you are in turn cutting costs (not always true). There are membership costs, but it’s small compared to the savings that you’ll receive over time. Check with each warehouse club to see what their current membership fees are. You have additional options for business and cash back accounts as well. If you choose a cash back option and don’t save enough to make it worthwhile, they will refund the difference and downgrade your account.
You can find great deals on items when shopping at the warehouse clubs, however it’s not always THE best deal. You need to be aware of how much you would normally pay for an item. For example, my family loves cereal. We probably eat more than the average family. It’s not uncommon for us to have 10 boxes of cereal on hand at one time. Since I buy so much cereal, I know exactly what’s a deal and what’s not. I especially like the $1.00 off coupons that you see frequently in the Sunday paper, and sometimes online. At the grocery stores, it seems like cereal is always on sale. Sometimes you’ll see deals for 2 for $5.00 or even 2 for $4.00 or BOGO. I’ve found that you generally can’t get it cheaper than $2.00 a box at the warehouses. So, I do not typically purchase cereal at the warehouse clubs.
Warehouses are great, but you have to be aware of what you would pay at other venues to know if it’s really a great deal or not. You may not want to buy two super huge bottles of ketchup to save 25 cents. That would be up to you. Just because it’s at the warehouse club, doesn’t automatically make it cheaper than other shopping options. As usual, you need to do your research. The price labels are so great now that they’ll give you the exact price per unit. The unit may be by ounce, item, etc. This is how you can compare apples to apples. So, if you’re looking at laundry detergent that comes in 40 ounces and another that comes is 48, you don’t have to whip out your calculator to see which is a better deal. You just have to check the price label. You may even want to keep notes on the prices of the typical items that you purchase. This way, when you’re at a different shopping venue, you will know if a sale is a good deal or not. Not all sales are a good deal, especially when buying brand names versus generic.
Warehouse clubs sell a lot more than food. You can probably buy anything you can think of from a gallon of milk to a leather couch. The range is so extreme that it truly is your one stop shopping center. Pharmacies, Photo, and Optical departments are springing up and the prices are said to be much cheaper than those of your standard providers. For pharmaceuticals, this is especially true for your ongoing prescriptions for medications for diabetes. The warehouses generally don’t accept standard coupons that you’d fine online or in the papers. BJ’s is the exception to this. You are able to stack the national coupons on the store coupons. Costco and Sam’s Club offer their own “coupons” and sales.
Let’s touch on superstores. These are your Super Targets and Super Walmart stores. In some parts of the country, you may have Meijer. Many people are choosing to shop at these stores for not only clothes and household items, but also their groceries. As I mentioned when talking about warehouse clubs, you have to know what you typically pay for items to really know if you’re getting a deal or not. Target has a special Red Card where you can get an additional 5% off for buying the same items. Here’s the link to sign up today. https://www.target.com/redcard/about
Grocery stores are not the mecca that they used to be in the past. They’ve got so much more competition that they ever have. You’ve got your Kroger, Winn Dixie, Publix, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Aldi, etc. There are lots of regional chains out there. When grocery stores have sales such as buy one get one free (BOGO), or 50% off, this is where you are going to find the big savings. My personal rule is that I never go in a store grocery without looking at the flier that is located right inside the door or I have reviewed it online. That is true even when I’m running in for a specific item. There could be big discounts or BOGO’s on items that my family typically uses that I don’t want to miss out on.
With the current pandemic and people’s busy lives, purchasing online (or grocery pick up) is a lot more popular than you would imagine. Amazon and other online retailers sell almost everything at this point. This is especially good for your paper products and non-perishables. Plus, the bonus of them being dropped off at your door. Some of the products are more expensive online so I may sound like a broken record, but know your prices and what is good and what isn’t. If you don’t have the time or don’t feel comfortable shopping in person at the grocery stores, having the store purchase for you and picking up can save you a lot of time. The upside is that you’re not buying any impulse purchases so you may be keeping your expenses lower than going in the store. Is it free? It depends. I am aware that Publix and Kroger have free curbside pick-up. Check with your local store to see if they do this. Don’t forget to check your superstores like Target and Walmart because they are now offering it as well.
Just like discussing technology, there is so much to cover on the topic of grocery expenses that I am choosing to break it up into two blog posts. Look for Earning Money on Groceries in the next blog post on March 27, 2021 where we will delve into general grocery advice no matter where you shop.
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