There are several ways to trim you costs when grocery shopping. I use these every time I shop at the grocery or drugstore. It helps eliminate extra costs from impulse buys, overpriced items, and weak moments.
1. Set aside one day a week to take inventory of what you currently have in the cupboard or pantry. Nothing is more upsetting than to spend $10 on shredded cheese and get home to see you already have 6 bags of it sitting in the fridge. It ends up causing you to waste your money and eventually food waste if its a perishable item you can't use up before it expires.
2. Always keep a list of what you need on you. With cell phones having apps for lists there is almost no excuse. If you don't have a cell, tablet or device to keep track of it, you can always result to the stone-age techniques of pencil and paper. Ha Ha. Keeping a list with you and sticking to it when in a store will stop impulse buys and help you remember the items you need without multiple trips to the store which increases temptation to spend more money.
3. Check your paper or only for weekly store ads. Every Sunday and Wednesday I get the paper and I take out the weekly store ads for our local grocery stores, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Target. I circle the items I need to buy from my grocery list and compare the stores prices and deals. I literally shop at up to 4 stores for groceries to save maximum money. I also pay close attention to any Buy 1 Get 1 (BOGO) deals and use those to stock up on items I buy frequently.
4. Learn Average Prices. When you buy items frequently you learn what their average cost is. I keep a spreadsheet of the average price I pay for milk, bread, Dr Pepper, doritos, meat and other items I buy frequently so I know when I see a really good sales price to stock up. Example: Average price of a Family Size bag of Doritos at the store is $4.79 a bag. When I see it go on sale 3/$6 or 3 for $6, this is my stock up price. I don't buy them unless they are at the stock-up price or lower. Vary rarely are there coupons on Doritos so I have to shop sales ads for the best price. Learn the average price of your favorite or most frequent items and have a target price in mind for when to stock up on non-perishable ones.
5. Take Advantage of Club Cards, Rewards. I have a rewards card at everyplace I shop. Hy-Vee is a local grocery store that offers fuel savings and digital coupons to card carriers. It's free and I was able to link it to my Shell Rewards card (Fuel Rewards) so everytime I buy groceries I save between .30-1.50 off gas per gallon. Jewel Osco gives you digital coupons, Walgreens gives you coupons, discounts and cashback rewards, CVS gives coupons, discounts and Gas Cards. Don't turn down FREE MONEY. You are already shopping there, spending your money, get more and get rewarded. (These also work with WIC, SNAP and LINK grocery items bought)
6. Stretch your food-stamps farther. Sometimes we hit a really hard time in our life and need help. The state provides for some of our food and bills. Make your State funds last longer or go farther by combining your purchases with deals and coupons.
7. Don't buy it if you won't use it. A big mistake we often make is we see a really great deal like clearance lip-gloss for .25 when its regular $10 a tube. If it's not your color or a color you would wear, don't buy it. It's money out of your budget for an item that will be later thrown away. Now if you like to donate items you find for super cheap then go for it. Keep in mind if the products are about to expire or why they are on clearance before donating them.
8. Take cash. Avoid using your debit card. Controlled spending will help you trim your costs. When you only take cash there is no more once its gone. It makes us more conscious of what we are spending. If you do want to use debit then invest in one of the new checking accounts that deposit $1.00 in your savings every-time you use your debit card. You find out really fast just how much you use it and sometimes it makes a great way to save up an emergency fund or Christmas account. I usually use my card about 36 times a month. That is a little more than once a day. Way to much for me, its one reason I'm starting a new promise to myself this month of no unnecessary purchases for the next 60 days.
9. Avoid end caps! These powerful little displays are there to entice you with false sales or impulse buys. Make a list and stick to it. Don't stare to long at the items at checkout either..that extra snickers every-time you go grocery shopping could add up to $64.00 a year that could of went to something else such as kids shoes or a night out at nice restaurant. (Or 100 less calories on my thighs)
10. Take advantage of Groupons. Sometimes groupons will come up for certain gift cards for Grocery, Retail Stores, Restaurants, Drugstores. They recently had $10 Target Gift Card for $5 on groupon. I bought 10 for $50. that gave me $100 in gift cards to spend at our Target which has a grocery store in it. Combined with some really good sales and coupons I got over $300 in groceries for $50 I spent on groupon.
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