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Grocery Shopping Method?

2K views 13 replies 13 participants last post by  SueBee49 
#1 ·
I've just started getting into this frugal stuff not too long ago, with the intention of raising a substantial savings not only for emergency cases but also in the event that I'd like to invest substantially in something in the near future (a business or house, most likely). Aside from my discretionary spending which is my biggest problem, I'm looking to cut down on my grocery bill as much as possible.

I looked around the forum and couldn't find a section specifically on grocery shopping, which I found strange. Is this the correct place to put this? Maybe I'm just missing something that's completely obvious. :)

Anyways, my strategy right now is to go through my local grocery store's ad and write down what's on sale that I like, then go through the coupons that I have (through the mailer, I don't get a Sunday paper) and write down what I like, then try to match them if possible. Otherwise I just write a list based off that. I make sure to go shopping on double coupon days, too.

How could I improve this? I only have to do it once a week but it's sort of time consuming when I do. I'm also going to probably start planning out my meals for the week based on the weekly sales instead of just generally buying what I like.
 
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#2 ·
Be sure to compare prices with generics and/or store brands. Most times, those versions are as good or better than the big name brands, and may be cheaper than name brands even with a sale price.

Sales usually go in cycles. It's helpful if you have a general idea when certain sales occur, and how much of that item you'll need to hold you over till the next sale. That way, you don't end up paying full price for things.
 
#3 ·
What I do is this. If meat is a good price, I buy it. Regardless or not if I need it. Then I take the circulars and buy good sales that way, then meal plan around that. This way, the majority of my stuff is always bought on sale.

For toiletries and hba I try and coupon with sales. I also go to multiple stores to shop. I buy my fruit, cheese and milk from sam's club, and my olive oil. Basically select things. But I never buy my meat there, as I can always get it cheaper from my local grocery store. It has the best prices on meats.

It is a lot of work, but it's kinda decided up each week. It does take a bit of effort to save money.
 
#4 ·
It takes a lot of time to get yourself started with meal planning and matching flyers with coupons etc. But think about it - its a job in itself that you need to commit to weekly if you wish to save money in the long run.

Your time & effort spent planning and preparing = money earned (aka saved money)

If you can, set your grocery budget limit and try to stick within it then allot an extra $20-$25/trip (or whatever you can afford) for stockpiling unadvertised sale items - could be canned goods, sauces, pb, meat etc. This way you will be able to start shopping from home until the next sale hits where you can stock up again. That to me, is priceless.
 
#5 ·
After a while you will know what is a good sale price on items you normally use. Keep in mind that sometimes the flyer might list an item on sale which may be reduced only to have it reduced even more in a couple weeks.

If you are a meat eater don't be afraid to ask when manager's specials are put out. This way you know when to keep an eye out for them. Just remember to either cook right away or portion up and freeze for later use. Also keep an eye out for any produce that may be on managers special.
 
#6 ·
It will probably become easier, especially if you get a stockpile of sorts. At that point, you will just be looking for a few deals on certain parts of your meals, not deals on the whole thing. Get things that will keep for a long while on sale in bulk, use the fliers for perishables.
 
#7 ·
Do you cook from scratch? It's generally cheaper than buying premade.

Look for cheaper alternatives to things you generally eat. . . for instance cold breakfast cereal. . . we do toast, egg for breakfast. . . more filling and lots cheaper than a bowl of cereal with milk.

Eat seasonally to buy things cheaper - for instance peaches are in season in many places right now, so they are lots cheaper than say blackberries.
 
#9 ·
Anyways, my strategy right now is to go through my local grocery store's ad and write down what's on sale that I like, .

Not much to add to the good suggestions already here...........but.........why write down what is on sale?.........why not just circle it in the flyer with a bold marking pen..........write coupon off to the side, if you have a coupon.............and take the flyer to the store with you?

could never understand why people sit and 'make a list' of the sale items they want when they have the flyer right there..............PLUS.........It has helped me when I had to ask a store person WHERE something is and I have the flyer 'in hand'..........sometimes there is a code in them that tells the person which dept. it is in..........saves time and effort!!
 
#13 ·
Because I would rather have a 2"x8" sheet of paper with my list, as opposed to an entire insert I have to flip through. Coupons for the items on the list are quick enough to flip through as I walk down the isle, and I've never had a problem getting the right item. The amount of time spent writing down what I want on a list is less than the amount of time I would spend using the flier.
 
#11 ·
lots of good advice already gave I do most of this including taking a sharpie and circle the item and write c with it and take the flier to wally to match prices.. walmart price matches everything including store brands with their store brands..except for ground chuck can not figure out how to get that. 2. 65 lb pack not 3...

sometimes to start a stockpile which saves u bukcoo in the future u spend now..because sales always come in cycles..end of summer and back to school.. fruit, pb and J, lunch meat, cereal,crackers, cookies, juices,canned soup,
ect so buy what u can afford to stock..look for closeouts also this will help a lot
.
labor day will be meat, pop on sale for labor day
October chilli fixings, crackers, pumpkin, baking supplies
Nov..Thanksgiving, ham, turkey, baking ect
Dec the same as Nov.

u will figure it out ok hugs
 
#14 ·
Some stores will honor advertised prices of other stores. I know for sure my local Walmart does. I'm literally 0.4 miles from that store so it's a real savings for me to carry the Kroger (for example) flyer into Walmart.
Another thing I read somewhere on here I think...for those of us new to this, it helps to keep a price list. Because I save every single receipt, I was able to get a good start on my list. I carry it in a little notebook in my purse so I can instantly see if something is cheaper elsewhere.

One of the things that has helped me the most is looking at things differently. I used to think, "Oh well. It's only $0.10 more. But if I buy that item weekly, that's $5.20/year. And if I buy 100 different items a year, it's $520.00. Or something like that. (Math isn't my best subject!)
 
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