Shopping Strategies, Are they worth doing?

[canadian gardener]

Just thought I'd share my last grocery trip. No meats, just veggies and some staples. AND I DIDN"T EVEN BOTHER WITH THE SALE FLYERS because I didn't want to take the time so how can I still save??????

Here's how

No particular order for the strategy list.

Strategy-- Know your cheapest store overall.

I went to Superstore rather than Safeway or Overwaitea. I save a LOT just by doing that one thing. Even more if I compare shopping for name brands at Safeway (most expensive) and the no name stuff or house brand at Superstore (cheapest).

My total came to $50.11. Equivalents would have run me $70 to $75. I am estimating that right now, don't have time to run and compare, but I've done my legwork before and when I've had to pop into Safeway or Overwaitea for their specials (another strategy down the list) I have had the chance to double check.

How can you find that out? Take a fake grocery list of 20 popular items that you buy all the time and price it out at all your major stores. You'll be AMAZED what you save. Or take your list, buy at your regular store, then go price it out at the bargain store.

Today's savings approximately 20$ by shopping at Superstore as my base of operations.

What's a base of operations mean? It means that while I go into Safeway for their loss leaders (big savings items usually on the front or back of the flyer and at a loss to the store) I DON"T shop there for the other stuff. I "cherry pick" the specials which is what the supermarket industry calls my strategy. And while I shop at Costco for other savings, this base of operations is exactly that, where I do most of my shopping.

Strategy: Cherry picking the sale flyers--
Some people worry about gas costs, running all over town, and I disagree to a degree with that. I plan my trips, and normally I do check the flyers. Most of my big stores are near each other. But I have 2 stores with good specials that are out of my normal path, so I combine other errands and manage to hit their best specials about once a month. I wait till Coopers has 1.49 day one Tuesday a month and hit that for the BEST deals on butter, eggs, liver, chicken and chops. Costco is also out of my way, but dh and I do one run every payday so twice a month. By a little advance planning I reduce my gasoline costs and time.

No savings this time, I didn't do that.

OK I took a little time and comparison shopped. Strategy-- compare prices. Look up and downwards. Pay attention to your shopping. By doing that I noticed that a single head of Broccoli was 78 cents, and the regular price was 1.28 lb. Which would have worked out at 1.50 or so a head. Saved 72 cents.

Yams were 28 cents a lb and Squash was $1.20 a lb. I bought 5 lbs worth at 1.48, but if I'd bought the squash it would have been 6,50 or so so Saved 5$ there.

No name frozen chopped spinach was 1.58 each if you buy 4, but about 2$ each. saved 1.60 there.

Because I knew my price book prices I was able to spot an unadvertised sale on Heinz ketchup (I don't like no name) and got 1 litre for 2.87 which normally runs a bit more. My math was more complicated this time because I was comparing it against 2.5 liters at 6.99 but I didn't want to go to Costco and needed it tonight as it had run out and this price was near enough to make it ok to buy. No savings here, I'd normally buy it at Costco but I saved the gas and time (which I'd have not even bothered with)

Savings: $7.22

Strategy --BUY NO NAME OR HOUSE BRAND

The no name Canola oil which I use right now in my muffins was 2.19 while the house brand was 2.99 or so and the fancy brand stuff was 4.20 Saved about 80 cents to 2$ depending.

The noname Cocoa powder saved me 1.50.

I bought no name ziplock sandwich baggies which I use to package my crumbles and a box of 150 cost me 1.88. I saved about 75 cents to a dollar, didn't check there. Lets say 75 cents.

No name all purpose flour 4.88 but if I bought Robin Hood it would have been about 5.88. $1

Savings? $4.05 to 5.25 depending if I compare against house brand or name brands. Ill go low

Strategy USE COUPONS WHEN AND WHERE YOU CAN. For Canadians and others in low coupon value areas, this isn't much but it can add up.

I found a coupon near the cheese which gave me a dollar off 2 pkgs of no name cheaper cheese, and I needed the cheese anyway. Saved a dollar.

I used my gas coupon and saved 2.43 cents. By shopping for my gas (same price as everywhere else) at this store where they have a gas bar and give a coupon worth 7 cents a litre, I save a considerable amount.

Total coupon savings today $3.43.

Strategy USE THE BULK BIN FOR SPICES: I spent 19 cents on enough garlic powder to fill my little jar. It was 3.48 in the bag for no name and a lot more in the little spice jars.

Savings? $3.19

I bought Aspargus and garlic heads and dd's special toothpaste at regular prices, but those were priced at about $1 less each than at any other store so even there, just making that store my base of operations saved 3$ there, but it's part of the estimated 20$ minimum that I saved so I won't count it in.

My trip took 1 hour and 15 minutes and I saved

Oh bother, dh is calling

[guest2]

Margery,
I love how you break things down so well. I use the same strategies that you do. Biggest money saving tip is buying those spices in bulk.

[canadian gardener]

Thanks Debbie, I know you are another black belt shopper!

Ok I'm back and

20$ for knowing a good base of operations

Zero for using the sale flyers. I didn't.

$7.22 for paying attention in the store and being willing to accept substitutes like yams for squash.

$4.05 for using NO NAME products against using house brands. It would have been more savings if comparing with name brands.

$3.43 for Coupons.

$3.19 for buying bulk bin spices.

Savings?
$37.89 on a $50.11 cent shopping trip.

Pretty good wages for an hour and 15 minutes.

Remember those wages are TAX FREE!!!!
'
I didn't even discuss what all I dragged home, but it included 22 lbs all purpose flour, a litre of Heinz ketchup, a lb of cocoa, a bottle of 100 calcium magnesium tablets, 2.6 kg of yams (bit over 5 lbs), a tube of dd's special toothpaste for sensitive teeth, a big box of sandwich baggies, 1 big cooking onion, a huge head of cauliflower, 1 kg of asparagus, 1 head broccoli, 3 heads garlic, 4 packages of frozen spinach, 1 lb of cheddar cheese, 1 lb mozzarella, some garlic powder, and a litre of canola oil.

American prices will be much lower on those groceries but that was actually my other big shopping trip this payday. the first one was Costco and included milk and Co Enzyme Q10 plus some other odds and ends. Right now I'm working down thru the meat supply in the freezer.

Don't be intimidated by not being able to use all the strategies at once. Just start using a few, then make them a habit, and work a few more in and make them routine and so on.

Even just one or two habits or strategies above will net you a big savings.

The prices in your area are no doubt very different but the strategies remain the same everywhere.

I didnt' even talk about making a grocery list or a menu, both of which save a lot of money too. Or shopping seasonally or how I bargain shop for meat.

I routinely use up leftovers, make most of my stuff from scratch using my freezer to help me out with my homemade conveniance foods and so forth.

More strategies include making a price book and doing some canning and freezing in season or gardening.

[homesteadmamma]

Margery, I do the same as you. I shop at Superstore, BUT I refuse to shop at Safeway because even their loss leaders are usually higher than Superstore. I actually don't know how Safeway stays in business. Even our little town co-op has better deals than they do.

The only thing I do different - I purchase all my baking supplies at the health food store along with my spices. I find them much fresher there.

[canadian gardener]

something else that you may notice is that I didn't get down into the entire nitty gritty with the ketchup and figure out that the 60 cents more for an extra quarter of a litre ment that I could have saved 7 whole cents over the Costco bulk prices and probably should have bought more

but I know that for 14 cents extra, having that ketchup at costco's usual price means that it isn't worth sweating over.

Some things are, like the spices or finding the overall base of operations, making a list, making menus

but sweating every last penny WILL DRIVE YOU NUTS so ball park it a bit.

If you lose sometimes, you still save overall.

I didn't sweat buckets over the fact that gasp this time I didn't do a big shop all in one day, using sale flyers and a super plan.

NOPE, been busy with that installing that tub, trying to eat our way down thru the freezer so I can have it cleaned out for strawberry and blueberry season and a defrosting session.

And I'm in between trips to Vancouver. Sil called and I'll be needed next week.

What's my point?

The 80 20 rule again.

80 % of the available savings come from the first 20% of my effort.

Chasing down that last 20 % savings will chew up 80% of my valuable time and energy and I just can't be bothered.

But I still stay awake and aware and on task in order to skim off the 80 % savings, from a mere 20% effort.

[canadian gardener]

Right CJ, and that is another good point. Check your health food store for bargains. When my bulk bins don't have a spice, theirs often do, and for some other things, there is no place else to shop that is better.

Cleaning supplies for example are sometimes cheaper at the hardware store, sometimes not, Walmart and Zellers sell coffee and toilet paper and windshield washer fluids sometimes less than the superstore type store.

Knowing your prices and checking the flyers and planning your shopping trip like planning a big game safari across the African veldt will net you every bit the thrills chills and excitement of a big game safari, with a WHOLE LOT MORE SAVINGS!

[Katybird]

Thanks for all the great tips and hints Margery.

[paelthom]

What a great shopper you are!

[CAGmomof2]

margery,thank you for the tips,suggestions, and advice on how to save money at the grocery store.

[Heather]

Thank you so much Margery! Great tips and ideas!

[Shell]

[canadian gardener]

Glad to share my guilty little pleasure. I do feel like it's sort of a mini trip to Vegas, and winning the slots is winning the grocery game, when you grab for the savings!

[babymav]

Great tips Now that I am a sahm again. I have been trying to save as much as possible.


My latest savings was for formula. Did some trading for coupons online.

Walked into target with 10 checks for free cans of carnation good start, 10 checks for $1.00 off and 5 coupons for $2.00 off.

My total price for 20 cans of formula was $8.00. I was so proud LOl and I think the cashier was shocked lol

[SusieJD]

Great ideas here! I'm printing them out and going to really do some comparing! I always go through the flyers and compare the prices of what I need for the week. It's really up and down.

Susie in MN

[Mincemeat52]

I'm new to this site, but am enjoying it very much.

First of all, SuzieJD, I'm happy to see you put the "e" in provide in your signature. Now the text looks much better.

We live out in the boonies. Our nearest town has 2 grocery stores. One is a Co-op, so you earn dividends. That's a nice way to save. I'm thinking that if I build up equity there, I don't spend it on something else.

When we go to Costco in the big city, I kind of know what's cheaper than my prices back home. The only thing is, there's lots of other stuff there to tempt you, and ya gotta be very disciplined not to buy it. One thing we usually do at Costco is buy our "dog". Where else can you get lunch for 2 for $4.25? A Polish dog and large pop or lemonade is 1.99+GST. So, that's one stop we usually make.

I hope to learn more about frugal shopping here.