Guest post from Grace of Romantic Frugal Mom
Economic hardships and rising food prices are spurring people to find methods for saving money on their grocery bills while still purchasing the items they need. For many, a shopping trip is now a well-planned activity, no longer a time to just throw anything into the cart.
Follow these easy tips to get the most from your money at the grocery store.
1. Keep a Running List of Items You Need
Post a notepad on the refrigerator or other handy spot, keeping a list of items that are running low in the pantry or fridge. One of the most important aspects of disciplined shopping is knowing exactly what you need while resisting the temptation to buy items not on your list.
Not only does this make shopping quicker and less costly, it ensures that you are not doing multiple small shopping trips throughout the week, a waste of time and gas money.
2. Watch the Sales
Some people only buy certain products when they are on sale. Stores tend to rotate the same items through a cycle of on-sale, off-sale. Note the sale prices in you store ad, and don’t buy the product unless it is at or below this target price, whether at your regular store or another.
Stock up when the item you want is on sale so you have enough to last until the next time it is on special. Integrate watching sales with your running shopping list.
3. Practice Comparison Shopping
If you do a weekly shopping trip, visiting several stores on the same trip, keep separate lists for each store based on the latest sale ad for that store. It can be amazing how prices vary from one store to the next, so take advantage of this whenever possible.
Also, going from one store to another to find the best price may not save money if the stores are far apart, so resist the temptation if you think you will burn more gas than you will save on the groceries.
4. Coupons
Coupons are a great way to save, but only if they are for products you normally use. If you buy off-brand detergents, for example, using a coupon for a premium brand detergent may not be as cost effective as buying your regular brand.
One of the best ways to save money when using coupons is to use them while the product is already on sale — you get double savings doing this! Some stores have special online coupons, so go to your favorite store’s website and see if they have coupons to use in conjunction with your store discount card.
5. Pay with Cash
There is a psychological aspect to cash that doesn’t exist when using credit or even debit cards. It is simply harder to hand over your hard-earned cash than it is to swipe a piece of plastic. As odd as it might sound, this is actually one of the easiest ways to stay within your budget.
Grace Pamer is a work from home mom and the author of Romantic Frugal Mom, one woman’s on going quest to keep romance alive despite modern day time pressures.
Grace Pamer says
Some great comments and ideas. Thank you all for stirring the pot and getting involved in the discussion. Clearly the cash Vs card issue is not for everyone but I do think the lessons you should take from this is to discipline yourself which ever option you choose. Easier said than done at times but it is crucial to staying on budget.
Thanks again for all the great comments
Grace
Carlye Rankin says
My father in law shared with me his system for using a credit card. If the credit card is used he writes it down in the check registry – so it is like it was paid with a debit card! I loved the idea. We haven’t done that but I thought to myself why haven’t I thought of that? I have never really seen anyone suggest that.
Just thought I would share that – maybe that will help someone here. 😀
Susan says
How do you balance your checking account that way? Seems like the bookkeeping would get complicated. Or maybe I’m missing something.
But hey, whatever works!
Carlye Rankin says
It would be like if you used your debit card and then wrote it in your check registry. That way when the credit card bill is due you already have the money. You don’t spend more than you have and you pay off what balance in full.
To balance just add the transactions that have not cleared – the money will still be there just not. A pay ahead plan.
Does that help?
Jadzia @ Toddlerisms says
Cash works very well for our shopping. I like knowing that when the money’s gone, it’s gone; an excellent way to keep my impulse purchases at bay!
Heather :) :) :) says
These are good tips. I just did my shopping for the week. I’m excited, because I’ve planned out a weeks worth of menus. I did go $5 over my goal for the week, but that’s only because I “stocked up” on two items that I know my tiny family will just burn through. They’ll last a long time, so it was worth it to buy them now. Have a good weekend. Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Meg @ Embie Online says
Skipping a shopping trip here or there has allowed us to save money! We end up with some creative meals but we found out that we didn’t HAVE to run to the store that week.
-Meg
Roxanne M Jones says
Good tips.
We are also a budget-following, credit card using family. I use cash for almost nothing. I go extended periods with no cash becasue I don’t need it.
Yesterday I went to the ATM to get some cash because I was on my way to a church rummage sale I knew would not accept checks. Somehow after paying my change of a $10 bill did not make it into my wallet. I scoured my purse and car, but the $10 is missing.
Fortunately I found several great items for pennies on the dollar we needed at the sale, so my overall expense was still well below retail. But it’s definitely an experience you only get with cash!!
Evelyn says
Thank you for sharing the great tips, Grace! I agree with your comment about cash. Spending cash at the grocery store does keep me within budget 🙂
I also look out for the Buy One Get One Free deals at the stores. Another helpful tip I learned from a friend: purchase meats that have been marked down (due to dates).
Johnlyn says
I agree about cash – it was changing over to cash from using our credit card (that was paid in full every month) that hurt!!!
I’m such a visual person that I think that is why it works best for me. We’re all so different I wonder if that is why cash doesn’t work as well for others.
Grace says
Our store has 3 size carts. I grab the smallest one that suits our needs. Limited room seems to help 🙂
Emilie says
It all takes time and effort! It also takes consistency!
I have found that having a price that I will pay for something helps me know when to buy it. For example: I will not but pasta for more than $1 a box. I stock up when it is that price or cheaper. It has taken me at least 6 months to know the “good” price on quite a few items. I cring when someone tells me about a deal they found and to me it is not a deal at all.
When I first started, I spent 2 hours (on a Saturday night) at the grocery store with a notebook and calculator. I went aisle by asile calculating which size of the items that I normally bought were the best deal. I also compared it to the store brand for things I knew would not matter. I entered into a table on ms word and then that is my grocery list each week. I print it and highlight the items that I need and/or are on sale. I paperclip any coupons to the sheet. When I look at the ad I can then tell if something is really on sale or only 3 cents off (true story).
It takes time and effort but I figure the time I spent intially saves me a lot of money now.
A friend of mine used his first coupon the other day and told me he now understood why I take the time to do it. I told him, that if I spend an hour on Saturday morning clipping printed coupons, comparing ads and planning my meals and can save $20 or more that week, I compare that to making $20 an hour, an amount I consider a good hourly wage!
lizajane says
I had to laugh when I read this: “I cring when someone tells me about a deal they found and to me it is not a deal at all”
I do that when I see a sale advertised at store and I think why are they advertising it? that’s a lousy price!
My pet peeve is also “buy 1 get 1 free” sales. Sometimes they are good deals, but not when they jack the price way high on the first item and then you can only use ONE coupon. Some stores will ring up each of the items at 1/2 the combined price so it might still be a good deal and you might be able to use two coupons, but not all.
It just really pays to know what is a “good ” price and what is just pennies off the normal price.
Michelle @ Simplify, Live, Love says
I do just about all of these. When I first transitioned to cash, I was also a little afraid, but I haven’t had any problems. I don’t take it all with me, and I do have credit and debit cards, so there are always options if I go over and don’t have enough cash. A couple of times I have had to pay part cash, part debit or part credit. I pay myself back and it’s no big deal. We have really cut our spending by using cash. And I kind of like it!
What also helps me a lot is having a target price for groceries. Since I’ve been watching grocery prices for several years, I have an idea of how low they go. I compiled a price point list here, if you’re curious. I’m sure this varies a lot regionally, but this is my target for Midwestern shopping in rural Iowa:
http://www.simplifylivelove.com/2011/09/my-grocery-price-point-list.html
I also stick mostly to loss leaders. Planning my menu according to what’s on sale is great and I think it helps me eat more in tune with the seasons. I just wrote a post about that that and it’s here: http://www.simplifylivelove.com/2012/03/why-i-shop-lost-leaders-when-i-can.html
Great post!
Emily @ Our Frugal Happy Life says
Love your list! I like seeing other people’s prices.
I just updated my “buy prices” in February:
http://ourfrugalhappylife.blogspot.com/search/label/2012%20Buy%20Prices
I liv in rural Central Wisconsin. I have target prices for groceries, household items and health & beauty items. Knowing my prices is a fantastic way to save $!
Lana says
One tip I would add is to keep your food stockpile and freezers organized so that you know what you have and do not waste food.
Andrea says
So true! We put extra ice in our freezer to make it run more efficiently. A few weeks ago, I pulled out what I thought was ice…turned out it was $40 of grass-fed beef! Thankfully, it was still good.
Sarah says
This is a major plus, not organizing what you have you do tend to waste food. I get in the habit when I organize if I fear I will waste it (by not having the chance to eat it before it would go off I give it to our neighbor as they really need it ! So , I never waste any in this manner.
becca says
awesome tips
Mary says
Those were great tips! I’m another person who can’t use cash. I make sure I stay under budget though and use a debit card.
Another thing I do that helps me save money, is to be willing to change my weekly menu if I find a great sale on meat or produce.
Grazia @ South Main Avenue says
I agree with John. Having a calculator really helps. I am not brand loyal so weight/volumes/ quantity per package usually makes the decision for me.
John says
One thing we do is to always make sure we have a calculator with us. I compare prices all the time by weight/volume to make sure that I always get the best price for either size or brand. Sometimes the generic is still cheaper than buying brand name even when using sales & coupons.
Samantha says
I use cash when I shop, but my mother in law uses her credit card to get her groceries. She has a set amount for groceries in cash, uses her card, then pays the balance and still gets points for using her card. We don’t even have a debit card and it’s not something we are interested in, but it works for them and they get something back for it. =]
Leighann says
We actually just got approved for a credit card, which is a wonderful step in the right direction of Having Good Credit. It’s not extra money for us each month, it’s still our same money. When you think of what you spend as “This is my money that’s in there, I cannot spend more than [predetermined amount],” it’s no different than if you are spending cash.
I currently use my debit card when I’m shopping and I don’t spend over my budgeted amount. I know going in what my max is, and I keep a little calculator to let me estimate what my total cost is going to be. If I start getting up to that total and haven’t gotten everything on the list, things start getting put back. I don’t go over my budged amount because I know that, whether I’m paying with cash or with my debit card, it’s all coming from the same place.
With cash? I panic about even having the cash on me, because if I get mugged or lose my purse, that cash is gone!
Carrie says
I know just what you mean about the panicky feeling with having cash on me, but once I actually started carrying it on me, I got used to it and it doesn’t really bother me anymore. In our family, I know that *I* could stick to a budget and still use my debit card, but my husband just can’t do it, so we started carrying cash.
If you want to give cash a try, try putting it in one of those plastic accordion envelopes. I like doing it that way because I can divide my cash into categories an who’s going to think that I have a bunch of cash in a plastic accordion envelope???
K* says
While that sounds like a good idea in theory, if you live in an unsafe area or travel through one, a thief isn’t going to be deterred by your hidden cash. If anything, the attacker will be angry that you aren’t cooperating more quickly, and you stand to lose much more than just some money.
Spending significant amounts of time in Philadelphia has made me a little too street-savvy, it seems.
Heather says
Um yeah – as someone who has had twenty dollar bills taken out of her purse while in Philly (having no clue that they were taken) I agree
Stacey says
Good tips, Grace. Thanks for sharing.
I am one of those people who only buys something if it is on sale, preferably matched with a coupon. If I’m out of something I need, I just wait to make that recipe until the item goes on sale. I pretty much refuse to pay full price 🙂
One area I disagree is your last point about using cash instead of credit. I’m one of those people who spends more when using cash than when using a credit card. For me, having the lowest possible credit card statement (which is always paid in full each and every month) is better motivation than using cash. I just plain spend less than if I use cash. I think different things work for different people.
Heather says
Me too! I was using the cash envelope system and all of that money got spent each week – every single dollar. But I started using a debit card instead – and never spent the full amount again. It was amazing – I was able to tuck away the extra each week that I didn’t spend into our savings and watch that account grow.
K* says
I agree with you! I am a law student whose school is in a fairly unsafe major city, and I don’t want to carry cash around. I think a lot of these tips work well for people in rural areas, or suburban areas, but using public transit makes it very, very inconvenient to run home to grab the cash envelope in order to get groceries and run errands and carrying cash on my person is just a terrible choice when friends of mine have been mugged at gun or knifepoint for doing same.
Someone once advised me (not on this website) that Dave Ramsey would say that “credit card companies” are mugging me each month with their interest, so it would still be better for me to get attacked than to dare use one of those dirty, filthy credit cards. I said thanks but no thanks. 😛
Emily @ Our Frugal Happy Life says
Oh my gosh! What terrible advice! 🙁 I can’t believe someone would even compare the two.
And the credit card companies can’t “mug” you with interest if you pay it in full every month! 😉 We’ve always had a credit card and have never paid a single cent more than we charged.
Charity says
I think the main thing is just staying within the limitations that you have set. It’s about *discipline*, rather than using cash or debit/credit.