Groceries: Everyone has to buy them, and the price of feeding an individual or family seems to take an increasing share of the average person’s allocated budget these days. Most people try to save money when purchasing groceries, but the secret to truly saving money is to approach this problem from a multitude of angles. Most critical is to recognize that saving money means spending time. It’s part of the trade-off. However, the additional time spent toward taking the following steps to save on groceries will also likely result in a healthier diet, more home-cooked meals, and greater support for local farmers.
Step 1: The Coupon Game
Everyone who shops for groceries knows the coupon game. It’s clipping, clipping, clipping, and still having to remember to bring them to the grocery store. There is no magic formula for organizing these infinitely annoying but necessary slips of paper. The best system of coupon organization is the one that works for you. It’s not necessary to invest any money in this organizational process and disregard anyone who tells you otherwise. A simple envelope or paperclip can function perfectly as your coupon organizer, as long as you actually know what coupons you have and use them.
There are a few tricks you can use to make these pesky pieces of paper your friend. Some of them include clipping coupons you will actually use. The more flexible you can be in your grocery choices, the more coupons will serve you. There’s a real question about value; however, when you end up using a coupon for a more expensive product, only to have the coupon bring the price down to an equally desirable substitute.
Coupons do not always make for the best value. If you can be a flexible shopper, you will have a greater choice in deciding not only which coupons to use but also whether they are worth the trouble in the long run.
When you do find coupons for products you need or want, it’s important to capitalize on their value. Shopping at grocery stores that allow double or triple coupon days make your purchase yield significantly more value. Look for in-store coupons as well, but don’t fall victim to buying products you don’t really need just because the coupon makes it a great deal.
Just about every church or community group has clubs for die-hard coupon fans, and you may want to spend some energy here exchanging coupons you don’t want for others you do if it appeals to you socially. In terms of actually saving money at the grocery store, this method is a mere supplement to your own search for coupons.
Perhaps a better option is to keep friends and family members on the alert for coupons for products that suit you and your family. These individuals already care about you and will have a tendency to anticipate your needs better. Another option is to buy multiple copies of the Sunday or Wednesday newspapers, particularly when you know a worthwhile offer (that meets your particular needs) is available.
Did You Know
Shopping bulk or using coupons is not always the best way to save money on your groceries.
Step 2: Make a List for the Grocery Store Every Time
No doubt everyone’s heard this old recommendation, but this is probably the most significant action you can take to save money on your groceries. It’s the supplemental purchases that do the budget. Everyone at one time or another has come home from the grocery store with a carload of groceries, only to discover that the item he or she went to the store to purchase didn’t get bought.
This leads to the dreaded second trip to the grocery store, and that could land you in big financial trouble. As much as you’ve heard it before, pay attention to this rule, and you will find extra change in your pocket at the end of the month. Can you or will you allow yourself or your children an extra item at the grocery store you didn’t anticipate. Of course, but it’s keeping on a track that counts in the long run.
For my wise parents, each child was allowed one item of his or her choice each week at the grocery store (within reason, of course). This limited the whining and demands. It can even work with adults like yourself. Try it, and allow yourself to buy anything extra you want, not on your shopping list, but only one.
Of course, many people offering tips on how to save money on your grocery bill will advise you to buy in bulk. They are right, up to a point. If the item is something that you regularly use, you can save money. Too often, however, the shopper is lured into purchasing more of a grocery item that is really necessary. What does this equal? Waste, both food, and your financial resources. Avoid shopping bulk unless it truly makes sense for your family.
If you can pass along the extra to friends, family, or a food bank, and you can afford the extra loss to your budget, go for the bulk purchase. Otherwise, get the best value for the quantity you actually need.
Step 3: Shop at Many Different Stores and Alternative Outlets
Truly saving money on your groceries involves shopping at multiple locations; there’s just no way around it. You have to read the local newspaper, study and (more importantly) compare the ads, applying your coupons to items on sale. This means shopping at several stores, with several more chances for the temptation to reach out and grab you.
This requires discipline and energy. Yes, it is easier, more convenient, and less time-consuming to make all your major purchases at one store, but this is about saving money on your groceries, not the easy road. While at the grocery store, follow what dieticians advise, and do the bulk of your shopping within the perimeters of the store.
The already prepared, easy-to-make, pre-packaged items (and coincidentally, those with the most coupons available) are also the least healthy for you. Fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, and bread are typically the items you find in the outside aisles, and that’s where the bulk of your shopping should be done. Pricier, less healthy food is found up and down the center aisles, aimed at eye level.
If you are shopping this way, it also means that you will no doubt be doing more cooking at home. Saving money on groceries means that you have to do more cooking and baking from scratch. Yet, feeding your family this way will not only be healthier but is likely to be more enjoyable too. It does require an investment of time and energy that many working moms and dads don’t feel capable of, but beginning a change like this on a small scale (two home-cooked meals per week and gradually adding more, for example) will pay off in the long run. Saving money and eating healthier is a long-term gain, much like any valuable investment in your portfolio.
Another source of quality food, both in taste and health value, is your local farmer’s market. Here you are not only getting the most nutritious food available locally, but you are also supporting the farming community in your area. Your patronage will keep these markets open and fresh produce available. Can you save money at the local farmer’s market? Surprisingly yes. First of all, your impulse purchases are more likely to be healthier ones. Next, you can bargain with local growers. Go at the end of the session, and you can take the leftover produce off their hands for even less. Be willing to wheel and deal.
You can also apply this trick to local bakeries at the end of a business day. Many discount merchandise to move items out for the next day’s baking. Granted, you will not have the selection available to you at the beginning of the bakery’s day, but you will save substantially while still getting fresh bread and baked goods. Many major bread companies, such as Sunbeam, also have outlet stores, where bread and snacks are available for huge savings. Once again, avoid the temptation to over-buy. Get only what you know you need and will use.
Do breadmakers and pasta makers pay off? In short, no, for most people, it will simply become another kitchen utensil that goes unused, taking up precious counter or cupboard space. If you really feel that this could save you money on your groceries, buy a used machine on eBay or at a flea market. Not only will you save yourself money, but you will also prevent more waste.
What can be far more beneficial for your family than a breadmaker or pasta maker is a garden. Even planting a few vegetables that are easy to grow (tomato plants, beans, cucumbers) will yield huge results in taste for your family for the summer, and most likely, for your extended family, friends, and neighbors too.
Takeaways
Coupon clubs are best for socializing, not saving money.
Becoming a regular at your local farmer’s market helps local farmers, as well as your budget.
Shop the perimeters of the grocery store.
In the end, saving money on groceries requires an investment of time and discipline. It’s easy to slip up and make a short trip on the way home from work, sans grocery list. It’s easier to order take-out than commit to the home-cooked dinner that night. There’s just no time to clip coupons this week. You will face all of these challenges and more, yet with a determination to improve your shopping and cooking ways, you can reap benefits for years to come.