Remember when moms used to clip coupons in preparation for their weekly shopping trips? Well, they had the right idea. Coupons are the easiest way to instantly cut costs from a grocery bill. And shoppers don’t have to bother clipping and organizing like their mothers had to; today, most coupons are available on the internet, allowing people to simply click and print. If a copy of the Sunday paper isn't available, try coupons.smartsource.com, redplum.com, coupons.com or coupomom.com for the latest savings.
Use the Buddy System
Shopping with a friend or family member when the supermarket is having two-for-one deals can save a lot of money. Both shoppers will be able to get the item half price, without having more of it than is needed and possibly letting it go to waste.
Share a membership to a wholesale grocery store with a friend to get groceries at a retailer’s discount. Clubs like BJ’s, Costco, Sam’s and Restaurant Depot offer low prices on bulk quantities, making them an ideal choice for families. Even without a large family, splitting the bulk with a friend still allows shoppers to enjoy a discounted price.
Shop in Season or Grow at Home
When shopping for produce, make sure to buy what’s in season. Fruits and vegetables are expensive to begin with, and when they’re not in season or have been shipped a long distance, their prices go up tremendously. Consider what's local, these will likely be your lowest priced produce options. Otherwise, stick to the seasons, buying berries in summer, apples in autumn, citrus in winter, peas in spring. For a more complete list, check out Erin Huffstetler’s “ The Cheapest Fruits and Vegetables Month-By-Month.”
For those who want to exercise their green thumb, planting produce in a small backyard garden is a great way to save. Tomatoes, green beans, zucchini, squash and carrots are popular choices for growing at home, and often yield just enough in a season to feed a family of two to four. The only investment is the price of seeds and some gardening time.
Don’t Shop on an Empty Stomach
Shopping while hungry is a recipe for disastrous overspending. It’s simple, when someone is hungry, they want to eat; if they are literally surrounded by floor-to-ceiling aisles of food, their ability to resist the urge to buy everything that their hungry for is going to be lower than if their stomach wasn’t growling to be fed. If it’s not mealtime, shoppers should have a small snack before going to the grocery store; something as small as a handful of grapes or a granola bar should be able to stave off hunger long enough to get them through a shopping trip without overbuying.
Hire a Babysitter
Leaving the kiddos at home and shopping solo keeps busy moms from being distracted from their shopping list, and will prevent any sugary snacks from suspiciously finding their way into the shopping cart. Foods marketed toward kids are often made with smaller portions and more packaging. What’s worse is that these kids’ foods often cost as much or more than the regular “grown-up” selection of the same thing.
When a kid is asking for these foods, it is easy to just want to give in after a while and buy the more expensive brand. However, if shopping alone, moms don’t have to worry about constant questions from the little ones about “pleeeeeease can I have it?” or potential pouts if the answer is no.
Stick to the List
Make sure to use a grocery list. Most people make these lists, but few remember to bring them to the store with them. This leaves a lot of open ends to buy things that are appealing, but that shoppers don’t necessarily need. Shopping with a physical list helps people keep focus, and once they’ve retrieved all items listed, they won’t need to peruse the aisles to make sure they’ve remembered everything.
It's also helpful to plug in shopping lists online, and having groceries delivered at home. This is a quick way to find everything needed and add drop it in the shopping cart without having to actually walk through the aisles of the store, potentially being distracted by other items that aren't needed. Many grocery delivery services offer free shipping on a customer's first order, or if they buy over a certain amount, so the extra cost of delivery shouldn't be a concern.
Whether in store or online, shoppers should refrain from buying something just because it’s a deal. Grocery stores love to have sales where if buying one pack is two dollars, but buying two packs is only three. If two packs of the item is what is genuinely needed by the shopper, then yes, this is a deal. However, if the shopping list says only one is needed, then an extra dollar is being spent where it wouldn't have been otherwise.
Shop Generic and Compare True Value
Buy generic items whenever possible. Basic foods like canned vegetables, pastas, milk and such are all virtually identical to their brand-name counterparts and cost far less. Read labels and comparison shop for ingredients and quantity. If two products have the same ingredients, but one has a few more ounces in the package than the other, and they both are the same price, buy the one with the higher quantity.
Package Snacks at Home
Instead of purchasing the increasingly popular snack packs offered for many foods, buy a regular quantity of the snack you like and package them in plastic baggies or containers. It takes a bit more time at home to section out these snacks, but it can save a lot of money and a lot of waste. If packing snacks for school lunches, have the kids pitch in; this will not only help get the job done faster, but will also help teach them appropriate portion sizes.
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Maureen Rousseau - Maureen Rousseau is a New England native currently living in London, UK. She earned a BA in English from Providence College and has ...
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