Penny Savers
Simple budgeting and saving money skills based on old-fashioned tips, ideas, and values.
CONTENTS
The Grocers, Part 1- Comparative Shopping
The Grocers, Part 2 - General Tips
Saving at the Grocers, Part 2 - General Tips
Here are a few tips to help you save when you grocery shop. Most of these tips require very little effort and can be quickly and easily.
Coupons – I am not an avid coupon clipper because I don’t purchase a lot that offers coupons. However, on certain items I will do a quick check online to see if the manufacturers have any deals. This takes me about five minutes.
Keep ahead – KNOW what you have and on what you are running low. When my laundry soap is halfway gone I start watching for it to go on sale. I always look to see if staples such as flour, sugar, rolled oats, and canned tomatoes are on sale and buy one or two if they are. If you keep up with what you have and what you will need soon you have the flexibility and option to purchase things on sale instead of full price.
Check your prices – When I’m shopping I write down the price of what I am buying next to the item on my list. This helps me keep track of what is being spent and it also helps verify that I am being charged the correct price at checkout. Twice I have been overcharged by $.05 -$0.12 on several items in one trip – I took the issue up with the store’s manager and not only did he refund the overcharged amount (including the free items because the price was wrong) he gave me a $10 gift card for the next time I checked out.
Know the store policies – Most of the stores in our area give you an item free if the price rung up is not the same as on the store shelf or in the ad. There are also stores that will price match on certain items.
Stick to your budget – I have a monthly grocery budget that I average to what is generally available for each week. Even when shopping for things to stock up I never go more than $10 over my budget. Since I plan ahead it is just not necessary to buy ten bags of flour or 64 rolls of toilet paper at once. Buying too much for the future can steal from your current needs and in most cases doesn’t really save you any more money. Staying within your defined budget (or very close to it) develops the discipline you need to keep from going into debt and/or get out of debt and begin saving. Remember, there will always be another great sale next week.
Time is money (and gas) – Even though finding the best deal around town for each item on your grocery list sounds like the right thing to do it is often a waste of money. First, the obvious – every trip to each subsequent grocery store eats up gas and puts more wear and tear on your car. Yes, the stores may all be within a five mile radius of where you live but when you factor in every stop and start of your car, turning the engine off and on, and sitting at the red lights you are most likely spending more money on gas than you are saving at each stop. Second, your time is worth money. When you spend three or four hours running to four or five stores you are using time that could be spent on other more important and needful things (or you just wear yourself out and are too tired to do these things). I keep my grocer’s visits to two stores (a farmer’s market style store and a regular grocer) once a week and allot no more than an hour and half to two hours. My time is more valuable being home instructing my children, keeping a home, and making healthy meals than driving all over town for a ten cent cost difference.
Saving at the Grocers - Part 1, Comparative Shopping
Most everyone has heard to “buy what is in season” in regards to saving money buying fruit. This same principle can and should be applied to other areas of shopping. Here are some areas where it really pays to compare prices:
Meat – Learn to look at the prices of ALL types of meat – briskets, stew meat, roasts, etc. Often I have found that the cost of brisket or a roast is less than ground beef. I purchase the brisket and make my own ground beef in the food processor. You can check to see if the butcher will grind the meat for you – sometimes butchers will do it for free. Be sure to look also at stew meat as well – it can be chopped up in the processor for ground beef. (It is VERY simple and easy to make your own ground beef!) When roasts are on sale I stock up because one roast can usually give me at least two meals and sometimes three or even four! Chicken and pork have fewer selections but look at all varieties as well. Don’t forget to check out the marked down meat section as well!
Fruit Juices – if you purchase fruit juices be sure to check the price of the ready-to-serve bottles and compare them with the concentrates. Our local grocers have had 64 oz ready-to-serve jugs available for $2.29 while the least expensive concentrate is currently $2.59.
Breads – if you purchase bread be sure to check out the bakery area for good deals. When I am unable to bake regular bread for our family I’ll stop by the grocer’s bakery to see what they have. Often, I have gone early in the morning and asked the baker for loaves they are putting on day old – less than 24 hours have elapsed so the bread will still be fresh. Even full price bakery bread can be less expensive than a regular shelf loaf and can even be better for you!
Canned Tomatoes – stewed tomatoes can easily be turned into puree with a food processor. They can also easily be diced and tossed into a mason jar and, at least in our area, stewed whole tomatoes tend to be easily $0.50 less a can. A 32 ounce can of pureed tomatoes (or stewed that has been processed) can be dumped into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and turned into tomato sauce. I can get about 28 ounces of sauce for around $2 or $3 instead of $0.90 for a 4-ounce can.
Cheese – Block cheese is generally the best value; however, there are times when the grocers will run a sale and the sliced or grated cheese will actually be less expensive. Also, check the deli area because they often will have deals on cheese that are less expensive than what is in the dairy case.
How much time does it cost?
How easy it is to run out to the local mega mart and purchase a brand new Kerdoodle that we've been dying to have. Afterall, it's on sale and a bargain at $29.99! Did you ever stop to consider how much time it takes you (or your spouse) to work to afford that Kerdoodle? If you make $12.50 an hour it will take almost three hours to pay for it when you consider that your bring home pay is closer to $11. Is that brand new Kerdoodle really worth three hours of work? Are you sure? Would you be willing to go into work on the weekend to work the extra three hours for it?
Take the time to think not just about how much something costs in terms of money but how much it costs in man hours whether it is you or your spouse working. Often we find that the new Kerdoodle isn't as much of a bargain as we thought it was!
Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose
All three of the above words mean generally the same thing - keep using something until there is no use left at all!
Our society has become so disposable that no one thinks about throwing out worn out towels or old sheets. Yet, during the Depression and WWII the towel would be cut into useable squares for cleaning and the sheet would be remade in pillowcases or curtains.
Saving money often comes from not rushing out to buy something brand new when you have something that works just as well at home. Look around your home the next time you need something - do you need appliques to cover up the holes on your daughter's outfits? Find an old stained shirt or dress and cut out little shapes - you can either stitch or use fusable webbing to attach it the garment.
Before you throw anything away take a good look at it and consider if it can fill another need - would that shoebox make a nifty crayon holder if it was covered in pretty paper?
It doesn't take long to reuse, recycle, and repurpose - and it can help you save money you don't really have to spend.