Food is a necessity of life. Spending a lot on food, however, is not. Gone are the days when a single store had the monopoly on America's food-spending dollar. And with the expansion of competition, consumers have more options than ever.
What Does This Mean?
There is no one store that will always have the lowest prices, regardless of how often they tout that very concept. Using sales flyers and coupons will often result in lower prices. This includes the bulk warehouses. When compared to regular prices found in grocery stores, the savings may seem considerable. However, when compared to sale prices made even lower with coupons, the savings can be paltry or nonexistent. The price may even be more.
Sales Flyers
Flyers come out once a week, most often in the Sunday newspaper, though some stores start their sales on Friday, so their flyers can be found in the Thursday newspaper. Scouring the flyers each week can give a feel for how much items should cost. Keep in mind, this is not saying how much the items do cost when browsing the store shelves. Rather, how much consumers should pay based on regular sale prices.
While looking in the flyers each week, get an idea of how often things go on sale, what a good sale price is as opposed to a mediocre sale price, and who tends to have better prices on particular items.
When it comes to groceries, thinking outside the box can often result in lower prices as well. Flyers for drug stores or department stores advertise food items as well, and frequently at a comparable or lower price than the grocery stores. Even discount stores, such as Big Lots, can offer considerable savings on popular items.
Coupons
The Sunday paper usually offers packets of coupons, in addition to the sales flyers. Coupons can also be found online at several reputable sites. And some stores now offer coupons that will print out with sales receipts, as well.
The key to using coupons effectively lies in pairing them with the weekly sales. Finding a good sale price in a flyer is great, but having a coupon for that same item is even better.
Keep in mind that most grocery stores will double manufacturer coupons up to 99 cents. Some stores will even run promotions where they will double coupons up to one dollar, or triple coupons up to 99 cents. Keep eyes open to find the best deal.
Another tip? Many stores will allow one manufacturer coupon and one store coupon for the same item. This means that if the store is running a coupon promotion for a carton of orange juice, for example, if you have a manufacturer coupon for that same carton of O.J., you can use both. Just look on the top of the coupon to see if it says “store coupon” or “manufacturer coupon.”
Make a List
If possible, shop more than one grocery store. Sit down with the flyers and coupons, and compile lists for each store to determine who has the best prices on the most items. If an item has a great price on just one item, it may not be worth the price of gas. But having several deals could make it worth the effort. Shop with lists in hand, and only buy the items on the list. This prevents impulse shopping, which can greatly increase spending.
More Great Tips
Stock up on items used frequently. This prevents last-minute shopping for something that runs out, and often paying more for that crunch-time trip.
Don’t pay full price for anything, unless you know the full price at that store is cheaper than the sale price at any other store. Some stores will have great regular prices on items. For example, items such as milk and eggs are often cheaper at convenience stores or drug stores. And they rarely go on sale.
Don’t forget the dollar stores. Many dollar stores offer food items, and while the price may not always be a good deal, on occasion the savings are considerable. Manufacturers will sometimes have overstock items, and they sell these items to discount retailers, including dollar stores.
Shop around. Getting a feel for different stores in the area and what they offer can save money on just about everything. Know the stores and make an educated decision. And keep that wallet full.
Vanessa Kelman - Vanessa E. Kelman writes out of East Hartford, Conn. She can be found online at www.VanessaKelman.com.
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