RazzWorks

Everyone Shops

Everyone has to buy food. Grocery shopping is one of those dreaded tasks that we’d avoid if we could. What do you dislike the most about shopping? Is it the crowded stores, choosing what to buy or paying for it? Whatever it is I have some tips that might help make it a little less unpleasant. Keep on reading for ways to save money, plan your shopping and avoid the crowds.

Save Confusion with a List

The first step is the one so many of us don’t do at all and that is the planning. It is very helpful to have a list, know the sales and know what you already have in the kitchen/pantry. If you also plan your meals for the week that helps tremendously.

Ok, so where do we start? I would recommend looking through your weekly flyers for sales first. Or go to your grocery store’s website and check out their online flyer. Most stores have them now.

Make a list of everything that is on sale that you would normally buy. A word of warning about sales though; just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean it’s the best deal. Check the prices on store brands or generic products before deciding. If you’ve never tried generic you should. I’ve rarely found any that we don’t like though there are a few exceptions. It’s worth trying and you might be pleasantly surprised.

Save Stress with a Meal Plan

Next, we need to find out what is already in the kitchen. Then we will make a meal plan using what we already have paired with sale items from the flyers. If you haven’t done this before you could start with just your main meal each day for one week. After that, it’s not hard to add breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Remember to include all the ingredients you will need to make each meal plus any beverages as well. Anything you don’t currently have goes on your shopping list with the sale items you will need. Be very thorough with your list. Check what cleaning and personal hygiene items you might need and add those on as well if you’re like me and buy it all at the grocery store.

Now we have a complete list we can follow so we don’t impulsively throw things in the cart because it looks good at the time. Another important point to help prevent impulse shopping is to eat before you go. I’m sure you’ve all heard it before but you’ll find it much easier to stick to your list if you don’t shop hungry.

Save frustration with Timing

So when are we going shopping? That’s the next point. If you want to avoid the crowds most stores are less busy early in the morning and late in the evening. I’ve found in my area that Mondays and Tuesdays are also quieter. You may have to experiment or ask the staff. Myself, I also like to go when they’ve filled the clearance bins which at one store is always first thing Tuesday morning. If you don’t know, again, ask the staff at your preferred retailer.

Save your Bank Account with a Budget

Have I forgotten anything about planning? Ah yes, budget! Everyone should have a well-planned budget so you know exactly where all your money is going and how much you can put in savings each month. Groceries are an important part of that budget. I’m no expert on budgeting but a basic layout of all incoming money, as well as all money you need to pay out each month, would be a great start.

Save on Clutter with Smart Choices

There’s a very important topic I haven’t touched on yet and I think it’s important to get it in here before we start shopping. That topic is wants vs needs. Maybe you have enough money that you can buy whatever you want but somehow I doubt that since you are here reading this.

To make sure you always stay within your allotted budget, you should look after your needs first. Wants come second and only if the budget allows. Needs are any item that you cannot do without. Beyond the basics of water, shelter, and food it is up to you to decide when something is a want rather than a need. It’s different for each person

For example; I lived a very simple, frugal life when I was raising my children (still do). For me disposable diapers were a want – I used cloth. Individual servings of pudding, yogurt, snacks, etc was very much a luxury. I made snacks from scratch and packed them in plastic containers for the kids’ school lunches.

Save your Sanity with a Treat

I don’t expect everyone to live like this so you understand how I can’t determine for you what is a want vs need. Just be realistic and honest with yourself. At the same time, we would feel deprived if we never allowed ourselves a treat.

You could pick a day maybe once a month to allow the whole family a special treat. Cook a meal you don’t normally make because the ingredients are too expensive. This could be a reward for sticking to your list and budget for the whole month.

Let’s go shopping!

In the grocery store, there are a few things you want to notice. Keep an eye out for special sale stickers like ‘Manager’s special’ or other in-store sales that were not in the flyer. These are usually marked down quite a lot.

Also, be cautious around the ends of aisles. Sales are usually placed here but as I already mentioned they may not be the best deal you can get. This is when you start doing true comparison shopping.

Smart Shoppers Check Unit Pricing

You can’t just compare one jar of jam with another jar of a different brand. Maybe they aren’t the same size. On the edge of the shelf is a price tag for the item and if you look closely there is also what is called a ‘unit price’. It is typically the price per oz/grams or price per item if multiple same items are sold together as in bathroom tissue. See the image below for an example. Notice how a larger package doesn’t always mean a lower unit price. Unit pricing makes it possible to compare different sizes across various brands.

Smart Shoppers Beware Coupons and Bulk

I want to talk for a moment about a couple of ideas that might not be what you’ve heard elsewhere. Specifically about bulk buying and coupons. I just want to make sure you don’t fall for the idea that these are always money savers. Bulk is only great if you check the unit price and it is actually cheaper than buying in smaller quantities. Don’t assume it will automatically be cheaper.

The same goes for coupons which are generally for brand-name items. While generic may be just as good for a much lower price. Coupons do sometimes come in handy if you like a particular product/ brand that is a bit pricey. You can at least reduce the price by a little.

Smart Shoppers have a budget for Super-Sales

Now I’m going to break one of my own rules. There is an exception to the hard and fast rule ‘stick to your list’. If there is a clearance or in-store special that is what I call a ‘super sale’, as in you’ve never seen it marked down so low in your life, haven’t seen it this cheap in years, then you have to buy it! Some planning may be required before you can truly take advantage of these awesome sales though. If you haven’t yet saved any money for bulk purchases you may be able to substitute the super-sale item for something else on your list. Such as one piece of meat for the other or certain snack foods for cheaper ones.

Here’s a method Razz used for years so he could take advantage of incredible sales. You start with a budget. Each time you shop you aim to come in under that budget. The extra money gets put away for bulk purchasing sale items. If you can come in $20 under budget each week then in one month you’d have $80 for taking advantage of the best sales. Razz had a year’s worth of juice boxes for his kids’ lunches as well as snacks by using this method.

Our best deal!

About six years ago Razz and I stopped in at a clearance center that was closing out. They had lots of incredible sales. We bought Christmas gifts for family and friends as well as things for our own household. Our best savings by far was shampoo. We saw they had a few unopened boxes and asked about the price. I believe the sign said 2/$1.00 which was a decent sale but Razz asked “What if I buy a whole box?”. I think the price came down to 2/$0.75. We then inquired how many boxes did they have. I can’t remember exactly how many but no less than 6 so we offered to buy them all and ended up paying only $0.25 per bottle. We’re still using it 6 years later but we are finally on our last box. Luckily shampoo doesn’t have a shelf-life to worry about.

Smart Shoppers Check Expiry dates

When purchasing large amounts of perishable items take into consideration how much you can reasonably consume and when the product’s expiry date is. If you shop weekly maybe try just buying enough to last one month. You’ll save a little more by not having to purchase this item for the next few weeks so you’ll again build up your savings for sale items. If you don’t understand feel free to ask questions. I’ll answer the best I can.

Smart Shoppers Check Clearance Shelves

The last area you can look for extra savings at the grocery store is clearance bins/racks. Yes, much of what is found there is overripe fruit and vegetables but sometimes, and in some stores, great things can be found. At one of our local stores, we often find canned goods, salad dressing, and sauces, as well as seasonal non-food items. More than once we’ve even found brand name cookies marked down to $0.99! We don’t usually buy brand-name cookies but these were a wonderful treat.

Even overripe fruit and vegetables can be useful. I sometimes pick up bananas from the clearance bin, freeze them in the skins and use them for baking. Soft tomatoes can be boiled down into pasta sauce while onions and celery can be used to make stock. Try to think creatively when looking at clearance items.

I know I’ve covered a lot of material here and yet I feel like I left so much out. Maybe one day I’ll write about something similar again. Don’t forget that many of these tips can be applied to other types of shopping as well, like hardware, clothing, pet supplies, etc. The point is to always shop smart, think about, and plan for shopping trips no matter what you’re looking for. Impulse purchases are rarely wise purchases.

Please leave a comment and tell me your best money-saving tip or story. I’d love to hear it!

Roze