Saving Money at the Grocery Store: Without Coupons

Amy Hannold, FamilyTimeandMoney.com

Buy the produce that is on sale: Put seasonal produce on your menu. You can glance at the price of frozen produce to compare, but usually seasonal is cheaper.

Buy produce in bulk: Buy 5 pound of carrots, peel and slice them yourself. You’ll get more for your money. Peel and slice them in large quantities, packing them in separate bags for a few days of lunches. If you’re concerned about wilting, store them in a shallow, covered box of cold water in the refrigerator.

Farmer’s Markets, Fruit Stands, and U-Pick (when available). When you pick and freeze your produce, it’ll be a blessing through the winter. Find a friend who has fruit, or knows where to find it in your community. Barter with them and perhaps you can strike a deal for something they have stored in their freezer.

Meat Department: Here’s where a whole lot of our grocery dollars go. Whether you are a meal planner or not, you can save money when you buy more than one portion of the meat that is on sale. When chicken is a deal, buy enough for two weeks. Cook one, freeze one for next week. Buy meat in larger packages. Ask your store’s meat staff for assistance in transforming larger cuts of meat into individual, freezer-friendly portions. While they’re slicing your purchase, ask them for a new preparation idea – you’ll be bringing home value and variety for your money. Once you’ve found out when they markdown their meat, plan a visit and buy what you can, for less.

Loss Leaders: Grocery stores compete and catch attention with the items they put on sale. Loss leaders are the items which are featured at a considerable discount, which “leads” shoppers to their store for all of their grocery shopping. It’s no deal to drive to store to store for all the loss leaders, so choose a store which offers the greatest amount of savings for you this week.

Shoppers Savings Strategy: Overall, your goal is to buy what you need at the lowest price. When you buy on sale, buy enough (within your budget) to last you until the next sale. Sales typically rotate in a 13-week cycle. When you buy on sale, you save yourself more expensive (and inconvenient) purchases between sales.

Find Grocery Deals, Create a Shopping List, Compare Nutritional Information and Save Money:

MyGroceryDeals.com is a free, shopper-friendly website which leads you through the process of finding the best deal, for the items you want. Dietary and allergy considerations can be input into your profile. You’ll receive email alerts when updates corresponding to your shopping interests are posted. If there are online coupons available, you’ll be given the direct link.

http://www.mygrocerydeals.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=site.dspHome