Save Money on Groceries

To save money on groceries — learn to recognize good prices.

Being familiar with regular prices in order to recognize a good bargain when you see one is absolutely vital. This is a very important skill to develop, and an important step in controlling your grocery budget.

Always comparison-shop prices in the grocery ads, and compare prices on different brands of the same item any time you're at the store.

Create a Simple Worksheet

Begin by creating a worksheet with columns in which you will record items, dates, and prices. Next, list ten to twenty items that you consistently use. These things should come easily to your mind: bread, milk, oranges, cornflakes, chicken, toothpaste - these types of things. (This worksheet might be a repeat of your regular grocery shopping list.)

For example:

Over the next several weeks, jot down the price of each of these items whenever you see one in the ads or in the stores, even though you may not be buying it at that time.

If you are willing to devote several hours to this project, create your worksheet and visit several different stores and jot down the various prices on the different brands for the 40 or 50 items you use most. Though prices may fluctuate, you will soon recognize a normal price range for each item.

Shop Using Your Best Skills

The key to using the skill of comparison shopping is to buy only enough regularly priced "needs" to get by until you see a sale on them and you can stock up. Then buy your selected specials as wisely as you can with your workable amount.

The idea on buying the bargains is to buy more than you absolutely need in order to get a ready supply at home. This is how you save money. When an item is on sale at a good price, you stock up. Then when that item returns to full price, you needn't buy it again - you will already have a supply on hand.

My husband and I figure we save approximately $1,000 per year on groceries just by buying in bulk at stores like Sam's Club and Costco.
                  Shirley M.

In addition to traditional supermarkets, there are many other outlets that sell groceries, many of which don't advertise. For the greatest buying power, you should consider discount drug stores, membership clubs, mass merchandisers, day-old bread outlets, dollar stores, small specialty shops, farmers markets, and many others.

Many times they offer traditional supermarket items - paper goods, health and beauty products, detergents, soaps, canned goods, and so on - at significantly lower prices than you would pay for the same items in a grocery store.

Stocking up

Stocking up on sale items you use consistently is crucial to filling your preparedness pantry.

Just for the record, "stocking up" doesn't mean you need a semi truck to bring home your groceries. For some people, "stocking up" means bringing home a case or two of canned goods every shopping trip. For others, it means buying four cans of soup instead of one. Some people may "stock up" with bulk buys; a 100 pounds of oats or 50 pounds of dry milk. Others have "stocked up" by buying a 25-pound bag of flour instead of a 5-pound bag. It's not a competition of who can buy the most the fastest. It's figuring out what will work for you and following through.

Stocking up on the food you are used to eating will, in the long run, save money on groceries. Just don't forget to rotate it.

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