THIS IS PART TWO IN A THREE PART SERIES.
IF YOU MISSED PART ONE YOU CAN READ IT HERE
The Grocery retailers know how to get us to buy product! How many times have you gone to the store for milk or bread and come home with a whole cartload of stuff? Retailers are a major marketing machine. They know how to arrange the store and place items so that you are tempted to buy.
I buy groceries, but I am careful about what I buy and when. Here are some of my stragaties for buying the most for the least amount of money.
1. BUY MOSTLY SALE ITEMS.
When I go grocery shopping I buy mainly items on sale. usually 80% of my cart is sale items, the other part is usually staple items.
2. MAKE SURE THAT A SALE ITEM IS REALLY ON SALE
Do the math. 3 for $5=$1.67, 4 for $7=$1.75 I personally saw people loading up their carts with an item listed at 3 for $5 thinking that they had a smoking hot deal. Upon closer examination the item was normally priced at $1.68. My brother had a simailar experience. A place that he frequents has candy at the register priced at ten cents. He went in one day and noticed a sign stating "special 8 for $1". He asked the cashier about it. The cashier said that he had sold a ton of the product. People were taking notice and buying in groups of eight. It just made my brother laugh. He said to the cashier "Do people not know how to do simple math?" Pay attention and know if it is a good deal or not. As a side note, When the sign says 4 for $10 do you really have to buy 4? The answer is NO! The power of suggestion is strong and retailers know that. You can buy just one or two most of the time. There are exceptions and usally it is stated in the fine print. It will usually state something like this; 4 for $5 or $1.59 each.
3. READ THE ADS.
When you look at the ad you have an idea about what specials are going on. You can make a list of things you want to buy that are on sale. A good place to make a list is grocerysmarts The site matches up coupons with the sale prices. They also have a stock up scale that I like. three gray stars means it is on sale this week. Four red stars means pay attention this is a pretty good deal. Five red stars means it is a really good deal and it is a time to stock up.
4. STOCK UP YOUR PANTRY AND FREEZER WHEN PRICES ARE LOW
buying items when they are on sale is a great way to save. Buying not just what you need now, but for later is advisable. Many of the items we buy come on sale in a cycle. The cycle is usually 3-4 months between good sales. Buy 3-4 months worth of product to get you through until the next big sale on that item.
5. CREATE YOUR MENU AROUND SALE ITEMS AND WHAT IS IN YOUR PANTRY AND FREEZER
Buying everything for a meal all at once can really hit you in the pocketbook. Pasta, and pasta sauce are an example of things that you never really see on sale together. Buy the pasta when it is on sale. Buy the sauce when it is on sale. keep in your pantry until ready to be married together.The other night I made a really great dinner. I found shrimp on sale that day for a great price. I paired it up with pasta from my pantry, and made a nice Alfredo sauce with the supplies I keep on hand. I had fixings for a salad in my fridge. The only thing I bought at full price was some french bread. The price of that meal (had I bought everything that day at full price) would have been a real budget buster. By buying each piece of the meal on sale and then putting them together later I really saved. I really can live a champagne life on a beer budget.
6. BUY IN SEASON
Buying produce in season is always a good idea, you get better product and better prices. Yes, you can buy strawberries in November, but they are really pricy and been shipped from halfway around the world.
This advice is also for other foods as well. Right now we are heading for BBQ season. It will be a great time to stock up on kechup, mustard, spices etc. Fall time is a great time to stock up on baking supplies.
With a little bit of planning you too can save a substantial amount on groceries Take time to know what is on sale at your store, plan meals around sale items and you too can live a champagne life.
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