If you are anything like me, you hate to pay more for groceries. I try to minimize the amount of groceries that I buy, but when it is necessary, I try to save as much money as possible.
In order to help you do the same, I am going to share 5 of my secrets to saving money on groceries:
- Shop by Unit Price—Refer to the unit prices found on retailer shelf price tags. This is the cost per oz, pound, etc. Manufacturers or retailers may try to make a product appear to be a better deal than it is if you just look at the total cost. By looking at the unit price, you can determine which is truly the better deal.
- Shop in Bulk—Often buying in bulk allows you to get a better unit price. But you must proceed with caution, as that is not always the case. Once again, checking the unit price can help you to confirm whether buying in bulk actually saves you money.
- Use Coupons—Coupons are a given to save money on groceries. Use coupons from wherever you can find them: online printables, social media networks, manufacturer websites, store coupons, electronic coupons loaded onto your store cards, online coupon/promo codes, coupons direct from the manufacturer, circular coupons, packaging coupons, and publication (magazine/newspaper) coupons. There are plenty of places to find coupons—now use them.
- Price Match—We moved last year and I have noticed that while people do not typically use coupons around here, they are big fans of price matching (much to my chagrin when I am stuck in line). They bring sales papers from various other stores and ask the cashier to match the sale prices to get the lowest possible price. If you want the best sale prices without going to 4 different stores every week, this is the best way to do it.
- Shop the Clearance Section—When you are shopping for groceries or toiletries, do not hesitate to check out the clearance sections at your local store. Especially if you combine the clearance prices with coupons, you can get items that are dramatically slashed in price.
These are just a few of my favorite ways to reduce the amount spent on groceries, but there may be many more. The most important thing is to find a method that works for you that you can implement as a habitual money saving tactic. By doing so, you will see long-term results in the form of a reduction in grocery shopping costs.
How do you save money on grocery shopping? Which methods work and which do not? Please share your grocery saving strategies with us by commenting below.
