How to Get Deals at Grocery Stores
Video Transcript:
Check Sales Flyers
- Searching the sales flyers of your local grocery stores and big box stores is an important element in obtaining the most bang for your buck.
- If you have not already done so, make a list of the items you regularly purchase.
- Check the sales flyers to see if any of the items on your list are on sale.If you can, purchase several months’ worth of these sale items (at least the non-perishable ones), to potentially last until the next time they go on sale.
- Calculate the cost of gas into what you will spend; it does not pay to go to several stores to pick up just one item at each store.
The Importance of a Master Price List
- Using the list of the items you regularly purchase, get a feel for which stores in your area carry that item for the lowest regular price. For example, Aldi might have the best price on the eggs you buy, and Walmart might have the best price on the butter you buy, etc. Record the price and the store.
- Once you’ve done this for each item on your list, you now have a master price list of the best non-sale price for each item on your list. Now, when you see a sale price on one of your items, you’ll know if it’s actually a good deal, and worth purchasing.
- Note: Some stores will price match other store’s prices; check your local stores for their policies.
Check Store Loyalty Programs
- Not all stores have a loyalty program, but most grocery stores and a couple of the big box stores will have some method of rewarding you for purchases made at their store.
- Enter your account details at the register so that you can take advantage of the sale price, and so that you can get credit for your purchases.
- Some stores have a loyalty program that offer a discount on gas.
- Some stores have a loyalty program that gives you a savings on purchasing a certain number of items (i.e., “buy 6 items, get $5 off”) or if you reach a certain threshold (i.e., “buy $30, get $10 off”).
Store Loyalty Programs (cont’d)
- During the holidays, there are some stores where you can make purchases that will count towards a free turkey or ham, or something similar.
- Some stores offer digital coupons on certain items.
- Target does not have a store loyalty program, but they will hold sales where you can receive a gift card for making specific purchases. Sometimes grocery stores or drug stores will offer gift card deals, as well.
- Check your local stores for details on their specific loyalty programs.
Check Coupons on Hand
- Using the shopping list you have written—the items you regularly purchase that are currently on sale—you will begin to look for coupons.
- Check a coupon database (most couponing websites have one) to find out if a coupon currently exists for the items on your list. For example, if Kraft cheese is on your shopping list, you can check the coupon database to see if there’s currently a coupon for Kraft cheese, and if so, where—in a certain week’s newspaper coupon insert, or perhaps it is a printable coupon, or maybe a specific grocery store has a digital coupon or an in-store coupon for it, etc.
A New Way of Writing Your Grocery Shopping List
- Now that you have these techniques under your belt, you will write your shopping list differently. Instead of starting with a list of the items you want or need to buy and then going to buy them regardless of price, you will now start with a shopping list of your regularly purchased items that are on sale—bonus if there’s a coupon, too.
- Remember to buy several weeks’ (or months’) worth of that item at a time, to last you until it goes on sale again.
- You can adjust your menu accordingly. For example, if you can’t find rice on sale, and you’re out of it, maybe you can substitute a sale item like pasta until you can buy rice cheaply.
- Some items must be bought regardless of price, but this new way of shopping can be used for most of your purchases.
The Ultimate Shopping Goal
- The ideal situation for you as a couponer is to find a great sale on something you normally buy, and to pair it with a great coupon. This is the type of scenario where you can achieve the greatest savings.
- Note that some sales are better than others, and some coupons are better at certain times than others.
- For example, a bag of rice that is normally $2 may go on sale for $1.75, but it may also go on sale for $1.50. Or, there may be a coupon for rice for $.25, but there may also at times be a $.50 coupon.
- The more you look at sales and sales cycles and sale prices, and at coupons and when the high value coupons are available, you will become even more discerning as to when to really stock up on items.
Be Familiar With Store Policies
- As you begin to learn how to coupon, you will learn the coupon policies of the stores where you shop.
- In almost all cases, the store’s coupon policy can be found on their website.Obtaining this information will also help you to know which stores do not accept coupons (i.e., Aldi).
- Knowing a store’s coupon policy is crucial if they double coupons. For example, $2 rice at a store that doesn’t double coupons becomes $1.50 with a $.50 coupon; but $2.25 rice at a store that doubles coupons becomes $1.25 with the same $.50 coupon.
- Keeping the store’s coupon policy handy is helpful for both you and an unknowing cashier.
