US Financial Management, Inc.

As someone who had always gone grocery shopping with blinders on when it came to prices, I know that many people who overspend are merely trying to get the shopping done as quickly as possible. Of course, the major shock of any grocery shopping trip would more than I wanted to spend. I have since learned that creating a game plan in advance, taking the time to look at labels, and anticipating items on sale help to create a more satisfactory trip for my wallet and my sanity.

1) Create a List in Advance
I know you have probably heard this before. But how many times have you discarded your shopping list halfway through the trip because you find more interesting things to buy? The point of the list is to give yourself an idea of how much you need to buy, what items are needed, and how much you are willing to spend. If you mostly adhere to the list, you not feel as overwhelmed when you have the list, and you will have more time to look for the specials and deals on the items needed.
A shopping list will also help you to remember every-thing you need, eliminating those costly grocery quick trips, where you come to pick up one or two items and leave with twenty.

2) Compare Prices
We are often attached to the brands we have grown up with or are used to. Also, the constant advertisements and commercials do not help matters when it comes to which product is the best. However, this is often not the case, particularly with groceries and other inexpensive convenience items.

Many times, the generic or store brand items have the exact same ingredients as the recognized brand; For example, you may find that the generic peanut butter tastes the same as the brand you have always used, or that the store brand yogurt is as good as the yogurt you usually buy. Often the only difference between the products is the packaging—and the price. The brand names can be much more expensive because they think you will pay more for their product. They spend their money on advertising instead of passing the savings along to the customer.  

Of course, this is not always the case. Sometimes there is a huge difference in the taste, and you may not like a certain generic product. In these instances, you should go with what you like. However, don’t be afraid to experiment with the store and generic brands; you will often find they are just as good, sometimes better than the original, not to mention all of money you will save from buying them. Next time you go to the store, look at the labels of two similar products and try to determine if there are any differ-ences in ingredients.

Also, be careful to look at the prices because some-times you will find great deals on your favorite brands. For instance, I often buy the store brand pas-ta sauce instead of the brand name; however, when my favorite brand is on sale, it is often cheaper than the store brand, so I usually buy two or three jars.

3) Fill Up in the Vegetable and Fruit Aisles
Fruits and vegetables are not as expensive as pack-aged foods and they are much healthier for you. Compared to snacks such as potato chips, fruits and vegetables are much more filling as well. For ex-ample, you may eat five cookies for a single snack, or you may eat one banana or apple instead. Also, an individual frozen meal may cost you four dollars, while for a dollar or two more you can make a salad for three or four meals.

Packaged foods are often more expensive and lack the proper nutrients than fresh foods. Not only are they bad for your wallet; they are often bad for your health because they contain higher levels of sodium and less nutritional value than foods in their natural state. So, a good strategy to use when you arrive at the grocery store is to hit the veggie and fruit aisles first.

4) Never Go to the Store Hungry
This should actually be the number one rule for bud-get grocery shopping. When you go to the store hun-gry, you are more likely to impulse buy or purchase items that you regret later. It may also cause you to rush and can inhibit your decision making skills. If you go to the store on an empty stomach, you should expect a large bill at the end of the trip. Anytime you go near the grocery store, make sure you have just eaten.

5) The Ten Items for Ten Dollars Deal
Even though the special that is advertised says some-thing like, “Eight Cans of Green Beans for Eight Dollars,” you usually do not have to buy all eight cans. The same thing goes for two for ten pizzas—to get the deal you can buy just one of the pizzas. Of course, these specials are different depending on the store. This is simply the grocery store’s way of maximizing their profit on the sale items. They are substituting quantity for higher prices.

6) Stock up on items that are always needed
Stocking up on products that you use or eat on a daily basis is another good strategy to use when there are deep discounts or sales. Buying in bulk can save you a lot of money because items that are bought in-dividually often cost more because of the packaging. Buy in bulk often seems like insignificant cost differ-ence because you may save only five or ten cents per unit; however, this change can add up. So keep your eyes open for good deals on daily use products, and you may save a considerable amount of money in the end.

Some supermarkets may require that you buy the bulk amount, which may not end up being such a great deal in the end because of the money spent. Check with your local grocery store to see if you can just buy one or two of the items and still get the deal. Use your judgment. If you think that it is a good deal for something you use everyday, then maybe you should buy the total amount of items.