Grocery Shopping Strategies

Posted by Guest on November 30, 2009

Chelsea Ehrke is a newly-engaged writer with an inability to sit still and an unexplainable persistence in the kitchen. She lives in San Diego and chronicles her domestic adventures on her blog, Someday I’ll Learn. She has a strong interest in DIY interior decorating, loves crafts, and maintains a curious fascination with thrift stores.

Grocery shopping can be truly overwhelming. There’s deliciously-distracting food at every turn and higher-priced items are strategically placed to entice you to spend more. Between regular prices, sale prices, and “club card” prices, it’s hard to figure out how much you’re actually spending. Add coupons on top of that and the whole thing can get really confusing. It’s a wonder any family ever gets fed, considering how easy it is to get caught up in a never-ending aisle-circling loop. Here are some pointers to demystify the process, and help you save a lot of money while you’re at it.

Make Room

Before you even think about buying groceries, make sure you have an organized storage system. I keep my daily snack and meal supplies in a pantry: Pasta is on one shelf, canned goods are on another, breakfast cereals on another, and so forth. This way, I can easily see what I have and what I need to buy. In the garage, we store large items or things we have multiples of, such as cooking oil, condiments, and anything else that has a long storage life. Buy a standing pantry if you don’t have room in your cabinets – it’ll pay off in the end. A chest freezer is also a wise investment, as you can buy meat and frozen goods when they’re on sale and store them for later.

Price Check

Look in your newspaper or mailer to compare local grocery stores’ weekly specials before you go shopping, and don’t feel that you have to do all of your shopping at one store. I’ll often get bread and cheese at one store and then go to a different store to get milk and yet another store for meat because the prices are significantly different. Of course, this only makes sense if the stores are relatively close to each other and you don’t end up wasting a fortune in gas driving between them all. Also, if a store is having a spectacular price on something, buy it regardless of whether or not you need it right away, and store or freeze it for later. Ideally, you should plan your weekly menu around what is on sale or what you already have stored.

Make a List

Never attempt to navigate a grocery store without a list. You wouldn’t drive cross-country without a map, would you? Write out the meals you’re going to make all week (as I mentioned before, try to plan these meals around what’s on sale) and list out the ingredients that you need. Don’t buy anything else unless it’s a really great price. A couple tips to help avoid impulse buys: don’t shop hungry, and try to leave the kids at home if possible.

Buy in Bulk

Costco is your friend. So is Smart N’ Final, Sam’s Club, BJ’s, etc. The cost of membership to these warehouse stores almost always pay for themselves – as long as you have adequate storage space and don’t end up wasting the food you buy in bulk.

Buy Online

Buying groceries online isn’t always the best idea because of shipping costs, but you can occasionally get good prices and save money with special introductory offers that include free shipping. Sometimes it’s worth investigating even without a special offer. I recently needed a lot of canned pumpkin for some holiday recipes. Costco didn’t have it, and it was pricey to buy the cans individually. I ended up ordering it online and even with $10 shipping, it was still less than if I’d bought it at the store. And while food items aren’t always cheapest online, toiletries and other household goods frequently are. Alice.com sells household products from shampoo to detergent at discounted prices and offers free shipping on all orders, every day.

The above tips will help you get a handle on your grocery shopping, and should help cut down on unnecessary spending as well. When in doubt, ask yourself if the item you are buying is worth the price and if you really need it. Shopping doesn’t have to be an overwhelming experience. With a little forethought and organization, you can save yourself some aggravation – and a lot of money, too!

Visit Someday I’ll Learn for more money-saving tips and advice!