How to Save Money on Groceries

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How to Save Money on Groceries

Are you trying to figure out how to save money on groceries? It doesn’t have to take a lot of work, but it does require some Strategic Shopping.

Here are ten ways that I save money on groceries.

#1 – Shopping Hungry Makes You Spend More Than You Planned

You know it. I know it. Everyone knows this rule, but most of us fail to implement it.

Shopping hungry makes you spend more than you planned. 

It often turns into buying pizza, chips, and $6.00 cupcakes!

Keep a granola bar in your car and make sure you never shop hungry.

Do you ever shop hungry?

What do you grab that is not on your list when you shop hungry?

#2 – Strategic Shopping is all About Having a Shopping Plan

Do you find yourself wandering through the store aisles wondering what you should buy?

Stop!

Make a shopping plan before you set foot in the store.

Strategic Shopping is all about having a shopping plan.

If you want to start saving money while shopping, then you must start making shopping plans.

Do you regularly make a shopping plan?

Do you follow your plan?

Are you going to start making a shopping plan in order to save more money at the store?

#3 – Learn to be Patient and Wait for a Sale

Did you know that you can easily save 40% to 50% off your shopping bill simply by waiting for a sale?

That’s it.

No hoops to jump through.

No coupons to use.

No rebates are necessary.

Just wait for a sale and you can easily cut your bill in half.

Learn to be patient and wait for a sale.

Don’t buy cake just because you feel like it.

Instead, buy the cookies that are on sale.

Don’t buy steak because that’s what you want for supper.

Buy the chicken that is on sale.

Once you see a good sale, stock up so that later if you feel like steak, but chicken is on sale, you can just pull the steak out of your freezer and eat what you want.

Do you shop for what you want or for what is on sale?

Are you creating a stockpile of sale items?

#4 – Learn to Use Coupons Properly

Strategic Shoppers do not use a coupon just because they have one.

In order for coupons to actually work, they need to be used strategically.

Did you realize there is a right and a wrong way to use coupons?

This tip really goes along with tip #3 – Learn to be Patient and Wait for a Sale.

Wait for your store to put the coupon items on sale.

Make sure you always match your coupons up to these store sales.

Many people complain that using coupons makes them spend more money than they planned, but that is because they are using their coupons wrong.

Adding in digital rebates is simply the cherry on top of the cake!

Do you use your coupons any time you feel like using them, or do you wait for a store sale?

#5 – Use Digital Rebate Apps

Speaking of digital rebates, are you using them?

Checkout 51 – Just add the app to your phone. Watch for the deals, go shopping, take a pic of your receipt, and get cash back!

There are literally too many digital rebate apps to mention. The digital world has made getting rebates extremely easy.

I don’t try to use every single rebate app available. I just choose a few good ones and stick with them. Trying to use them all just becomes too overwhelming.

Are you interested in earning money back on the purchases you already plan on making?

Who wouldn’t be, right!?!

Just click on the links below to sign up for your FREE accounts.

Please consider using my referral links when you sign up. It won’t change your account at all, but it will give me a small reward for sending you their way.

Ibotta makes it pretty easy to earn money fast by purchasing things you already planned on buying anyway!

My Ibotta referral code is: moxsrwj

Checkout 51 – Just add the app to your phone. Watch for the deals, go shopping, take a pic of your receipt, and get cash back!

Fetch Rewards is by far my favorite digital rebate app!

They make it super easy to earn cashback! There are no hoops to jump through!

My referral code is: R1UMC

Are you earning cash-back on purchases you were already going to make anyway?

I have earned a lot of cash through digital rebate apps.

This rebate money works great for buying Christmas gifts!

Are you ready to start earning money on your purchases?

Which digital rebate apps are you signing up for today?

#6 – Understand Store Sales Cycles

Did you know stores have a sales pattern?

I can literally look back year after year and see the same things marked down during the same month and even the same week in that month.

I might see that I got a great deal on dish detergent at a certain time a year ago, and ten to one, I will be able to get that same deal the following year.

Most stores have a six-week sales schedule.

That means, I really only need to buy enough of that sale item to get me through six weeks.

However, there are other things that won’t be on sale again at their rock-bottom price until the following year.

For example, you probably already know if you want to get the best price on turkeys, then you buy them in November,

If you want the best price on winter items, then March is the time to buy.

It is your job to pay attention and understand your store’s sales cycles.

Start keeping a record of the items you buy. When do they go on sale? How low does the price normally drop?

#7 – Sign up for Store Rewards Programs

I am shocked by how many people I see in line ahead of me who don’t use the store rewards programs.

The clerk asks if they have a rewards card.

They say no.

She/He asks if they would like one.

They say no.

FYI: You will not get the sale price in most stores if you do not use a loyalty card.

Don’t pay full price!

Sign up for the store’s rewards program.

Go here to sign up for Price Chopper’s ADVANTEdge card.

Have you signed up for your stores’ rewards programs?

#8 – Visit the Service Desk if You Forget to Use a Coupon

Life happens.

Sometimes we simply forget to hand over a coupon during checkout.

Sometimes we forgot our coupons at home.

Don’t worry!

Go to the customer service desk with your receipt and coupons in hand and they will give you the cashback.

Did you know that the service desk could refund your money on the days you somehow forgot to hand the clerk your coupons?

#9 – Don’t Try to Get Every Deal

Stop and breathe.

You don’t need to try to get every deal in town.

I don’t even try to get every deal in a single store.

There are too many!

Just pick a few good deals and go with it.

Slow and steady still wins the race.

Stay consistent in shopping for the deals each week and you will see your pantry grow.

Save yourself the stress, and don’t try to get every deal.

Have you ever gotten Strategic Shopping fever and just wanted to go out and get every deal you could find?

I certainly have, and it leads to complete burnout. Burnout causes deals to fail. You just start making too many mistakes and end up spending more than you planned.

Which three stores do you plan on doing regular Strategic Shopping at each month?

#10 – Treat the Store Clerks Well

Last, but certainly not least, treat the store clerks well.

Yes, you may get a grumpy clerk.

Yes, your clerk may make mistakes.

Do you want to know why?

They are human.

Choose to be kind.

You have no idea what that clerk may be facing in her/his own life.

Treat the store clerks well.

Friendly clerks have saved me a lot of money over the years. Many times they have asked me if I got a certain deal, or told me about a coupon I needed

Have you seen clerks being treated rudely?

Choose to be kind!

How to Save Money on Groceries

These are Ten Money-Saving Tips to Remember While Shopping

Leave a comment telling me how you save money on groceries.