I just want to start off by saying that I am an English teacher and not a math teacher, but I am a shopper and I get that from my mom and Maw Maw who can bargain shop with the best of them. Both women had different views on grocery shopping. My mom liked to go and get everything during one trip to the store, whereas my Maw Maw liked to go weekly and get just what she needed for the week. These are some things I observed while watching my two mentors growing up. Nowadays, I do a little bit of both. As a bargain shopper, you must be able to budget, and that is where the math comes in…I always tell people that I don’t do math unless it involves percentages or statistics and that’s what bargain shopping is all about: the math and science of shopping.
Here are a few simple rules and steps that I follow when I plan to go grocery shopping:
Ask Essential Questions
Make That List
Research
Favorites First
Ask Essential Questions:
I only get paid once a month, so I have to be strategic in how I stretch out my money. I like to make one big bulk grocery trip for items that I can either freeze or aren’t going to expire soon. Then, as my meal plan allows it, I will shop weekly for perishable ingredients. How do I plan? I have to consider some essential questions such as:
How much money do I have for groceries this month? This is probably the most important question.
What is my schedule for the month? I keep my work and life schedule in my Happy Planner®.
How many days will I need or want to eat out? My coworkers and I eat out at least a few times a month, I eat out at least twice a month with my Modern Musings crew and Jason and I eat out a few times a month when we do our date nights. We switch out on paying.
What do I want to eat this week/month? I usually keep it simple during the week because I don’t like to eat heavy at work. I cook a big meal at least once a week. For example, this week I am making Keto Chile Relleno Chicken Soup.
What do I need that I don’t already have? I try to keep a list of things in my pantry and update it often. This process helps with the budgeting process.
Make That List:
After I consider these questions, I write out a list in my “all-purpose notebook” or APN. For those that don’t know, an APN is something I have been carrying around with me since middle school for random ideas and lists. I make a few different kinds of lists. Now, hear me out. You want to maximize your money.
Wish List: First I make a list of all the things I want or think I need when I go grocery shopping. For example, I have two bags of coffee and I think I may be running low. I put that on the list. I have a few paper plates, so I will also add that to the list.
Need List: After I write out everything that I think I might need, I consider what I will actually need for the next month and mark them as a “need.” For example, I have cats so I will need to buy a huge bag of cat food.
Extra List: Everything else that is an extra buy such as coffee or peanut butter (things that are not specifically part of my meal plans), I mark as extra if I have the money to spend on them. On a side note, it is beneficial to keep a running tally of groceries as you put them in your cart and overestimate the amount to avoid surprises.
Research:
When I grocery shop, I am not a “one and done” person because I like to shop around for the best deals that I can find. Luckily, in the area I live in, I have an abundance of shopping options at my fingertips. I grew up in a small town where my family didn’t have that luxury. Once a month, my family would load into the car and drive an hour (or more) away to get our monthly grocery deals. Now, I don’t have to drive more than twenty minutes to my favorite grocery stores. Why do I research? Because I want the best deals for my money and my unique diet, as mentioned in my last blog. I eat low-carb, gluten-free, and mostly dairy-free. When I say mostly dairy-free, I still incorporate some cheese in my diet. Some of my favorite ways to research are:
Weekly Ads: You can get these ads in few different ways, but most likely you will get the ads of the closest stores in your mailbox each week. If the stores you like to go to are a little bit farther away, you can sign up for the ads online and they will be delivered to your e-mail. Another money-saving tip when you sign up for ads is that you can also get coupons by mail or e-mail.
Apps: If you are a phone app person, most stores have their own app that you can get ads and coupons directly. You can search and “cut” digital coupons that you can use at the store. Also, you can use the apps to shop for groceries and budget your money.
Newspapers: If you don’t like apps or digital coupons but still want to look for savings, you can choose to buy a print newspaper or get one delivered. Every Sunday, the major newspapers carry weekly ads and coupons.
Favorites First:
When I am shopping and budgeting, I have a few favorite stores that I like to shop at first for my products. I don’t ever limit myself to one store. Sometimes you can save the most by shopping around. For example, if I am making chicken soup this coming week, I will look at the ads to see which stores have chicken on sale and what quality of chicken they might be offering. In addition to that, there are certain stores where I go for certain things such as the “healthy junk” I mentioned in my previous blog. Here are my favorite stores and why they are my favorites:
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| Items from the Manager's Special at Sprouts |
Sprouts Farmer’s Market: This is the store that I always go to first when grocery shopping because it’s a small store and I like the quality of their products. Aside from that, as I mentioned in my previous blog, they cater to individuals with special diets. This store also frequently runs “buy one, get one” free sales and “manager specials” on their meats, so it’s my first choice for “healthy junk” such as grainless granola and keto protein bars. I also buy my favorite low-carb, gluten-free bread here.
WinCo Foods: I first fell in love with this store when I lived in Utah years ago. They are relatively new to Texas, but now they are popping up all around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The premise of WinCo Foods has always been a favorite of mine. It is a discount store that is employee-owned. Another plus is that most WinCo stores are 24 hours. They don’t have as big of a selection of certain items that bigger stores such as Walmart have, but the majority of their store brand dry goods you can buy in bulk. This is the store that I go to for most of my regular baking supplies, herbs, and spices. I also buy bulk candy here for gift baskets. You can also buy bulk vegetable bags at this store for large gatherings. This is also a good store to go to for ready-made meals and breakfasts. One thing I should point out if you have never been to WinCo is that they only take cash or debit cards, and you must bag your groceries yourself.
Kroger: I used to think that Kroger was expensive but my best friend, sister, and fellow MMC Christen introduced me to Kroger’s clearance section. Every Wednesday, Kroger marks down their products that are almost out-of-date. Kroger is also another store that has great weekly-ad deals on meat and frequently offers certain meats as “buy one, get one free.” They also have alternate diet sections in their store in special sections, and they do carry some of the brands I like to buy for my diet. Aside from that, I really enjoy shopping at Kroger’s deli and cheese section. They make in-house charcuterie boards as well.
Market Street: This is a great store to go to for their weekly ads as well. This store does not have as many special-diet options as Sprouts, but when you catch certain items on sale, your bill will be even cheaper than going to Sprouts. They frequently offer their meat selections as “buy one, get one free” and they have great deals on their store brand items. I especially like to go when protein shakes are on sale.
Aldi: This store is still a favorite when it comes to discount shopping, and it is probably the cheapest place you can get certain items such as cheese, produce, and eggs. My only problem with Aldi is the fact that they are inconsistent with their items that are not in-store brands, so you never know what you will find when you shop there. However, you can shop at this store on any budget and still feel like you are winning by saving money. Aldi even carries some alternative diet items so anyone can eat healthy on a budget at this store. I typically only buy “extra” items at Aldi.
Other ways to save:
If all of that didn’t blow your mind, here are some other tips I have to save money when I shop:
Don’t throw away your receipt: Often, receipts have coupons that you can use on your next visit. For example, Sprouts offers a $10 discount on your next visit if you spend over $75.
Check your product boxes: If you have non-perishable items in your pantry, oftentimes there are coupons on the box. So, don’t throw away boxes without checking first.
Go to product websites: My mother was a big fan of this concept. She would often go to product websites and download coupons off their websites. She would also go to couponing websites. It takes a lot of work and you have to sift through a lot of e-mails but saving money is worth it in the long run. Also, a lot of websites will allow you to try their products for free.
Order grocery delivery: This is pretty simple. If you order groceries from delivery apps, you sometimes get discounts especially if you are a first-time buyer. Sometimes you can even get upgraded items if stores run out of your order.
In-store coupons: if you look at certain products you are buying in-store, you will find coupons on the products. For example, the manager’s special that Sprouts has on their meats (see above).
Know when to go: As I mentioned before, the best time to go to Kroger is on Wednesday when they do their markdowns. But, when do other stores do markdowns? In short, most other stores also do their markdowns on Wednesday mornings, typically because grocery stores restock their shelves mid-week and it is a low-traffic shopping day, unlike Friday and Saturday.
Look for sales and discontinued items while in the store: Not all sales and discounts are listed in weekly ads, so sometimes you actually have to go to the store to check out low prices. Almost all stores also have a clearance section if you know where to look.
In conclusion, there is no right or wrong way to shop for groceries and my process may seem a little obsessive-compulsive at first but it is something that has worked well for me over the years. What do you do to save money while grocery shopping? Please let me know in the comments below or continue the conversation on our Facebook group: MMC Chat, and don’t forget to listen to our blog coming out this Wednesday
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