Saving Money on Groceries

This post may be super boring to y'all. But just in case someone could benefit from it, I thought I'd share. Because I love it when someone explains something so simple to me that seemed so overwhelming.

On Tuesday mornings, I attend a MOMS ("Making Our Mothering Significant") Bible study class. It's just a  group of moms, mostly of toddlers, that get together to make new friends, get in the Word, and talk (um... a lot...). :) It works out, because Noah gets to go to his little class and make friends at the same time. It's structured with teachers, snacks, story time, play time, etc. And I also get some ME time.

Anyway, this morning we had a guest speaker come and talk to us about couponing (and no, not the Extreme Couponing type... from what I hear, they kind of cheat because the retailers waive some of their normal coupon policies).
The majority of us are just real people who crack up at the thought of being that organized and efficient. We're doing good to get there on time, fully dressed, and our kid in something besides pajamas. Or maybe that's just me. Sorry, I'm rambling.

So I admit, I kind of had a closed-minded approach when first listening. I don't like to buy too much processed food (because really, it leaves you just feeling hungry again an hour later anyway) and we buy a lot of produce. I just figured none of this was going to apply to me. But man has my perception changed. These women are amazing with how much money they're able to save!

Here are a few tips I learned this morning.

(This list was authored and put together by Terri Cendejas. She's overcome a lot in life, and she had no choice but to figure out a way to make $50 provide meals for a family of 4 for the month. If you're local and really want to find her so she can speak at an event/function, she goes to my church, and I've got her email and phone number).

via



1. Attitude is everything!
Seek the Lord and have thankfulness for His provision and wisdom. I call it "Groceries from God" when I am getting such great deals.

2. When I go grocery shopping, I am "going to work".
 I hear a lot that clipping coupons and tracking sales seems like a lot of work. But if I spend an hour and save $20 or more, I am making a pretty good wage for my efforts, and being a good steward of the funds with which the Lord has blessed us. Since I am going to work, I need to be properly outfitted for my task and have the needed tools:

• Calculator
• Organized coupons
• Shopping list
• Budget or spending goal
• Adequate time
• No children with me

3. Cook from scratch.
Packaged foods, as well as meals out, cost more and are usually less nutritious. Strategize ways to make cooking from scratch more convenient! I pre-cook meats bought on sale and freeze them into dinner-sized portions. I make spaghetti sauce in bulk in the crockpot and freeze it. When making a casserole, make two or more and freeze the extras. You can also cook something one day and incorporate it into an entirely different meal that week.
Batches of cookies, breads, and brownies can be multiplied and frozen for school lunches, too.

4. Pick one grocery store to frequent - preferably one that doubles coupons.
I like to have one store and really know that store. It saves me time and makes it much easier on my aging brain! (seriously, she was only like 35-40. lol) I don't have to look at multiple ads, and I don't have to run all over the place to different stores for the deals. Each store has its own policies and practices. I like only having to keep track of those for one store. I also tend to shop in the nicer grocery store, rather than the "bargain" retailers. Guess what? Their normal, everyday prices might be higher, but I don't plan to pay full price. But their sales are usually awesome.
Sales tend to run in cycles, so if something is a great deal this week at a different chain, it will probably be on sale in my store soon too. Find out if your preferred store takes other store's coupons.

5. Know your prices.
How are you going to know if something is a good deal, unless you know what it normally costs? And if something is on "sale", is it really the best price at which you can get it? You can make a master grocery list (or find one online to print), and then start noting the lowest unit costs for your items. Have that with you when you shop, and you will be armed with valuable information that will make you a wiser shopper!

6. Look for the lowest unit cost.
Wherever you shop, whether it is Costco or the grocery store, or even a drugstore, break the cost down to the cost per item, per pound, per ounce. You have to be able to compare different quantities and different prices. It used to be that the biggest box was the best price... that may or may not be true. You can compare the shelf tags, and often, you will have the information there that you need to make wise decisions. But, if you are also using coupons, or the unit price is missing, you have to do a little math! (don't let the math scare you! it's not that hard) This is one reason to have a calculator with you. Many items are measured in pounds and ounces. Remember that 16 ounces are in a pound. Here is how to calculate unit prices:

PRICE divided by QUANTITY = UNIT COST

So, a 12 oz box of cereal that costs $2.99 would be:

$2.99/12 ounces = $.25 per ounce

[PRICE less TOTAL COUPON SAVINGS] divided by QUANTITY = UNIT COST

But if I had a coupon worth $.75 and the store doubled it, it's worth $1.50; I would get that box of cereal for $1.49. My unit cost would then be ($2.99 - $1.50)/12 ounces = $.12 per ounce.

Twelve cents an ounce is much better than twenty-five cents per ounce!

7. Buy only what is on sale.

Ninety-nine percent of the time, I am only buying items from the grocery store that are on sale. Exceptions would be if I absolutely had to have a particular ingredient for a special recipe, or we were out of a staple item that we could not do without. This means I need to do some planning. I need to check the sale ad - they come out on Wednesdays, and are available online. I make my shopping list baed on what is on sale. I make it my goal to never, ever pay full price!

8. Match coupons to sale items.

Besides only buying items on sale, I also try to match coupons up with those sale items. If pasta is on sale for $1 a box that might seem like a good deal. But if I have a $.50 coupon... once my store doubles my coupon, I will get that pasta for free!

Don't use a coupon if an item is not on sale. Just because I have a coupon, doesn't mean I have to use it! If I have a coupon for something and it is not on sale, I save the coupon and WAIT until the item is on sale. Unless, it is an ingredient or staple I have to have now.

9. Stock up on items at lowest possible price - Stockpile!

When things are on sale and you know it is a rock-bottom price, buy as much as you can! As you practice these tips, you will start to see cycles. Last winter, frozen veggies were constantly on sale, and coupons were abundant. I was able to fill my freezer with them. Throughout the summer, that wasn't the case. As school started, breakfast and granola bars have been on sale. In the summer, barbeque sauce was on sale. I take advantage of those cycles, and get as many of a particular product as I can, and store it. Keep in mind the expiration date and only buy as much as you can store and use before that date.

10. Coupon Facts

•  Coupons are advertisements from companies that want you to buy their products.
• Look at the numbers under the bar code... if the first number is "9", it won't double; if it is a "5" it will, even if the coupon has "do not double" printed on it! (the computer reads the barcode, not the text!)
• If it scans, it's good - you don't always have to buy the exact product pictured (remember, they are advertising!) (she used the example of using Nature Valley granola coupon on General Mills cereal... it still worked!)
• Don't try to use expired coupons.
• Only one coupon per item... if something is "buy one, get one free (BOGO)", then you should be able to use 2 coupons, one for each item you buy.

11. How I Shop.
When I am going through the grocery store, I have my list and coupons ready. I have a spending goal in mind. As something goes in my cart, I write the amount it will cost on a tally on my shopping list. When I hit my spending limit, I stop shopping. If I am out of money, but still need something from my list, then I can decide what in my cart needs to go back on the shelf.
My store allows me 20 coupons per day. As I put something in my cart for which I will be using a coupon, I use a binder clip to attach the coupon to the front of my coupon binder, ready to hand over at checkout. When I have selected 20 coupons, I stop shopping. If it is a triple coupon event at the store, I may come back on another day to use more of my coupons.

12. Giving is Good.
Share the "Groceries from God"! I clip some coupons for things my family won't use. I regularly stock up on boxed rice, cake mixes, cereals, and pasta sauce that I donate to our church food pantry. Toiletries can be donated to shelters.

 



***

So there ya have it.

She also said she shops at Costco for bulk items such as TP and stuff, but she still has to do the math to make sure it's a better deal than the grocery store. She also practically has to put blinders on so she doesn't get suckered into walking out with a new laptop and playset. :)

She stressed that you have to take these tips and make them work for your family. Obviously, like for our family, we buy several items that don't have coupons, such as produce. And if you have kids, they're going to have their preferences with food. I love that Noah eats blueberries like candy, but they aren't always cheap or on sale. But I make room for them in our budget. Grocery shopping is kind of a personal thing... we all buy different items and prefer certain stores. But even if you take a few of these tips and use them, it could really save some money.

A couple of my own tips...

Buy meat that's on clearance. Check the date on the package, then immediately cook or freeze it when you get home. I still have steaks in my freezer right now that I bought for $2.17 each.

I learned today that you can freeze milk. She told us to pour out a cup (not sure why, I didn't ask that), then freeze the rest. You can also freeze certain produce, including grapes.

Anyway, just thought this might help somebody as some point. :)