Tightwad Tuesday: Grocery Savings without "Couponing"

Photo courtesy of worradmu; FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So you want to save money on groceries and you watch that couponing show, right?  Then you find out some of these women are spending 40+ hours a week on preparing their grocery lists and think...uh...yeah right!

In their defense, if they are getting $800 worth of products their family actually can use and spending, say, 10% of the value ($80), they are in essence "making" $720 a week.  Not too bad, I guess.

I just can't allot the time required.  With kids and errands and appointments and freelance writing and a part time job, along with homekeeping and all that comes with that job, I can't fathom making the extra time....

Yet I spend significantly less on groceries than most people I know or hear about.  I have 4 children (they are gone 4 days a month with their dad) and also feed 2 of my darling love's children 50% of the time.  I frequently have the friends of the children here eating up everything under the sun....and I spend $400 to $600 a month at the grocery store. 

Why?  Because I have to....however, I can't imagine not looking for the best deal anyway....even if I had millions of dollars, I would not be able to waste it by paying too much.

Here are my tips:

Plan

Make a meal plan.  Don't forget to include lunches, breakfasts, and weekend meals when the kids are home from school.  If you missed my post on easy-peasy meal planning, click here to read it.

Shop at Home

This encompasses two things...first, check your fridge, pantry and freezer for items you already own that can be worked into your plan.  Second, shop at home by getting a paper and checking local grocery store ads or looking up the ads online for the best deals.

Shop Different Stores

You have to shop different stores to save the most.  I am fortunate to have a large cluster of stores all together about 6 miles from my home.  I can shop Sam's Club, Wal Mart, Giant, Weis Foods and Aldi without driving more than 3 minutes between stores.

Use what is in your area to your advantage.  If you are stuck in the convenience of going to one place, I suggest at least taking the time one day to peruse other stores for the top items you buy regularly, and see who has the lowest price.

When I first discovered a Wal Mart SuperCenter years ago, I was shocked to find out, for example, that the spaghetti sauce I was purchasing for $4 at the grocery store was only $2 at Wal Mart...for the same brand!!!  Shop around. 

Be careful when shopping around to take into account the gas it costs to go to different stores.  It makes no sense to drive 25 miles to save 30 cents.  Use good judgment in your travels!

Experiment with Store Brands

Some things are interchangeable, some things are not.  For example, there is no substitute for Pepperidge Farm Goldfish.  No cheddar sharks or bunnies or any other animal will do.  However, I have no problems substituting store brand canned fruit for the Del Monte brand and paying half the price!

Pick and choose things to try...many items are comparable in the store brand.  You will learn what you can save on and what you can't.

Use Coupons...When You Can

There are certain things I always buy in a name brand.  Deodorant, for example.  Mascara.  I look for and use these coupons regularly.

Buy Whole Foods and Cook

You can save a lot of cash by not purchasing pre-made meals.  Beyond that, the overall savings in your health is more valuable than any penny saved.  You can make anything with a little planning and a commitment.  You don't really need the grocery store to cut up your vegetables for you, so put down the prepacked crock pot meal they are trying to sell you for 3 times the amount it should cost, go home, and make your own crock pot meal.

Check Out Discount Grocery Stores

I have an Aldi market near me.  I have heard good and bad things about Aldi stores, and for many years I never walked into one.  About 2 years ago I started, and I'm hooked.  Like any store, the quality of the products will vary in different locations, but here I find the store clean and well stocked...plus they boast the ultimate hallmark I look for anywhere...clean bathrooms.

Many of Aldi's items have sugar (such as canned fruit), so you have to be careful if this is a consideration for you.  I am constantly watching the sugar content of things because I don't want my kids taking in sugar in their "regular" foods...having a treat is acceptable, but why consume sugar-full foods all day long and then have a treat?  It's not good!

I find the produce, while limited as to different types of items, good quality, local when in season, and excellently priced.  I have certainly seen a much larger cluster of fruit flies and a dirtier display at our triple-the-price Giant than I have ever seen at Aldi. 

Check out your local discount store and see if it will work for you.

Take Time to Shop

Saving money on groceries does take a little more time than just getting what you want or need.  If you are committed to saving a little dough it is well worth it.

I practice all of these saving tactics to keep my bills low and it takes very little time.  It is possible to save without spending 40 hours a week doing so!