Your best grocery savings tip? - Page 5

rstlne · 01-18-2008, 02:16 PM

Aside from coupons, I should mention that generic brands and store brands will often save you money too. If you find an generic brand item that's as good as a name brand item, that's an easy way to cut costs. At Pathmark, where I shop often, there are at least 3 generic brands lurking on the shelves: Pathmark's own label, Value Time, and Smart Price. There are weekly specials on those generic brands too, so I often have to compare one generic brand with another to see which one comes out cheaper. It's funny.

boba1212 · 01-23-2008, 03:16 PM

Grocery stores put the name brand foodstuff at eye level, so look at the top and bottom shelves for the lower cost generics.
Here's a funny tip: never shop hungry! You'll be more tempted to buy the pre-made or prepackaged (expensive) goods.

gt0163c · 01-24-2008, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boba1212

Here's a funny tip: never shop hungry! You'll be more tempted to buy the pre-made or prepackaged (expensive) goods.

Simliarly, I try not to grocery shop when I'm tired or in a bad mood. Way too much chocolate and ice cream (and, often, chocolate ice cream) decides to come home with me when I do that.

rolltimer · 01-24-2008, 12:21 PM

Many recommend that you only shop one store but when the stores are just down the street from one another, what's the harm in stopping at all of them? I have been known to buy only loss leaders at all the major grocery stores in my area. I scour the sale papers for the loss leaders and buy-one-get-one-free items in the grocery stores but use Wal-Mart for my staple items. The dollar stores (Dollar Tree, General Dollar) frequently carry decently priced canned or bottled olives, mushrooms, peppers and condiments. These are usually not name brands but the quality is good. If you order take-out or delivery pizza, get the one topping and add your own mushrooms, olives, and peppers.

lucille · 01-24-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gt0163c

Simliarly, I try not to grocery shop when I'm tired or in a bad mood. Way too much chocolate and ice cream (and, often, chocolate ice cream) decides to come home with me when I do that.

I try to grocery shop alone. By myself I can resist the urge to buy things like chocolate ice cream. With another person confirming that thought that chocolate ice cream would be really awesome it is much harder because now I have to tell two people no.

lucille · 01-24-2008, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rolltimer

Many recommend that you only shop one store but when the stores are just down the street from one another, what's the harm in stopping at all of them? I have been known to buy only loss leaders at all the major grocery stores in my area. I scour the sale papers for the loss leaders and buy-one-get-one-free items in the grocery stores but use Wal-Mart for my staple items. The dollar stores (Dollar Tree, General Dollar) frequently carry decently priced canned or bottled olives, mushrooms, peppers and condiments. These are usually not name brands but the quality is good. If you order take-out or delivery pizza, get the one topping and add your own mushrooms, olives, and peppers.

My mom did this strategy when I was a kid. We would get certain items at the higher priced gourmet grocery store near our house and then drive out to the warehouse grocery store for all the boring stuff like flour and paper towels.

I shop four places when I do groceries twice a month. Target for meds, paper products, cleaning products (if needed), chocolate, nuts and other misc. Sam's Club for large quantities that are better priced, shredded cheese, tortillas, flour and that kind of thing. Then the other two grocery stores for whomever has the better deal or better quality on certain items. I drive it in a loop so they are one after the other.

MSMomsmoney · 01-24-2008, 12:37 PM

Don't shop with kids.

lucille · 01-24-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by klaxiam

Does anyone know the cheapest place online to order bulk foods? I've started to look off and on, and will report back if I find anything really good.

Amazon Grocery is a great service if you need recurring stuff that they stock. They have a deal right now where you subscribe to 3 items from the grocery offerings, and you will get a $30 gift certificate. For example, I subscribed to the steel-cut oatmeal (which is already almost half what the local grocery charges), and with a subscription, you save an additional 15% off. You can subscribe as frequently as every month or up to every 6 months for less used stuff. Totally happy with the service, highly recommended![/quote]

Is this still going on? I couldn't find the $30 gift certificate anywhere on the site.

amandajane · 01-25-2008, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSMomsmoney

Don't shop with kids.

Oh so true! lol

lucille · 01-26-2008, 08:43 AM

If you have the ability to use up or store lots of something you can get some really good deals. We got ground turkey for $1 a pound yesterday. It was in those huge 10# tubes so we are going to divide it and freeze (we have a chest freezer). We bought 50# of high gluten bread flour for $19 at Sams. That ends up being something like $1.50 for 5# and we are paying about $3 for a 5# bag of the same brand or another high quality flour at the regular store.

01-24-2008, 12:37 PM	#47
MSMomsmoney Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pacific NorthWest Posts: 44 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Reputation: (13)	Don't shop with kids. __________________ It's not about having what you want, It's about wanting what you have.

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01-18-2008, 02:16 PM	#41
rstlne Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 368 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Reputation: (115)	Aside from coupons, I should mention that generic brands and store brands will often save you money too. If you find an generic brand item that's as good as a name brand item, that's an easy way to cut costs. At Pathmark, where I shop often, there are at least 3 generic brands lurking on the shelves: Pathmark's own label, Value Time, and Smart Price. There are weekly specials on those generic brands too, so I often have to compare one generic brand with another to see which one comes out cheaper. It's funny.

01-23-2008, 03:16 PM	#42
boba1212 Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 73 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Reputation: (10)	Grocery stores put the name brand foodstuff at eye level, so look at the top and bottom shelves for the lower cost generics. Here's a funny tip: never shop hungry! You'll be more tempted to buy the pre-made or prepackaged (expensive) goods.

01-24-2008, 12:21 PM	#44
rolltimer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 136 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Reputation: (24)	Many recommend that you only shop one store but when the stores are just down the street from one another, what's the harm in stopping at all of them? I have been known to buy only loss leaders at all the major grocery stores in my area. I scour the sale papers for the loss leaders and buy-one-get-one-free items in the grocery stores but use Wal-Mart for my staple items. The dollar stores (Dollar Tree, General Dollar) frequently carry decently priced canned or bottled olives, mushrooms, peppers and condiments. These are usually not name brands but the quality is good. If you order take-out or delivery pizza, get the one topping and add your own mushrooms, olives, and peppers.

01-26-2008, 08:43 AM	#50
lucille Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 676 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Reputation: (38)	If you have the ability to use up or store lots of something you can get some really good deals. We got ground turkey for $1 a pound yesterday. It was in those huge 10# tubes so we are going to divide it and freeze (we have a chest freezer). We bought 50# of high gluten bread flour for $19 at Sams. That ends up being something like $1.50 for 5# and we are paying about $3 for a 5# bag of the same brand or another high quality flour at the regular store.