Last month, I paid just 42¢ for $211 worth of groceries. Yup, you read that right. In fact, I save around 65 percent every time I shop, and if I really play my cards right, more than 90 percent. Over the course of the year, this adds up to about $5,000 in savings. What’s my secret? My foolproof SuperShopping System. It’s served me so well over the years that I’m known as “The Coupon Queen,” and I’ve written three books about it. (My latest one, Cashing In at the Checkout in the Digital Age, will be out next year.) Now I want to share some of my best tips with you. Once you’ve taken a virtual walk through the grocery aisles with me, you’ll be on your way to saving hundreds too.
Getting Ready to Hit the Store
A small amount of preparation goes a long way toward ka-ching!
1. Clip Those Coupons
It’s the single best way to save on groceries. But finding and
clipping them can sometimes seem like a chore, so diversify and
simplify where you get them. The Sunday paper is a must, as are
printable online
coupons (make sure your store accepts them). My favorite places
for online coupons are Coupons.com, SmartSource.com and manufacturers’ websites.
Also check the supermarket circular for special store coupons.
2. Take Stock
To avoid duplicate purchases, do an inventory, starting with the
fridge, kitchen cabinets and
pantry. Then check the laundry room, the linen closet (if you
keep items there) and the bathroom.
Itemize what you need to buy in categories, ordered the way the store does it: baking, beverages, dairy, fresh produce, health and beauty aids, and so on. And make sure you have the store’s flyer handy when you write your list. That way you can take note of the best deals that week and jot down the size and price of sale items to avoid picking up the wrong variation.
3. Know the Lingo
The supermarket flyer offers a bonanza of savings, if you know how
to read between the lines. You usually don’t have to buy as much as
you think to get the deal. Say your store flyer advertises 10
Breyers yogurts for $4; that’s 40¢ apiece. As long as it doesn’t
say must buy 10, you can buy any amount and still get the
savings.
The same holds true with coupons. If you have some that offer a discount off a multiple-item purchase, don’t assume you have to pick up an extra or two from the shelf. Look for bundled products. For instance, if you have a Colgate coupon for $1 off two tubes of toothpaste and spot a bundle pack of two tubes, grab it. Most of the time the coupon will cover the 2-in- 1 pack. And generally speaking, the bundle pack is a better savings.
4. Choose Your Store
Ask the manager about the store’s policy on doubling and tripling
coupon values, if they allow “stacking” (store coupons coupled with
manufacturers’ coupons), and how much their loyalty card deducts
(percentage-wise) from your
bill.
Time to Shop!
OK. You’re inside with your shopping cart, coupons, store flyer and
categorized list. Now what?
1. Don’t Get Caught in the Maze
You just came in for a few items, but your bill adds up to $25.
How’d that happen? Impulse buys! Grocery store managers know that
the longer you stay in the store, the more likely you’ll buy things
you don’t want or need. Supermarkets are designed to make you pass
the most tempting items in order to get to necessities (milk,
eggs, produce, meat). If you dash in for just a few staples, stick
to the perimeter of the store and avoid the center aisles.
2. Avoid Unnecessary Aisles
Even if you’re there to buy
food for the week, don’t shop aisle by aisle. Break that habit
by sticking to your list. Your objective is to bob and weave: Work
your way through just the necessary aisles one time only.
3. Train Your Eyes
Look for Specially Marked Packages (SMPs).
Pet foods, cereals, household products, and health and beauty
aids typically offer deals right on the box. Most common are things
like 25 percent more product for the same price, a sample size
attached to the regular size, a peeloff coupon on the packaging,
and the best: a full-purchase-price refund on the product itself.
Don’t forget to check out blinking coupon displays attached to the
shelves.
4. Examine Endcaps
Often, special deals, discounts and refund offers are displayed at
the ends of aisles. But be warned— they’re not always bargains.
Sometimes the items are “slow movers” that the store hasn’t been
able to sell, or items that expire quickly and need to be moved off
the shelves. So compare the
price with others in the store first.
5. Do the Math
Feel foolish bringing along a calculator? Don’t. Comparing prices
is a surefire way to pare down your
bill. Calculate how much you’re spending on a single unit of an
item and figure out which will give you the best bang for your
buck.
Did You Know?
1. Store Flyers are Often Available on the
Internet
It’s as easy as Googling the name of your favorite market plus your
zip code. All the specials, sales and promotions are listed in one
place, and you can sometimes make a
shopping list right on the site.
2. Some Supermarkets Now Accept Store
Coupons from Competitors
Check with customer service to see if yours does.
3. Many Stores Don’t Accept Printable Online
Coupons
Before you spend any time printing them out, check your store’s
policy.
4. Most Stores Only Double or Triple Coupons Up to a
Certain Amount
Check the dollar ceiling so you’re not surprised at the register
when your $1-off coupon is worth just $1, not $3.
5. When a Sale Product is Out of Stock, Rain Checks are
Always Available at the Courtesy Desk
No matter what the new
price is later, you’re guaranteed the discount, and you can
still use a coupon.
6. Forgot Your Store Loyalty Card?
Just give the cashier your phone number or zip code and she can
access your file.
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