{"id":1907,"date":"2008-06-30T05:00:36","date_gmt":"2008-06-30T12:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/getrichslowly.org\/blog\/?p=1907"},"modified":"2023-12-06T11:16:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-06T18:16:34","slug":"saving-at-the-supermarket-15-great-grocery-shopping-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/saving-at-the-supermarket-15-great-grocery-shopping-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Saving at the supermarket: 15 great grocery shopping tips"},"content":{"rendered":"
Kris and I went grocery shopping this weekend. We stopped at Bob’s Red Mill<\/a> \u2014 a local health-food store \u2014 to use some “buy one, get one free” coupons. “You can get anything you want,” Kris told me, “except<\/em> hot cereal.”<\/p>\n “Why can’t I get hot cereal?” I asked. “I love hot cereal.”<\/p>\n “I know,” Kris said. “But you buy it all the time. You buy it faster than you eat it. Just last week, you bought another box of that blueberry oatmeal from Trader Joe’s. You never remember what we have at home. You need to shop with a list.”<\/p>\n She has a point.<\/p>\n A shopping list is a useful way to remind yourself what you do and do not need to purchase. But most frugality experts emphasize shopping with a list because it prevents impulse purchases. Impulse purchases wreck grocery budgets. In Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping<\/a><\/em>, Paco Underhill writes:<\/p>\n Supermarkets are places of high impulse buying for both sexes \u2014 fully 60 to 70 percent of purchases there were unplanned, grocery industry studies have shown us.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n More than half of all grocery purchases are unplanned!<\/strong> No wonder creating and sticking to a list can bring down grocery costs.<\/p>\n But that’s not the only way to save money at the supermarket. Over the past two years, I’ve published a lot of tips for saving money on your grocery bill. Some of these have been obvious \u2014 others less so. All<\/em> of them can help you save at the supermarket. Here are some of the best:<\/p>\n Any of these tips can help a savvy shopper save money at the supermarket. But when combined to create a cohesive shopping philosophy, they have the power to slash your grocery budget significantly. I’m not promising that you’ll be able to feed yourself for $15 a week, but you might be able to save enough money pay down your debt<\/a> or to jump-start your savings<\/a>!<\/p>\n Here are some related articles:<\/p>\n Kris requested I offer some final pointers for the gentlemen. “Check with your wife before you go shopping,” she says. “Check with your wife before you put anything into the cart. And remember: Just because you like a food doesn’t mean you need to buy it every<\/em> time you go shopping.”<\/p>\n Bulk food photo by mattieb<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/span>Make a List \u2014 and Stick to It<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Compare Unit Pricing<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Ditch the Basket or Cart<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Don’t Examine Things You Don’t Need<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Live on the Edge<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Discard Brand Loyalties<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Choose Generic<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Use Coupons Wisely<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Make One Large Trip Instead of Several Small Ones<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Buy From the Bulk Bins<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Check Your Receipt<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Shop Alone<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Use a Grocery Price Book<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Shop on a Full Stomach<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Walk or Bike<\/span><\/h2>\n
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