Grocery Store Savings without coupons
EEP! Forgot your coupons? Heres some tips to still save
You can save money without coupons by following these tips:
Don’t shop hungry.
We all know this rule. Shopping while hungry always leads to unnecessary purchases. Impulse buys will kill your grocery budget. Eat something filling before you head to the store to prevent impulse buys.
Shop by yourself.
If you’re single, sometimes the energetic product endorsement or pressure of a pal on your shopping trip can lead you astray. If you have a family, taking your kids or spouse with you to the store can lead to unnecessary purchases. If you must bring the kids, make sure they know you’re sticking to your shopping list, and follow through: no extra purchases!
Make that shopping list—and stick to it!
Before hitting the store, check the grocery flyers and write down the best deals. Do your best to only buy what’s on sale. Once you get everything on the list, head out of the store!
Follow sales and create a weekly menu.
After you’ve noted what’s on sale at the store this week, plan meals around those sale items you want to buy. If ground turkey and pasta sauce are on sale, have spaghetti and turkey meatballs for meals this week.
Bring more vegetables into your diet.
Yeah, meat is expensive. Try having at least one meatless meal or even meatless day per week to save money. (Thought about going vegetarian? Try it out and see how it brings down your grocery bills.) When/if you have meat, try making the other dishes the main course, and the meat the side dish so your portion is scaled back and you have enough meat for the next meal.
Don’t buy “convenience” foods.
Grated cheese, chopped garlic, and pre-cut fruits/veggies are all items you should avoid if you want to save money. Part of the fun of cooking is in the prep work. Put those knives or food processors to work!
Buy generic.
Some items may deserve to be brand name, but not everything. Generic store brand items are almost always cheaper than name brands, so try them out if you want to save some serious cash. One tip: buy generic disposables. Do you really need name brand aluminum foil or paper napkins?
Shop AROUND the store.
Produce, meat, dairy, and bakery items are located around the perimeter of the store. The center aisles contain processed (junk) foods like chips, pop, cereal, crackers, etc. Not only are these things not as healthy for you, many of them are not necessary for your meals. Shop around the store for the freshest, cheapest (and generally healthiest) foods.
Only purchase produce in season.
There’s always something good in season. Check the store flyers to see which produce is cheapest (often on the front or back page). Those are the items in season.
Look high & low.
More expensive items are always placed at eye level so that stores make more sales on more expensive items, and make more profit. Look at the top and bottom shelves to find cheaper items (sometimes you’ll get lucky and even score clearance items.)
Check the “per unit” price.
See which size item has the lowest cost per unit and buy that one. Of course, make sure you’re going to use the whole thing. Saving money on something you end up tossing isn’t saving money at all!
Stock up on sale items.
Set aside an amount in your budget each month for stocking up on sale items. When goods go on sale for super cheap, STOCK UP! Purchase as many as you can afford/store/use before the item expires.
