Shopping Tips

Saving Money in Four Simple Steps

For most of us, next to the cost of housing, groceries are our largest monthly expense.  By following four fairly simple steps, you can cut that spending.

Did you know that statistics show that after we’ve been in the supermarket for a half hour, we start to spend an extra dollar a minute?  The trick to saving money on grocery items is to go to the market with a thorough organized list of exactly what you need by planning your meals for the week ahead.   It takes a little time but that time will translate to dollars in your pocket.  Here are the steps:

Step 1:  Get a notebook and write each day of the week.  Divide the days into breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and mid-morning or afternoon snacks if your family expects them.   Click here to download the Food Bank’s meal planner.

Step 2:  Look for sales by reading the store circular and by clipping coupons to plan your meals around money saving offers (read below about The Magic Three).  When you’re making your list, if you notice that your favorite non-perishable ingredients are on sale that week, add them to your list even if they are not part of that week's food plan.  As you’re planning your meals, be sure for each day to include the five basic food groups. Click here to download the Food Bank's Grocery List of Healthy Eating.

Step 3: After you’ve planned your meals, make a list of the ingredients you need and organize it by supermarket aisles. Write all your produce together, all your dairy products and so on. By doing this, you will spend less time in the market and avoid that dollar a minute trap. For the most nutritious meals, do the majority of your shopping around the perimeter of the store.  That's where the staple items from the five basic food groups are located.

Step 4:  When you get through the checkout counter, take a good look at your sales receipt, and see how much money you have saved by making a list and sticking to it.

The Magic Three:  Store Cards, Circulars and Coupons

By using a combination of store cards, circulars and coupons, you can save an incredible amount of money at the market each week.  Here’s how:

Store cards are available in most supermarkets and are free to all customers. These cards allow you to take advantage of the store’s weekly specials. Many of the markets make their cards into small discs that attach to your key chains so you always have it with you. Visit the customer service desk at your local market to get your card. 

Store circulars usually arrive in the mail on Thursdays. Grab them and search for specials. Build your weekly meal plan around those specials. Don’t forget your freezer! If chicken is a great deal and your family loves it, buy extra and freeze it. Also check the circulars for sale items that you use on a regular basis, even if they are not part of that week’s food plan.  If the sale item you want is sold out, go to the customer service desk and ask for a rain check. The store will honor the sale price when the item is back in stock.

Coupons can be found in your local Sunday newspaper. If you match the coupons to the sale items in the circulars, you’ll feel as though the store is practically giving the items to you!  But be cautious not to get carried away. You’ll see plenty of coupons for high-sugar snacks, new products on the market that don’t fit into your meal plan and prepared foods with little nutritional value. These are items you don’t need or want, so pass them by.  That’s money poorly spent.