Thursday, October 23, 2008

Great Ways to Save on Groceries!

With the economy the way it is every little penny counts and needs to be watched...It costs way too much to feed our families now days so here are eight tricks to try the next time you go shopping:

1. Watch the register. In most grocery stores, advertised sales change every week, so the scanners have to be updated constantly. But surprisingly often, they're not, so they charge you the full amount, not the discounted price. To get the deal you're after, keep an eye on the price being registered by the scanner, whether you're operating it yourself or dealing with a cashier. Put all the week's specials in a corner of your cart and line them up on the checkout counter together so you can easily keep track of the prices you're being charged as the items are scanned.

2. Don't assume that regular-price items are being entered correctly. After all, the person at the register may not know a pomegranate from a persimmon. On a recent shopping trip, I watched as a cashier entered my three-pound cabbage (39 cents per pound) as Brussels sprouts ($1.89 per pound) — an overcharge of $4.50. If I hadn't corrected him, my family would've eaten some very pricey coleslaw that night.

3. Collect your payoff if there's a mistake. Many people don't know it, but big chains like Giant, Safeway, and Kroger will often give you an item for free if the scan shows a higher price than what's advertised. (Tobacco, alcohol, pharmacy items, and dairy are excluded.)

4. Be persistent. If your grocer runs out of an advertised special, ask customer service for a rain check — a written promise to sell you the item at the lower price when it's restocked. Make sure the slip specifies the maximum number you can buy for the sale price (usually six). Ask about the time limit for using your rain check (it's usually 15 days).

5. Don't be fooled by deals like two for $1. You don't have to buy two. If the ad says "Buy two for $5" and you want only one, you can still get it for $2.50. If the item doesn't automatically scan that way, point out the sale price to the cashier.
6. Stock up, but wisely. Before you stash 10 boxes of something on your shelves, check the sell-by date. Even seemingly ageless products like tea bags and toothpaste eventually expire — and you don't want to be stuck owning eight more when they do.

7. Weigh before you pay. If you're buying a 10-pound bag of potatoes, put it on the scale before you put it in your cart. Many items weigh less than what the package says.

8. Don't pay extra for convenience. It's easier to pick up personal-care products and other non grocery items at the supermarket. But this stuff often costs more than it does at a big drugstore chain.


2 comments:

Sara~Graphic Pretties said...

Great ideas! We can all use money saving tips for sure!

Visit my blog...tag your it!
:) Sara

Rooster Inn Primitives said...

Sue I love all your tips and recipes!!! I know about the price not right. I went to Giant (martins) and got the kitten a scratching post. The tag said it was on sale. When we got to the register it said full price. I told the girl and we got it for free. She said that is there policy.

My Mammogram was a little scary today. They did the pictures and went and looked at them and then ask me to do more pictures. That's what happened when I had breast cancer. I was so worried sitting there and it took forever. When she came out she said everything looked good and would see me next year. Wow what a load off my shoulders. So Sorry about your DL. When I had my breast taken off they took out 22 lympnodes. All mine came out clean so I didn't have chemo or radiation. I had to take Tamoxofin for 5 years. I pray her lympnodes come back good. It is a very scary thing. Just be there for her. She needs someone to talk to. I know I was so terrified and I had just lost my mother 3 months before I found out and I went to my dad and he was there for me every inch of the way. He didn't know how to handle it but he was my rock. As with my hubby. The kids were little and didn't understand. I remember when it was time to take the bandages off I couldn't do it. And I felt so ashamed. But my husband did it for me. I don't know what I would have done without him. So Sue just be there for her. And I pray it didn't spread.