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saving money when grocery shopping

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09-07-2010 , 01:38 PM

#26

JasonInDallas

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Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 6,898

IDK about elsewhere but in dallas sams is def more expensive than being somewhat cost-conscious and shopping for deals at regular grocery stores for most staple items

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09-07-2010 , 01:48 PM

#27

vikefan24

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,334

Quote:

Originally Posted by daryn

i usually spend $100 on a trip to the grocery store.. too much?

I don't remember the last time we spent under $100 at the grocery store

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09-07-2010 , 02:08 PM

#28

DMC0627

adept

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 769

Don't know about everywhere, but where I live the sales stuff is at the end of the aisles. I stock up on any non perishable stuff when it is on sale.

Subscribe to the weekly circulars (go into the stores you shop at and they will send them to you) and they will list the sales and often give coupons. I use coupons proudly btw.

I consider myself a pretty good shopper and plan ahead. If you don't plan for what you will need you often run out to convenience stores and pay a lot more for stuff you could have bought at a supermarket.

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09-07-2010 , 02:08 PM

#29

Dids

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Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 60,871

Quote:

Originally Posted by supafrey

And regular fruit loops don't?

I mean they're obviously sweet- that's why they're awesome. However, the brand x version goes from maybe over the top to so far over the top they are ****ing flying man and in a "holy **** you're going to go into space and burst" kinda way.

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09-07-2010 , 02:21 PM

#30

r0eKY

veteran

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 2,960

i shop at Kroger and use my card for discount

- frozen vegetables (broccoli, spinach, mix veg)
- turkey chicken
- beams rice cheap soups
- bananas apples
- yogurt
- oats

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09-07-2010 , 02:50 PM

#31

vetiver

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Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 7,757

Whole foods is obviously most expensive, but like all of their foods are organic so if that's really important to you I guess it could provide value. Otherwise avoid at all costs. Ralph's is really expensive too for a standard grocery store. Just sticking to their advertised deals makes it ok, but then your selection is very limited. I don't know about CostCo and Sam's Club, maybe those are options. But afaik TJ's mainly + using Ralph's deals to supplement certain brand names (like your favorite cereals, or whatever) would be a decent option.

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09-07-2010 , 03:58 PM

#32

punchespilot

grinder

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 564

pay attention to the unit price of everything you buy. They list it by ounce, or sheet, pound or whatever. In grocery stores it is usually listed at the bottom of the tag. If you have no preference on papertowels, go find the one with the cheapest unit price. You'll get to see how much you save per unit by buying in a larger size. Sometimes you might even see a product that is cheaper by the unit in a smaller size. It's a handy shopping aid when comparing prodcuts that are not sold in the same size package. I think it is required by law, though I'm not sure if that is a state or federal thing.

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09-07-2010 , 04:41 PM

#33

profELMO

adept

Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 727

coupons? One time this woman checking out in front of me brought in like a ******ed amount of coupons and ended up getting like $100+ worth of groceries for $30.

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09-07-2010 , 04:53 PM

#34

Cosines11

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 4,567

Quote:

Originally Posted by punchespilot

+1 to this.

I shop exclusively at Jewel-Osco in Chicago because of convenience, but I almost always go for the buy one get one deals on the foods I regularly eat. And obviously get the jewel membership card that gives you regular discounts. Periodically, they also send me mailers with $10, $20 and $30 off depending on how much I spend on my next visit. These were things that I would auto throw away in the past but save me a **** ton.

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09-07-2010 , 05:22 PM

#35

ShipDaSherb

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,694

I recently noticed Amazon.com is getting price competitive with Costco on certain items purchased in bulk when using the 15% off "subscribe and save" deal.

They also have coupon codes running occasionally. Right now for example they sell a huge pack of Bounty paper towels and with the s&s discount+coupon code it comes to 1.6 cents per sq. ft. vs. 2 cents at Costco.

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09-07-2010 , 05:46 PM

#36

dogkicker666

old hand

Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,251

when you see a really good deal on something buy a crap load of it. If you got the dough. and buy a freezer. A stand up freezer. The deep freezer waste more than they save.

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09-07-2010 , 10:18 PM

#37

otnemem

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Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 8,295

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShipDaSherb

]Certain items constantly go on sale so you should never pay full price. For example at Ralphs this week they had 12 packs of Pepsi on sale for $2 each if you bought 5. When there isn't a sale they are often 5-6$

If you still think you need to buy five in order to get the discount, you're losing the sale-shopping game.

EDIT: I don't really think about it much, but my god, what a borderline scam/deceptive sales tactic.

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09-07-2010 , 10:24 PM

#38

ShipDaSherb

old hand

Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,694

Quote:

Originally Posted by otnemem

If you still think you need to buy five in order to get the discount, you're losing the sale-shopping game.

Well, that's true if they just say "5 for $10." However it says "5 for $10 with purchase of 5 in a single transaction, Single unit $4.99 with card" so I think you need to buy them all for it to ring up the discount.

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09-07-2010 , 10:29 PM

#39

dlk9s

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Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 22,499

Most of the time, it is true, you don't need to buy all five in the "5 for $10" sale to get the $2/item price. But it is very common for soda, in particular, to be something like "Buy 4, get 1 free," which obviously changes the game a bit.

But yeah, the moment I realized that I didn't have to buy all the items in the "x for $y" deal, I felt free.

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09-07-2010 , 10:31 PM

#40

Tony_P

Crimson Challenge Conqueror

Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 12,023

Quote:

Originally Posted by punchespilot

This is a good one. In one of the supermarkets I go to, OJ is more per ounce in the 96 oz container than in the 64 oz container.

Quote:

Originally Posted by otnemem

Some stores do have "Must By X" statements on the "X for $Y" sales, and have a higher price for individual units. This is usually not the case, but it is sometimes.

Edit: I am slow

Last edited by Tony_P; 09-07-2010 at 10:40 PM.

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09-07-2010 , 10:32 PM

#41

[Phill]

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Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 52,717

Quote:

Originally Posted by dogkicker666

when you see a really good deal on something buy a crap load of it. If you got the dough. and buy a freezer. A stand up freezer. The deep freezer waste more than they save.

How so?

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09-07-2010 , 10:36 PM

#42

Aabelno

adept

Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 784

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShipDaSherb

You can sign up for the cards online too if you don't want to hold up the line.

Or, walk over to customer service and fill out the application at your leisure. THEN get back in line and get your discount, rather than incoveniencing the people behind you.

Sometimes, if the person in front of me doesn't have a card, I'll let them use mine. The cashiers don't seem to mind.

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09-10-2010 , 04:07 AM

#43

sandman369

adept

Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 699

Quote:

Originally Posted by profELMO

coupons? One time this woman checking out in front of me brought in like a ******ed amount of coupons and ended up getting like $100+ worth of groceries for $30.

There was some news story about a woman who gets all her family's groceries for a penny because of coupons. She spends like an hour a week finding/cutting them and as a result gets free food. She pwns us all.

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09-10-2010 , 04:25 AM

#44

five4suited

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Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 9,026

OP, I live in LA, my gf is a chef, and she works for a big family.

Go to TJ's for semi-luxury items (like the food you'd serve to a date, including cheap decent wine), Costco and Smart N Final for almost all staples, and farmers' markets for the rest.

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