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Yes! The best money saving trick is with Kroger. At least with the one in my area, the first Wednesday of every month is senior day. You get an extra 10% off all groceries.
I am not a senior but my mother is. I usually assist her on these days but there have been a couple occasions when I have gone without her. I take her Kroger card and get the discount at check out. If you are not over 64 you can apply for a card for someone who is and ask them to let you use their card. Kroger usually supplies 2 or 3 cards per application so you could hold onto one.
We shop for three and she stocks up at the beginning of the month on these days. She has saved up to $140.00 on one occasion (counting coupons, sales and senior discount).
Also, if you get a Kroger charge card and have spent $100 dollars on groceries you can get 15 cents off the cost of gas at their pump. I drive a full size van so filling up usually saves me 6 or 7 dollars a fill.
Meat always seems to be the most expensive food items in my grocery cart and when my step-kids were younger and still lived at home, I began one night a week making a meat-less meal (like homemade chili w/o the meat). By doing that I saved at least 5 bucks a week. Also, like another poster said, stock up when the things you use go on sale. Yes, it seems expensive when you start doing that but the payoff in the long run is worth it.
Over the course of a year it really adds up. Coupons don't seem like they save you much but if you consistently use them and added the cost up over a year, I think you'd be shocked at how much money you didn't spend. I get coupons from a booklet that comes in our Sunday paper and our local stores offer sales ads with coupons in them every Wednesday.
I know this probably sounds weird but I keep track of every coupon I use, the amounts I save when I buy something on sale or when I buy in bulk and when I get up to the check stand to pay for my purchases, I write the check for the amount I owe plus the amount I saved. I keep a small note pad in my purse and my checkbook has a calculator and I just add up my savings while I'm waiting in line or shortly before I get to the checkout. It just takes a minute. Anyway, when I get home I take the money I "paid" myself - the amount I saved on groceries - and I put it in a tea tin on top of my fridge. I also do this with the money I save on meat-less meal night.
Once every 3 months or so, I put it in a savings account and once a year we use it for something fun or sometimes to pay off something we bought. Right now, we've not spent the amount we saved in 2009 and after checking the balance in there I have almost $500. I've done this for at least the past 15 years and yeah, I admit, it's easier to use a debit card but I tried that and would keep forgetting to "pay" myself the savings amounts so it wouldn't feel like saving does when I have tangible money in the bank.
One last thing: I live in a rural area and once a year we buy either a quarter or half a cow and have it butchered and packaged and that saves a tremendous amount. It's almost like I'm giving myself a dollar (or more even) every time I use a package of meat. It much less expensive overall than what's in the store. Also, I have them put half the hamburger in 3/4lb packages and when I make spaghetti, lasagna, chili, etc where it calls for a pound of meat, I only use 3/4 of a pound.
You don't really miss the 1/4lb and since most people consume more protein than they need, I feel like I'm doing myself a favor health-wise plus for every 4 times I do that, I'm saving a pound of meat to use for something else. (just an aside here: the money I save from this doesn't go into my savings account I mentioned above). I hope this gives you some good ideas! Cheers!
What am I missing here? People talking about how they save using coupons. The town I live in (not a small town, close to 250 thousand people but no one doubles coupons. When I do get coupons they come from the Sunday paper and there is seldom ever more than one or two that I'd use. Most coupons are for cleaning supplies and prepared foods' stuff I don't buy.
Hi. I have lived on a very low income for years and have started going to the dollar stores before I go to the grocery store. You can get a lot of your items much cheaper than the grocery stores. Then things I can't find there I try to have coupons or watch the store ads. I never buy a regular price. Always sale items. When it is on sale buy a few and keep on hand. Then the next week buy the sale items again. It really works out in the long run. Good Luck, Barb from Michigan
All the above suggestions are good. I would also add this: We have 6 major grocery stores in our area. When the weekly flyers arrive in your mailbox invest the time to read each one's 'specials' of the week. After a while you will become quite familiar w/each store.
The 'sale prices' vary widely from each store.
Use a Marker & circle those that appeal to you &
make 1 wkly trip hitting all of them (ergo saving gas) to buy what you need. Split your order if
you are only allowed 1 thereby getting 2 of sale
item.
My parents went through the great depression and one of the things my mama taught me is still great advice : shop and eat the loss leaders! These are the items that are on the front page of your grocery ad. The stores purposely make very little on these items to get folks in the store. Try it and see if you can cut your grocery budget.
Also, make a list and stick to it! Don't buy anything that isn't on the list-or,if you must, buy just one thing that isn't on the list. You'll be surprised how much you can save. Also, I buy two when things are on sale. For example, spaghetti sauce. Then I don't have to buy it the next time when it maybe isn't on sale. Be flexible.
KJABLUE I don't know if you are still on here but I love the advice you give for savings. How does one go about buying a whole cow? Most of our grocery bill is meat, mostly beef (thanks to the hubby) but when I shop I always go for the bogo deals and my husband doesn't understand. But I can get a bag of boneless skinless chicken for 20 bucks and get one free, that for the 2 of us is like 8 meals. When the kids are home, 5 or 6. But I love the idea of paying yourself and I think I might start doing that! I use coupons religiously and save a lot, though I have had to change the way I shop, plus I buy a lot of store brand items because my store gives tickets for so much off your next purchase if you spend so much in store brands.
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I would like some ideas on how to save on my groceries at the store. The way prices are going up and up, I need to save all I can. Thanks ahead for the tips.