Many of the questions I get are how to stretch your budget and/or benefits to get the most out of what you have. My answer: coupons and planning. As soon as I mention coupons I see the shifty eyes, and "you lost me" expression, but hear me out! Coupons get a bad rep! We probably remember coupons as those pieces of paper our parents cut out of newspapers when we were younger. They usually had a wallet stuffed with coupons with varying expiration dates. Or maybe we think of the "coupon lady" who has parties with her friends where they sit at a table cutting and bartering coupons. She's the one always fighting the cashier to get the most out of her expired coupon. This is not what I'm talking about at all!
Coupons have evolved with the times just like everything else. There are still paper coupons, and coupon parties, but now we have this great thing called "digital coupons". These usually require that you sign up with an app at whatever store you're shopping at, or signing up with an app like Coupons.com. These are all great options to get the most out of your dollar. It may be inconvenient to download an app and create an account, but if it saves you an average $20+ each shopping trip isn't the inconvenience worth it? Plus apps are so easy to organize! Just toss them in a folder to declutter your screen, and still have everything within easy range.
My second tip is plan. We usually say, "Oh I need to go get groceries," then head to the store. Once we are there we start filling the shopping cart with whatever catches our eye (usually the endcaps), not really focusing on the cost, or what we are choosing. When we get to the counter we quickly realize we are over budget, and don't really have what we needed in the first place (ahem...looking at you Target). I suggest after you've eaten a decent meal (aka not hungry) get the flyers for your local grocery stores, and start planning.
Some find that using traditional paper and pencil works for them. I have found I tend to forget my list when I do that. What works best for me is using an app to make a list. There are several free apps for making shopping lists. My favorite has been List Ease. I like it because your list can be shared across Android and Apple devices. You also have the option to make a pantry list. This keeps you from buying things you don't need, but you can also update what is in your pantry, how low it is, and easily shift the item to your shopping list when it gets too low. Plus, you can easily add items while you shop so you don't go over budget. You can create lists for the specific store you're going to, and update the price of items as you shop. The app then adds up the cost of your cart, saving you from sticker shock at checkout.
The grocery stores in my immediate area are Walmart Neighborhood Market, Sam's Club, Publix, Winn-Dixie, Aldi, and Sprouts. Typically my go to stores are the last four. Publix, Winn-Dixie, and Sprouts all have shopping apps that allow you to create an account, and save digital coupons under your phone number. (Target also has an app with 'Cartwheel' for digital coupons/sales, but they are not close enough to us. Check them out too because they often have free gift card options!) When you check out you enter your phone number, and receive your savings. You can usually create a shopping list in these apps, but I haven't found that to be as beneficial as having all the items I need on one list.
Finally, before you go shopping make sure you're not hungry (this goes for the kids too - pack them snacks). Seriously pro tip here folks! If you grocery shop while hungry you will buy foods that you don't necessarily need. So eat!
NEVER plan or shop for groceries when you are hungry!
Now grab your list and head to your destination! When you start shopping you have to go down every food aisle. I know, I know, it's time consuming, but there is a method to my madness. While you're walking check the labels for any BOGO or additional coupon offers. When you get to the item you want to purchase do not just immediately grab the first item you see! Check the prices of the surrounding products. This includes the top and bottom shelves. Check expiration dates. Check the volume and item price. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy two smaller items vs one larger item to get the amount you want/need. Sometimes the name brand product is actually cheaper than the store brand item so watch out for that too, especially if there is a sale on the name brand item.
Example: One 5 ounce can costs $1.00 with a unit price of $0.20/ounce. The smaller size can is 2.5 ounces and costs $0.50 with a unit price of $0.20/ounce. These prices are comparable. If you were planning on buying the 5 ounce can that would be a good buy. Now let's say there is a larger can of 8.5 ounces that costs $1.50 with a unit price of $0.18/ounce. The bigger can is the better buy for your money. Yes, it costs more, but the unit price is cheaper and depending on the item you can save the rest for another meal/recipe. This is where a kitchen scale becomes invaluable!
Buying the bigger size also works well when you are meal planning. If your recipe calls for 5 ounces, but you're doubling the recipe you could buy two of the bigger cans, portion out what you need, and save the remaining 6 ounces for making the recipe a third time, or for any other meal you wanted to make. Buying two of the bigger cans is the same cost as buying 3 of the 5 ounce cans, but you get more product for your money.
In this example, if you bought A you’d pay less, but in the long run spend more money. 6 ounces of the yogurt costs 72 cents with a unit price of 12 cents, but if you needed 32 ounces you would have to buy 6 of the smaller containers and pay $4.32 total vs buying the 32 ounce container for $1.62! Unit price is key!
Don't worry if math is not your strong point. The unit price is located right on the shelf tag! If you cannot find it for whatever reason just start with the price of the item, divide it by the ounces of the product, and that is the unit price for what you are buying. So in the image above take $1.62 and divide it by 32 (the number of ounces). Your answer will be $0.05/ounce.
We usually shop for main staples once a month, regular groceries every two weeks, and vegetables/fresh fruits once a week. Check Farmer’s Markets for fresh fruits and veggies. Many of them accept EBT with a much lower sticker tag than traditional grocery stores. It's also helpful to invest in a deep freezer. They range in price starting around $180 if you buy brand new. There is nothing wrong with used. I suggest checking Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or your local thrift shop. Yard/garage sales, and estate sales are also a good place to check. Finally, you need a kitchen scale. It does not have to cost a lot, but it will help you not waste the products you spent so much time saving money on!
Now that you know my process let me walk you through a typical shopping trip. I like to start by opening the fridge, and checking any item that looks low, but also paying attention to expiration dates. Usually you can get away with being a week past, but I wouldn't push it more than that. Next, I check the pantry and deep freezer. Stocking the deep freezer is a completely different shopping adventure, Stay tuned for that post!
Once I've gotten a general idea of what is missing, or needs replacing I pull up the flyers for Publix, Walmart, Aldi, and Sprouts. We do get some of these flyers in the mail, but they don't always arrive on time. Check the date on the flyer as it will tell you how long the prices are good for, and gives you an idea of when the stores usually change their sale prices. Once I have my flyers up I go through and write down everything in the flyer that we either eat, or I know we will be needing soon. If it's a good BOGO, or a product we eat frequently I will buy it even if we don't "need" it right away. If it's nonperishable it's better to stock up when it's on sale so that if you need it you already have it, but don't miss out on such a great price. Don't waste your money on "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" deals unless you were already planning on buying two of that item. They are a waste of your time and money.
When I go through the flyers I like to create a paper list, but you can write it directly on your app. The reason I like the paper list is I can visually see the competing prices for products I'm buying. I will also write if the product is BOGO, and put a star next to any item that has a digital coupon. When reading the flyer for Winn-Dixie check for "bonus points" items. These points can be used to reduce your grocery bill on your next shopping trip, or to take a few cents off per gallon of gas. When reading the Publix flyer look for "buy x amount and get a gift card" options. Target also has similar offers on their Target app. Don't worry if it's not something you want. That just means you don't get the gift card. We are here to save money, not waste it!
Once I have gone through the four stores and created my list, I go into the individual apps for those stores, and add any digital coupons I starred on paper. I also check out coupons.com, and print out any coupons for products I plan to buy on that trip. Publix.com has printable coupons. You cannot always stack coupons, but it never hurts to be prepared. I also go down the digital coupon list, and add any products I might buy. For instance, if they have a coupon on a brand name sauce I've never bought before I will add the coupon. When I get to the store if the product with the coupon is cheaper than what I was going to purchase I will buy the product with the coupon. If the product costs more I leave it. You are not penalized for not using the digital coupons you claim.
Now that I have my list and coupons ready I open my shopping app. I then enter the items I want to buy, what quantity I want to buy, what store has the better deal, and what that price is. When I get to the store I immediately open my app, and start shopping my list going aisle by aisle. Check the aisles and product for IRCs which are stickers or neck tag coupons directly on the product, or on the shelf to tear and go that you can use the same shopping trip. As I place an item in my cart I make sure to update my list with the price of the product, and quantity I added to the cart. I do not write the sale price on the app. I know that always confuses people, but my rationale is that the store employees are human and make mistakes. Sometimes products don't scan correctly. I would rather the inconvenience of going to customer service to get the right price, than not have enough money at the checkout counter.
Once I've placed my last item in the cart I head to checkout. Some stores give you a discount for bringing your own bags. Don't be ashamed to get your discounts! This is your money. Make it work for you! Before you swipe your card make sure all your coupons have been handed over, or have been accepted digitally. If there is an error you can always take your receipt to customer service, and they will help correct the issue.
And that's it! Grocery shopping usually takes me 1-2 hours, and requires trips to multiple stores, but my grocery budget for a family of 4 is about $500-600/month depending on if I need to restock the deep freezer or not. The grocery budget also includes cat litter, cat/dog food, and things like paper towels, toilet paper, and toiletries.
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