How to Save at the Grocery Store

Julia and Danny

02.25.09 8:31pm

Coupons!  I also keep an eye out for the 10 for $10 deals at Safeway and Albertson's.  Also, although it is tiresome, we don't do all our grocery shopping at one store.  Trader Joe's has some good deals on organic food, Red Apple is good for your boxed food and/or basics (eggs, milk, pasta, etc) and WinCo is great for household and frozen goods.  It can be a pain sometimes but when you're broke, it works!

Oh!  And don't go grocery shopping hungry or with hungry kids.  Then you'll buy a bunch of stuff you'll never eat but it just sounds good because you're hungry.

Hm...there was something else too...oh yes, grocery lists.  I try to shuffle through our cupboards before heading to the store so I can put a list together using what we already have at home.  We all have those random canned fruits or freak box of rice-a-roni that sits in the cupboard for 8 months, forgotten in the back.  So when we're really broke (which is often these days...hence our UTurn participation) I really try to only buy food that will go with what we have at home, then I can really use EVERYTHING up without stockpiling and not spend money unnecessarily on food that won't be eaten.  That and the food bill is smaller because you're not buying random sides that you already have at home.

Anyways...those are my thoughts.  See, I have these good ideas but for some strange reason I don't stick to them.  Lazy?  Probably...being thrifty sure is a lot of work.  Or at least it seems like a lot of work, maybe we'll learn that it's not or ways to make it easier!  Then we can share it with you!  Yay blog!

~Julia (and Danny)

Ashlee Macchi

02.26.09 2:35pm

Well, you can always shop for the cheapest things! :)  I know i have a problem somtimes with just grabbing things without looking at the price; i have learned that, that isnt the best way to do it.  Just make sure to shop for what you need, dont just grab things that look good.  Like Julia and Danny said, always look for the sales! :)  I would also recommend alloting a certain amount in your account and knowing how much you can spend.  I would leave your credit cards at home because those can get you into trouble!  Just bring your debit card and know the amounts you have. :)

Nichole Lewellyn

02.26.09 3:03pm

Coupons and lists are a great idea! Going to the grocery store with a list is a must in my house!

On Sundays I pick out four or five recipes I want to make for the week. This way I only have to make one trip to the store and can buy groceries that will work for multiple meals. Seems like a lot of work, but it really takes the guess work out of cooking; whoever gets home first can pick one of the recipes and everything is already in the house. Not only do I save time, I also don't have any food worthy of a science project at the end of the week...

Did you know you can print coupons from Albertsons website?

Tina and Brad

03.02.09 11:24pm

I am a rookie with the whole organization of "advanced couponing" (entirely my made-up term!), but my sister and friends swear by subscription services such as http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ and http://www.pugetsoundgroceryguide.com/ locally here in the Seattle area. This keeps you on a list as well as saves you a ton of money! 

For Albertson's shoppers out there--my dear friend at work has reminded me that they take all other store coupons, so this can really be an extra bonus when combined with the deals that they are already offering.

I do *okay* with combining regular coupons with the store coupons for Safeway and Walgreens, and making sure that I keep an eye out for all of the mailers that come out. As the girls get older and eat more, groceries will continue to be an area where I look to save all I can!

Julia and Danny

03.06.09 1:48pm

This just in at the Today Show:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/29468915/from/ET/

It's an article dedicated to saving money at the grocery store, this lady has some great tips!  Enjoy!!!

~Julia

Jennifer B

03.06.09 2:20pm

I like to buy dry goods bulk. Did you know you can get spices, tea, and pasta in bulk? You can get healthy items in bulk that are often hard to find in the regular isles (like whole wheat spaghetti). I frequent Winco, but Haagens also has an excellent selection. The pricing is MUCH lower since you arent paying for their packaging.

Julia and Danny

03.06.09 2:34pm

Is Haagens in Springfield?  I think I've seen their commercials but have never actually been there.  Do they have pretty good prices?

Peg Dyer

03.07.09 10:47am

Winco is great for bulk foods. I also buy my seasonings there in bulk and just refill my spice containers. Some recipes call for odd seasonings that I don't normally use so it's nice to be able to buy small amounts instead of a whole jar.

Another great place to shop for deals is Grocery Outlet. We have a couple of stores here in Salem, and I do believe that most of the larger cities have one or two. Their prices are significantly lower but you need to watch the pull-dates on food items. I have found some amazing deals offered but the items were expired or close to being expired. They also have a wonderful selection of wines at discounted prices and I've noticed that it's become quite the hot-spot for wine connoisseurs in the area. And, if you want to try the latest in wrinkle creams, hair products, etc. you can usually find a good deal on those too!

Erin

03.07.09 8:00pm

Eating healthy, locally produced food is important to me, but I don't always make good use of my veggies.  I tend to buy too many at one time or I forget about what I have and then end up composting them rather than consuming them.  It's frustrating!  I also get easily bored with the salads I make.  So, in an effort to become more creative, I'm going to attend this workshop at the local food cooperative.  I'll let you know what I discover!

Here's the info:

Try Vegan PDX Presents

Getting your Greens!

The leafy green stuff are an essential part of a healthy diet and we are here to help you figure out how to incorporate those greens into your daily life!

This 2 hour class will include information on the benefits of eating greens as well as tips on preparation and shopping for greens on a budget.

The class will feature:

Salad making by Wes Hannah of Blossoming Lotus. Portland’s gourmet vegan restaurant in the pearl district.

www. blpdx. com

Green smoothies with Brian Heck of Sip Juice bar located in SE in front of People’s Co-Op. Sip is a 100% vegan and organic juice bar that makes awesome green smoothies.

www. myspace. com/​getyoursipon

Free samples will be available with lots of information!

The class will be Tuesday, March 10th at 7:30 PM in the community room at People’s co-op. People's co-op is located at 3029 se 21st ave.

To keep in the loop with what is going on with Try Vegan PDX and Try Vegan Week 2009, be sure to bookmark our site. www. tryveganpdx. com

Erin

03.15.09 7:46pm

The class I mentioned above was really great!  Brian at SIP is a friend of mine, and he made some fantastic green smoothies for everyone to try.  If you are ever in SE Portland, be sure to check out his cart.  It's parked right in front of the People's Co-op.  In the summertime, he makes vegan milkshakes that even a meat-lover will appreciate!

Wes from Blossoming Lotus made HUGE, yummy salads for everyone.  The evening was very informative and I got fed for free!  What could be better?  What it really taught me was to check out free offerings in the community regularly.  You never know what great things you might find.

Ryan_FEO

03.16.09 7:51am

A great reminder how many fun, informative, even inexpensive, activities there are in the area.  In this case you're also helping support a friend in their venture.  Thanks for the update Erin

Carrie Eyman

03.19.09 12:32pm

Having a plan is the key to a successful grocery shopping trip. Lately, I have not had the time or energy to make a plan, but I found a great website for busy people who do not have time to plan a shopping list. For just $5.00 a month you can subscribe to a service that will give you the menu/recipes and shopping list for a week. You can choose from Vegan, Low fat, low carbs or Point System recipes.  Best of all real Moms created this to help them and their picky family. I am defiantly going to try this. If anyone else would like to check it out go to http://e-mealz.com/index.shtml  I will let you know if I have any success. J

Nancy

03.20.09 4:27pm

I learned this great tip last year that has helped me from throwing away rotten bananas. The tip is simply to take the bananas apart from the stem when you bring them home from the grocery store and they won’t ripen as fast. You can still keep them in the same fruit bowl. I’ve been doing this for almost a year and have not had a banana that was too brown to eat! Indirectly that saves me money.

Ryan_FEO

03.24.09 2:45pm

Albertson's grocery store just changed their policy on accepting competitor coupons.   A link to the story on Portland’s KATU website can be found here

Willis and Adria

03.25.09 4:47pm

The best way I know to save at the grocer is to make a list and religiously stick to it - easier said than done.

During my youth, I learned a great deal while working at a grocery store meat department.  When a superior cut of meat began to darken with age, the butcher would pull it from the case and buy it himself.  He claimed that just when shoppers judged the meat not fresh it was, in fact, perfect and only then properly aged insuring maximum tenderness and flavor -- fine restaurants know this and age their meat likewise.  Accordingly, we seek the discount meat section (most stores  tuck it in a remote corner of the cooler) and buy those perfectly ripened T-bones and prime ribs for the price of hamburger or less -- and believe me when I say... "it's the best meat in the store" -- go figure.

Ryan_FEO

05.27.09 2:52pm

I thought this was a great article about “quantity surcharges” from a blog called the simple dollar.  According to the article, some products in the grocery store tend to sell larger bulk products for more money per unit than the same product in smaller quantities.  I’ve noticed when the smaller quantity products go on sale this is especially true as the bulk product does not usually go on sale.  This can be tricky for those who commonly reach for the bulk product without reviewing the cost per unit simply expecting the larger price to be cheaper per unit.