Your Grocery Bill

[ParsonsWife]

Our grocery bill is large. Way larger than I would like. Prices are higher in this part of my state than in others....go figure, it's a poorer area, and yet they have higher grocery prices. My thoughts are: a majority of folks are on food stamps (this is not an exaggeration) and I think they keep prices high for that reason, also, they carry little or no generics on their shelves in certain items. Mostly they carry brandname, and storebrand. Then in certain items...not even generic. This too I believe to be a money game. I have talked to the manager, and I get the 'brush off'....you know...'crazy lady'....
I often have to take trips for the ministry, and I have found what works for us is...LARGE quanities. I buy loads of stuff at ALDI's when I go to the North side of the state. Good food, never had anything bad from them.
I also purchase bulk from Sams when I go in that direction....*none of these stores are close to me, and just a trip for that alone...well, the gas money issue kicks in.
Anyway, I do use coupons, when they have what I buy. I buy extra when things are on sale. Just general savings tips.
And always pick up extra's when passing thru those towns.

 

[enjoy the ride]

One often unused space is behind books on book cases- a lot of bookcases are deeper than the books they hold. The space behind them is good for lots of things.

 

[FarmerChick]

Parsonswife
I hear ya on this one...you are not the crazy lady..LOL...if there is not ALOT of stores near you then the "few local" stores will be higher prices. Always the way...ya can't win on this one.

Buying in bulk is great. Cheaper per unit (usually) cause times I saw the smaller sizes were cheaper vs. the big bulk item....boy we sure do always have to watch don't we...never a free ride..HA HA

everyone wants our money..LOL

 

[FarmerChick]

EnjoytheRide
thanks for the tip. you are right...behind everything is SPACE...use it up!!

 

[VT-Chicklit]

ParsonsWife, I know what you mean when you say the supermarkets in your area keep the prices high! I think that is the case here, as well. I live about 30 miles from the closest supermarket. There are two, across the street from each other. I think they compare prices, so that there is very little difference between the two. One does double coupon and with their circular in the paper, you sometimes get tripple coupons. I go to the one with that double coupons and I shop the sales. I check the area that they have in the back corner of the store for items that they want to get rid of. These are usually items that are being discontinued. I start my shopping there. I have gotten soft vellux blankets there for $4 (christmas presents), packages of kosher egg noodles for $.40, Iams dry cat food for $3 and so on. Some times I even have coupons for these items and they may land up being free.

I then check the meat counter. I shop around 9 AM, and have found that my supermarket puts reduction stickers on yesterdays meat around that time. I will freeze the meat until I am ready to use it so one day less of shelflife doesn't matter. The bakery also marks yesterday's baked goods down then, so I look for corn bread, rolls, muffins ect. They will usually be priced around $1 (reg $3). This store also reduce stickers dairy products. I check the use by code and if there is several days left, I will buy and freeze.

These tactics cut alot off my grocery bill. I almost never leave the supermarket without getting at least one free thing. Sometimes they pay me for buying an item. My supermarket will give you a $2 coupon plus the difference if you find an error in your bill. I check my bill before I leave the store. They are always making mistakes , so those $2 coupons add up.

 

[pioneergirl]

Once I processed my meat birds, and got the 1/2 hog from my BIL processed, I rarely buy meat at the store, but that doesn't mean the meat birds didn't cost me! lol. I've said before, I spent the money then and am saving it now, its a balance. I have also spent less on my grocery bill since doing a garden. Things like salsa, tomatoe products in general, and veggies (duh) I have not purchased in ages. About every week there is a sale flyer for the 2 main grocery stores around here (HyVee and County Market) and the DH and I will sit and go through each one, finding good deals, and comparing prices. I can usually get away with filling 5 or 6 of those canvas bags for under $150, and have enough food to feed an army for 2 weeks! lol This winter is when my stocking up will have saved me time and money.

 

[heatherv]

Sometimes they pay me for buying an item. My supermarket will give you a $2 coupon plus the difference if you find an error in your bill. I check my bill before I leave the store. They are always making mistakes , so those $2 coupons add up.

I'm not sure if it's a state law, or federal, but here in MI if they ring you up for the wrong price on an item (and you catch it) and take the reciept to customer service, they have to give you 10 times the mistake back (it may be limited to $10 or something like that per item) I remembered when I was a teen and used to work as a cashier, but didn't know that this was still the situation until I accidentally found out. I wanted to use a coupon on two items, that I forgot to use, so I took it to the customer service and the lady there noticed they were rung up wrong, and I got $8 back per each item. So $16! woo hoo! I try to watch for the prices, but I usually have two grocery carts full, and a couple kids w/ me, and that makes it hard to watch the price of every single item.

 

[VT-Chicklit]

heatherv, I know what you mean about how difficult it is to check the reciept before leaving the store! I don't have children but I do have a husband who HATES to come grocery shopping. Occasionally he is with me if we combine trips. He will try to herd me out of the store. . . as I am trying to check my reciept! God Forbid if I have to go back and check a shelf price or the circular for the advertised price! lol

 

[reinbeau]

I haven't read through the whole thread but: We save on our grocery bill by shopping in New Hampshire when we're on out way to and from our Maine home. Milk is at least a dollar a gallon cheaper in NH, meats are usually cheaper, everything is just less money. My local supermarket around here makes me crazy when I go shopping in there! It's a chain and the prices vary from store to store, there's one in Hanover, a higher income home, and the prices are higher there than in my town's. It's what the market will bear, and obviously it'll bear a lot less up in NH!

Of course there's a gas factor there, but we're going to go to the house up North anyways, so that makes it doable. I realize not everyone has this option.

 

[patandchickens]

FarmerChick, what about storing stuff in the barn, shed, driveshed, garage, workshop? Won't work for everything, but is fine for canned goods (storeboughten canned or homecanned), bulk dry goods sealed in heavy plastic buckets or big glass jars, etc. Up here, freezing would be an issue for canned goods in winter, but you shouldn't have much of a problem with that.

Just a thought,

Pat