For most families, the grocery store is one of the most frequently visited retail stores. That’s why it’s so important to be proactive in spending wisely when doing what can feel like a routine chore. As pointed out on MSNBC recently, “Marketers have put more thought into grocery stores than any other type of store because they see an opportunity in the monotony of shopping for necessities.” Among the article’s key tips: Don’t be fooled into thinking the products displayed at the end of an aisle are the best deal when in fact they can sell for 30 percent more than similar products found elsewhere in the store; products shelved at eye level tend to cost more than those that you have to bend or stretch to reach; about 25 percent of the time products in smaller containers sell for less per ounce than those in bigger “value” size containers; and convenience comes at a cost – for example, Consumer Reports found that six ounces of pre-shredded carrots cost five times more than a comparable handful of whole carrots.
It takes more time to find coupons for items that are also on sale, but one of the better free sites that helps with that is CouponMom.com. I also trust the findings of a Wharton Business School study about “cherry picking,” which concluded that it is worth our time to shop multiple stores to buy the products that are on deep discount as long as they’re items we truly need and we stock up.
Several months ago, I attended a 2.5 hour “Super Couponing” course at my local library. Ever since then, I have been saving a lot of money on groceries using smart shopping techniques taught by Jill Cataldo. Jill teaches these classes for free at local libraries all over the Chicago area. Her class schedule is available at http://jillcataldo.com/. She also teaches a “Super Couponing II” course that goes into more detail and includes toy stores, clothing stores, etc. I took that course, too!