The Sunday Chicago Tribune has a new story about saving at the supermarket with tips from savings experts! I contributed some tips to the article, and here are some of my favorites:
Grocery-shopping savings advice has become ubiquitous in recent years, but all tips aren’t created equal.
Some strategies and tactics can save you a lot of money, while others add more hassle to your life than money to your pocket.
To separate superior supermarket savings advice from the bad and mundane, we sought tips from a few rock stars of couponing who, besides being experts at coupon use, know all the best strategies for saving money at the grocery store…
Sales cycles. If the word “stockpiling” conjures images of those made-for-TV grocery trips where people buy juice boxes by the pallet, think of it as “inventory.” Items typically go on sale in 12-week cycles, so you don’t need to buy that many to get you through to the next sale. “Contrary to what you’ve seen on TV, my house isn’t filled to the brim with food,” Cataldo said. “For us, a three-month supply of ketchup is three bottles.”
Half price. What’s a good price? “My goal as a coupon shopper is to cut the non-sale price of an item in half or better,” Cataldo said. “That’s an easy benchmark to remember.” You could keep a price list and scour the weekly sales ad for deals. But websites such as SavingsAngel.com, CouponMom.com and TheGroceryGame.com track sales cycles and find the best deals so you don’t have to. The sites also note how you can match coupons to sales for maximum savings.
Loyalty cards. Applying for supermarket loyalty cards is often the only way to cash in on store sales. Cataldo put the physical cards on their own keychain, alphabetized.
Shake your bunch. If you’re buying fresh produce from refrigerated cases that mist produce with water, shake off the produce before bagging it. “You’d be surprised how much water can be retained in a broccoli or celery bunch,” Cataldo said. “If you don’t shake it off, you’re paying for it.”
Front-row nutrients. For green, leafy vegetables, such as bagged salads and spinach, choose bags at the front of the case, which have higher levels of nutrients because the plants’ photosynthesis continues in-store under the lights, said Cataldo, citing a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Get social. On Facebook and Twitter, follow and “like” your favorite brands and retailers. “I find particularly high-value printable coupon offers on Facebook,” Cataldo said.
Read the entire article at ChicagoTribune.com, or in Sunday’s Tribune in the “Money & Real Estate” section on page 4.
