Money Saving Tips for the Grocery Store….
Andover, Massachusetts August 26th, 2010 – Grocery shopping is a huge monthly expense for every family in America, are you doing everything you can to make sure you are not overspending? For many, grocery shopping involves running out of food at home and then heading to the nearest supermarket to purchase whatever they feel like eating. While this might be easy and lead to great meals it is also the most expensive way of shopping for food.
Saving money while shopping does not mean you have to spend hours clipping coupons each Sunday (though coupons can save you a pretty penny each week), what it does mean is that you need a plan before you enter the store. Read the following tips, and see just how much of a difference it can make.
- Never enter a supermarket without a shopping list. Super markets and stores in general make a lot of their money from impulse shoppers. If you have ever walked into a store looking for green beans and left with a pizza and green beans then you have just added a few dollars to their bottom line. Always have a list of items you need and stick to it.
- Before you make that shopping list you will need an idea of what you want to eat over the next few days. Brainstorm some ideas and then create a list so that you can make those meals whenever you want to. Not only does this save you money but it also eliminates those nights where you have no idea what to cook and then by default end up ordering pizza.
- Avoid the free samples that many supermarkets offer. While it may be a great snack, a large amount of people that sample the food end up buying it, even though it was not on their original shopping list.
- An obvious thing to avoid is the vendors that sometimes populate a grocery store. Just because there is a Dunkin Donuts in the store doesn’t mean you need to get a coffee. Save the $3 and make your own at home for a fraction of the cost.
- Almost every grocery store in the country is designed to maximize revenue. This means that most have the essentials to a good meal along the outside and back of the store. Vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meats are the most important parts of your diet but are usually located as far away from the entrance as possible. Why you may ask? Its because the margins are usually the lowest on these. A store can make much more money by selling you pre packaged chips, soda, etc. than they can by selling you a pound of potatoes and a steak. Avoid browsing the store and head straight to where you need to be.
- Finally, avoid the urge to splurge at the checkout counter. Ever notice how checkout counters are usually stocked with cheap and popular items such as gum, magazines, and cold soda? This is because these are again very high margin items for the store. Why purchase a 20 oz. bottle of sprite for $1.49 at the checkout counter when you can have a 2 liter bottle for $1 just 30 feet away? Stay on your toes and don’t succumb to the marketing strategies of the store.
Hopefully you can use some if not all of these tips to shave a couple of bucks off your food budget each and every week. By the end of the year you should see some significant savings that you can then use for other more important issues such as paying down your debt!
Preferred Financial Services is a debt reduction firm certified by the CFC (Center for Financial Certifications) and accredited by U.S.O.B.A. (United States Organizations for Bankruptcy Alternatives). Headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts, Preferred Financial Services has been a leader in the debt reduction industry since 2003. Preferred Financial Services has acquired some of the best experience in the industry over the past 7 years. In 2009 alone Preferred Financial Services reduced over $16.5 million worth of consumer debt for just $6.4 million, for a savings of about 60%- and over 2,900 accounts were settled on behalf of their clients.
For more information, please visit www.pfsdebtrelief.com or follow us on our blog at www.pfsdebtrelief.com/blog/ .
Contact:
Stephan Tavernini
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Certified IAPDA Debt Arbitrator
Preferred Financial Services
