grocery store savings

by Stacy of Little Blue Hen

In this economy, frugality has become a buzzword. Many people have been living within their means for years (or decades), but saving money is trendy now that so many people have lost jobs or savings and have never had to live within their means before. Cooking magazines have “budget meals” plastered on their front covers!

I’m pretty confident that most readers of this blog are very aware of seasonal, local produce and how eating seasonally and/or from the farmer’s market can be a huge money-saver. A lot of budgeting tips are for sale items like meat (which I don’t eat) and processed foods (very limited). At this point, for the two of us I don’t think it’s worth it to get a warehouse membership. So what else do you do?

My husband and I moved into our new apartment less than a week ago. We’re still learning the neighborhood and trying to get our home set up (and I’m looking for a job!); the first step was a pantry-stocking grocery run. Within about 4 miles of our new place, there are at least 5 grocery stores, plus some specialty markets that I have only seen from the road.

For the big trip, we went to the store with a good rewards program. We needed everything: flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and peanut butter on up. By signing up for their store loyalty card, we saved almost 20% on the bill. We also got coupons for our next purchase, and earned points towards more savings.

Across the street is a smaller market that sells inexpensive produce which will be my stop for small produce runs. There is also an Asian market for stocking up on rice, soy sauce, and other items for much less than at the normal grocery store. Next I want to find the closest farmer’s market to check out produce.

I’ve never been the type to drive halfway across town to save 2 cents per gallon on gas, however, and the same goes for groceries. So for a while, I will rotate stores for smaller trips, then figure out where to go as I fill in a price book. Here are several more articles on starting your own price book.

Once I have done some tracking, I can plan my shopping trips better (hopefully with the help of a meal plan) to maximize those savings. As a supplement, I also planted a small fall/winter patio garden so I will have a supply of some fresh herbs, some tomatoes, peppers, and greens. And a lime tree. My husband had to have a lime tree.

At least that’s my goal! How do you budget for groceries? Coupons? Sales? Other tips?