Thanks to Stop & Shop’s Consumer Advisor Andrea Astrachan for the following helpful tips. A link to Andrea’s monthly column online can be found here. (If – like me – you don’t have a Stop & Shop/Giant in your local area yet, you can still apply the principles to your grocery shopping experience.)
Americans are feeling the economic pinch – and not just on big ticket purchases. From milk to gas and other everyday necessities, it all adds up. In fact, the average American family of four spends more than $700 monthly on groceries. And, according to Rutgers Food Policy Institute, food prices increased 4.5 percent from March 2007 to March 2008, the largest one-year jump in nearly 20 years.
Stop & Shop/Giant Consumer Advisor Andrea Astrachan offers the following tips to save time and money at the supermarket:
Keep a Running List & Plan Meals
Being prepared often seems like a luxury in our time-pressed lives, but it makes all the difference in saving money and time at the grocery store.
1. Keep a running list of items you need.
Keep a “to buy” list in your kitchen so family members can jot down items that need replenishing throughout the week. You’ll be less likely to forget something, and it won’t take as long to create the list when it’s time to do the weekly grocery shopping.
2. Check the circular for items on your list that may be on sale.
If you can’t find your Sunday paper, you can print the weekly circular online, at www.stopandshop.com and www.giantfood.com.
3. Plan four dinners for the upcoming week.
Save money by sticking to a meal and ingredient list, rather than buying on impulse and having to make additional trips to the store later in the week.
4. Follow the list.
It sounds like a basic, but following a list – knowing what you need and what’s on sale before you get to the store – will save you money.
Review Coupons
There are pros and cons to coupons. Used carefully they can save you money.
1. Clip coupons from magazines and newspaper inserts, or search the Internet for coupons.
2. Stick to your list, determining whether you have coupons for items on your list.
3. Decide whether using the coupon for the item is a good buy based on the unit price of comparable items including store brands, which are often cheaper.
Buy on Sale and In-Season
You can use seasonal sales to stock-up on items you need all year long.
1. Read the weekly sales circular from the paper or if you missed it you can print it online at www.stopandshop.com and www.giantfood.com.
2. Take advantage of sales to stock up on non-perishable food items such as diapers, paper and cleaning products and over the counter medicines.
3. Use seasonal sales as stock-up opportunities on summer paper goods, for example.
Buy Store Brands
Store brands are comparable (or better!) than national brands at a better value.
1. Look for Stop & Shop and Giant’s store brands, including Nature’s Promise (affordable organics), Simply Enjoy!, Care One (in the pharmacy) and Companion Pet Food.
2. Use the unit price to help find the best value among comparable products. The largest package is not necessarily the cheapest, especially when items are on sale.
3. Notice “big buys.” Meats in large quantities are not only great for large families, they help save money as smaller families and empty-nesters can freeze a portion for later use.
4. Consider the costs of convenience. Individual packages of snacks, oatmeal, etc, may cost more than larger packages. Repackage into single servings at home.
5. Sometimes the salad bar is actually less expensive if you only need a small portion and the remainder of an entire package of lettuce, for example, will go unused.
Don’t Lose What You Buy to Spoilage!
1. Buy in bulk and freeze using storage containers, freezer bags and wraps and labeling them with the date. Many foods freeze well, but not forever! As a general rule, figure three months for small packages, thin or ground meats, vegetables and cooked foods.
2. Clean out your freezer every three months and move older items up front. Remember to use it.
3. Don’t buy more fresh produce than you will use before it spoils, and try canned or frozen alternatives for a longer shelf life.
Take Advantage of Time-Saving Technology
Stop & Shop and Giant Food are increasing the use of in-store technologies to speed you through your grocery shopping.
1. Look for hand-held, personal scanners that let you scan and bag items as you shop.
2. Use electronic scales in the produce department to easily weigh products and print out a cost sticker to save time at checkout.
3. At the deli, use touch screens to place your order digitally and pick it up later when it’s ready.
4. Try a self check-out kiosk. They’re easy to use and your kids can get into the action, helping scan items and having fun “playing grocery store.”
For more tips, recipes and savings, visit www.stopandshop.com and www.giantfood.com.