Saving Money Grocery Shopping Starts With Your Grocery Store Ads

Saving money is our main goal here. The best place to start to this end is your grocery store ads. You may even say your grocery stores’ ads. That is, one store or multiple stores. We’ll discuss both here.

When Do Your Grocery Store Ads Come Out?

Grocery stores have a particular day of the week their flyer comes out. It is typically mid week. Some stores’ prices go into effect that day, others put their flyer out midweek for prices that go in effect the following weekend. Figuring out your store or stores dates will lead to saving money grocery shopping.

You can find your grocery store’s ads typically in a basket at the store entrance. However, it is best to get the ad ahead of time, so you can use it as a planning tool. If you don’t already receive the ad in the mail, check to see if your store will put you on their mailing list.

The Power of the Web (Cliché, I know)

Most grocery store ads are posted on the store's website. I know you have access to the web because you are reading this, so open another browser window (notice I didn’t tell you to leave my website ), and look for your store’s sales flyer.

Put Those Grocery Store Ads to Use!

The next step is planning. Scan the grocery store ads to find some real savings. I mean real savings. If filet mignon is on sale this week for $12/pound, don’t give in to the temptation unless you have a super special event this week. Look for savings on food that is already a value. Saving a little on expensive food is not going to lead to saving money grocery shopping. It is going to lead to spending more money than you would have if you’d never looked at the sales flyer to begin with.

Once you have identified some real values, figure out what meals you can include on your menu that week which will utilize your found values. If you use a recipe software to plan your menu, chances are there is a function to search for recipes containing the ingredient you are about to save money on. This is the real value in recipe software. By using this function, you recipe software can pay for itself over time.

Find the Real Value in the Flyer

The number one thing you want to look for on the ad is meat. Meat is by far the most expensive ingredient in most of your recipes. Save on meat first. It doesn’t make sense to get excited about saving a little on tomatoes, but then have to buy an expensive cut of meat to round out your recipe. The grocery stores know meat savings is the biggest value that is why the first items you see on your grocery store ads is meat.

Multiple Stores

In the opening paragraph of this page I mentioned your store or stores. Do you shop at more than one store to get your values? Many people do, but I do not. I am strapped for time most days and don’t have the capacity to run around to multiple stores like that. However, I am not opposed to the idea for those who have the time to pull it off. I do go to a bulk discount store and a regular grocery store. To distinguish what items I will get at each store, I put a distinguishing letter next to the items I will get at the bulk discount store. You could use a similar system if you are going to multiple stores. A highlighter system might also work. The point here is you don’t want to spend the time to put together a menu based on sales flyers then buy from the wrong stores saving you nothing.

As I’ve said before, saving money grocery shopping is more about planning and organization than anything else. The few minutes it takes you to peruse the grocery store ads will lead you to much grocery savings!

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