Saving Money Strategically on Groceries, Part 2 of 2!

Last week, I was discussing a number of strategies you can use to save money on your grocery bill. Using Free Product Coupons (FPCs) and Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) coupons, shopping sales comparatively, buying in bulk and checking out the half off section were all discussed. Read below for the 2nd part of this 2-part article! (Part 1 appeared here on Wednesday August 1st, 2012.)

Price Matching is Marvellous! – If a participating merchant has the identical product (as appears in a competitor’s flyer), but at a higher price, you can request a “price match”— and you will be given the sale price from the other store! Price matching is a fabulous way to save money, but it requires that you show the cashier the competitor’s (current) flyer that advertises a lower price. Some stores that price match include Superstore, No Frills and Fresh Co. Wal-Mart and Zellers, to name just a few.

Stock Up – Wait for a great sale and then stock up for the next 3 to 6 months! This works well for soups, pasta, tomato sauce, canned veggies, beverages, Kleenex, toilet paper, laundry detergent and other non-perishable items. Meats and poultry can also be frozen for the same timeframe, or longer! If you have a chest freezer or deep freezer, you will have some really nice savings!

Go Generic – Purchase generic or store brand products instead of brand name to save $1 or more per product. Some such generic products include sugar, flour, bread, pasta, tomato sauce, ketchup, frozen food and more. You really do pay much more for brand products, even if all is the same except for the packaging. It’s what’s inside that counts, so save your money!

Farm Share – Do you have a farm close to you? If so, a farm store or farmer’s market is a good way to save money on fruits, veggies, eggs, milk and other dairy, meats and poultry. Or, if you are lucky enough to have a “Farm Share” programme nearby, you may also be able to save on the basics, such as veggies and seasonal fruit (“Meat Share” and “Egg Share” may also be offered). Farm Share works quite simply, in that you buy a “share” from a local farm, for which you receive a weekly box of seasonal produce throughout the farming season. Back your local farmer via Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and you could save on your grocery bill!

With a little bit of strategizing, it really is easy to save money on your grocery bill. Do you prefer to use coupons, price match, shop sales comparatively or stock up on the weekly specials in order to save? Well, that’s food for thought! I’d love to hear your comments below.

This article was written by me, Jenna Em, and appears in the Wednesday August 8th 2012 issue of the Kuklamoo blog.