Here are some tips on how to save on food purchases from MSNBC:
- Make a list and stick to it
- Check the unit price
- Signs and displays that make you want to buy
- Where is it in the store -- expect to pay more — on a per unit basis — when you buy things near the checkout line.
- Convenience is costly
- Save with store brands
- Don’t assume everything that’s listed in a store’s weekly circular is on sale.
My thoughts on these:
1. Much, much, much easier said than done. This is the main reason my wife allows me to go to the grocery store only on very rare occasions. ;-)
2. Yep, as I wrote recently, the bigger items aren't always the cheapest on a per use basis.
3. If I see a sign that says, "5 for $5", I always think I have to buy five to get the deal. My wife reminds me I can buy one for $1 if I want. Worse yet, and I don't think many stores do this but it has been done in the past, is buying from an end display that says, "5 for $5" when on the shelf the item, bought individually is priced at something less than $1.
4. We rarely buy at the check out line -- mostly candy, magazines, and useless trinkets for the most part.
5. You do certainly pay for convenience. For instance, the convenience (easy to carry, one serving, already cold) of a 24-ounce Coke costs you $1 in my store -- the same as an on-sale (and there's always a sale) 2-liter bottle of Coke from the shelf.
6. You can certainly save big money by using generic/store brands.
7. Not all the "specials" are really that "special" after all, huh?
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