I am a big fan of saving money pretty much whenever possible. At the movie theater, (second run only) for my family’s wardrobe, (Goodwill) and especially at the grocery store. I shop primarily at Safeway, as I can almost always stock up on staples when they’re on sale, and my Safeway has easy parking and bizarrely friendly staff.
Which is why, when contacted by the P.R. for corporate Safeway about whether I’d be interested in receiving two $50 gift cards to send out to readers in conjunction with their Everyday Low Prices program I was happy to agree. They also sent a gift card for me “to shop at your local Safeway to experience the thousands of new everyday low prices for yourself.”
Here’s their description of the Everyday Low Prices program:
Safeway is proud to announce that they are expanding their long-term commitment to great quality and value by offering customers thousands of new everyday low prices on items across the stores to help customers save money and time every day. The new pricing program just launched throughout all 117 Safeway stores in Oregon and Southwest Washington, giving your readers a new more affordable shopping experience where they can find everything they need at the right prices to fit their budgets.
Want to win a $5o Safeway gift card for yourself? Just write your favorite grocery money saver tip in the comments section below to enter to win one of two $50 gift cards. Don’t forget, Safeway has a huge assortment of gift cards available for purchase, so your prize could be used for holiday gift shopping like Barnes and Noble or iTunes! (I looked, and sadly — they didn’t have Goodwill.)
And for those who don’t have a Safeway in their area, the gifts cards also good for Vons, Carrs, Genuardi’s, Pavilions, Dominick’s, Randalls, Tom Thumb and Pak n’ Save.
The winner will be chosen by a random number generator at midnight, November 14th Pacific time zone. Only one entry per person please, all are allowed to enter.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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Hi, Katy! We don’t have those stores in my area (so I’m okay with not being in the drawing), but I just wanted to ask – have you done a post on shopping/cooking with food allergies? We have THREE (count ‘em) separate allergies and/or intolerances in my family, and that’s what drives my food bill up. It’s hard for me to shop for “cheap” knock off stuff – I can’t have corn (or HFCS/corn syrup), so I do make most of our meals from scratch. It’s just buying the base ingredients that sometimes gets tricky!
Oooh, I have a Safeway right down the road from me.
It’s hard to pick only ONE tip, so I’ll just share one that’s near and dear to my heart. To save money on groceries, it’s really important to use the food you buy instead of letting it go to waste.
So, plan better, keep an eye on your fridge, and don’t buy more than you can realistically use.
I don’t have too many tips but one I find helpful is: Don’t go down all the aisles, only go down the ones that have the stuff that’s on your list, you’ll avoid buying stuff you don’t need
Since Kristen stole my idea, can I steal one of hers? Well, maybe not. ;-}
My tip: learn to cook some basics. Many of the foods we pay a lot for can be made very cheaply at home. Vinaigrette salad dressing, for example. Cookies. Jerky.
Um, yes, about that jerky. I made jerky from happy meat (from cows that lived and ate outside, no grain supplements, no feed lots, etc.) Happy meat costs a fortune. But home-made jerky made from happy meat is *still* less expensive than cheap storebought jerky from CAFO meat.
How will winners be notified?
I don’t think this counts, as it isn’t technically a grocery *store* tip, but we buy all our beef locally.
If you buy a quarter or a half a side of beef from the local butcher, who has a contract with all the local ranchers, it all ends up being 1.89(1.80 plus .40 processing per pound)a pound. My box will have hamburger, steaks, roasts, cube steaks, flank steaks, stew beef, etc. The steak is the same price per pound as the hamburger meat, as the roast, etc.
I happen to live in a ranching area, so our beef comes from our neighbor(grass fed, hormone free), BUT, I found that in most places, even in non ranching communities, if you can afford the upfront cost of a larger order of beef, it ends up being cheaper per lb, and of course tastes better.
I spend less at the grocery store if I bring either my husband or my oldest son with me. My husband because he questions the cost of every. single. item. I select. That’s such a pain in the patookie that I just pick up the basis and hope I can make it back another day. My oldest son because although he is ever so helpful he insists on pushing the cart and then leaves the cart at random spots in the aisle when coming to ask me “Can we get that?” “Can we get that?” “Can we get that?” He wore me out on Sunday! Actually. It just occurred to me that if I went to the store with BOTH my husband and my son their respective inclinations would cancel each other out…
Sadly, we do not have a Safeway in Massachusetts near me. I think they are only on the West Coast. We have some other super low cost supermarkets like Aldi’s (new to the area) and PriceRite.
My best tip is to keep a well stocked pantry. I only shop to stock my pantry and cook from that pantry. When items are on sale, I stock up. If I don’t have a lot of money one week, I can skip my shopping trip and cook from what’s in my pantry and freezer. It works for me!
My best tip is to avoid the aisles that don’t have anything you need. It is so easy to go down each aisle mindlessly, but I never go down the chips/soda aisle because we don’t buy those. Out of sight – out of mind!
Cook from scratch and buy no processed packaged foods. I made a delicious. easy chocolate cake from scratch for my 21 year old’s birthday and she told me she didn’t know you could make a cake without a mix!
When I shop, I skip many aisles and just purchase the basics for healthy homemade meals.
Thanks, Katy for this offer….I’m hoping to win!
Know your prices. I tend to buy the same type of items over and over so, I have a good idea as to what is a good standard sale price. When the price dips below that set point I will really stock up.
Shop the outside of the store.
Oh, I have a Genardi’s here in PA! Here’s my tip:
Sounds so simple, but make sure to stock your pantry when you can combine coupons and sales! Sometimes its tempting when I have a coupon for a particular item to just go ahead and use it right away, but I know that if I can hold out for a week or two, chances are that item will also go on sale and I’ll get the benefit of both savings! The key for this tip is to stockpile so that you don’t have to purchase things when they aren’t on sale.
Sounds silly but eating before I go grocery shopping always saves me money. Otherwise I make impulse buys and get off track with my budget.
we DO have a safeway…
so please enter me in the drawing.
my biggest money saver is using a list. i used to meander through the aisles and make dinner decisions as i shopped… but for the last year i’ve been using a carefully thought-out list and our grocery bill is less than 1/2 of what it used to be. it’s also more veggie/fruit oriented because those meals take more planning (unlike processed food) which also makes it cheaper.
One of my favorite ways to save $ at the grocery store is by discovering generic or store-brand items that are the same or sometimes better than name brands, for quite a bit less. Don’t be afraid to try them out. I also recently discovered the bulk section! Thanks for a great blog and the chance to win! I live in Portland and love the local tips.
We don’t have Safeway in NM, but what I’ve found is buying spices, oatmeal, nuts, and some other items from bulk at the health food type stores is much cheaper than shopping at the grocery store. Buying fruits and veggies in season, and shopping from a list made from the weekly ads and stocking up.
Make a meal plan and shopping list so you won’t be tempted to buy food you will waste or expensive snacks
I am a long-time lurker of your board and love it! You really help me think about things differently, thank you!
My grocery tip is – Don’t be afraid to try store brands! I have found that many store brands are just as good as the brand names and you aren’t being charged extra for the fancy packaging and advertising. Some aren’t as good, but it’s worth the effort to try to find things that work for you and your family.
I will e-mail the winner to let them know the good news.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
The Non-Consumer Advocate
In the opposite of Lorene,
Leave the SO at home. Otherwise we end up buying tons of junk food and lots of sugary drinks. He must shop thirsty because he always insists upon buying at least $20 worth of drinks when I can make homemade ice tea for pennies (and he loves it). On the other hand, maybe this is his way of getting out of participating in the grocery shopping chore…………
Hard to pick just one- I guess simple price comparisons while you’re shopping. It’s amazing how much prices can vary. for example, a generic box of saltines costs 99 cents, which can be $3 or $4 if you buy Krispy brand. And they try to confuse you with sizes, so check the per unit price.
My tip to save money on groceries?
Don’t buy snacks. And! Don’t eat meat. (I find meat to be really expensive. But sometimes we splurge!)
Buy the loss leader items from the Sunday circulars and whenever possible, use coupons on those items – double whammy for saving
My favorite Safeway tip is to go online to Safeway.com and check out their coupons section. There’s both virtual ones that you can load onto your rewards card and Safeway-only printable ones that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. I’ve saved a ton of money doing that.
Please don’t enter me into the contest – No Safeways in Madison, WI-
My tip(s) is to know the store you are shopping. I basically shop at one store for most of my groceries and buy many of the same items over and over. I know when things are on sale dirt cheap and stock up. I also make up my meal plans based on many of the items that are on sale in their ad that comes out on Thursday. It’s a double bonus if I can combine a coupon with the sale. I only clip coupons for things that we normally use. Like a lot of other comments, I try to stay away from the processed foods and cook many things from scratch.
I go the the store website and plan my meals off of that, before I even go to the store. If it isn’t on sale, it generally doesn’t get bought. That way, when I’m in the store, I already have a plan and can get in and out quickly, too!
Thanks so much for this opportunity! My tip is to plan what you’re making for meals based on the “loss leaders” (generally the items on the front cover of the weekly ad). Also, buy extra meat when the prices are stellar, but freeze it right away, rather than putting it in your fridge thinking you’ll “do it later”. Thown out food, no matter how good the price, is not a good deal. Thanks again!
Always make a list before you go – and stick to it! I use an app in my iPod with a premade list that makes it really simple and keeps me from forgetting things!
I use the pantry principle for the most part. I stock up on items when they are bargains, then figure out what to cook/eat based on what I have on hand.
I tend to spend a lot on groceries, but I consider the food I eat my “health insurance” and it gives me the energy to get through working full-time and taking classes. That being said, I do add up my purchases as I go- good for math skills and good for realizing when you’re spending too much! Thanks for the amazing blog!
I know you asked for one tip. I hope it’s ok to share two:
Make a meal plan and list in advance. I never thought this would work for me, and some weeks it doesn’t, but it definitely saves me significant cash (and stress). My thanks to Kristen @ the frugal girl for convincing me to try it.
And, simple though it sounds, always have a snack before I go to the store. Always. It makes a big difference.
My tip is to look high, look low, avoid middle height items. The “right at eye level” primo real estate is purchased by big brands like Nabisco and Pepsi to make their products much easier to find and buy. The cheaper items are often on the bottom or top shelves. Stoop to save!
Safeway is my standby–there’s one nearby in Menlo Park (most others nearby are specialty stores and are more expensive).
My tip would be to compare unit pricing on all packages, even if they’re on sale. Last time I bought laundry detergent, the smaller sizes were actually a better price per unit than the larger ones, and they’re more convenient to carry to the laundromat.
My tips are: always bring a little calculator with you, so you can compare unit prices, especially when the store uses different units for two different brands of the same product (ounces vs. grams, for instance). And, even though I make a list and bring the pertinent coupons with my list, I always go ahead and throw my little coupon holder in my purse, just in case I run across a great deal on something that I have a coupon for, but didn’t intend to buy on this trip. What a bummer it would be to have to return to the store for one item.
Shop on a full stomach.
Learn when things are marked down and hit the store then. For example, the best time to look for meats marked down at my local store (Dillon’s) is early in the morning. Baked goods are marked down and put out at a specific time. Coupons can still be used if an item is marked down, for a double score!
I have lots of money saving tips for the grocery store, but my favorite is to take a calculator. As soon as the total hits $100 (I shop once a week), I’m done. If there is anything else I need, something has to come out of the cart. I usually find a few things I don’t really need that can go so I can buy the things I do need.
Plan your meals for the week, make a list, and stick to the list. Don’t buy anything that’s not on the list, even if you think you might need it (but aren’t sure). Make sure your list covers the entire week so you avoid going to the market for one or two items (and ending buying 20) mid-week.
Now, if only I could follow this rule I would be doing great!
Also, don’t go to the grocery store when you’re hungry, and try to go without the kids.
My tip is a variation on a common theme – shop from a list. But I took it a step further and I used my computer and made a checklist of all the things I normally buy – organized it by the layout of my store and hang it on the fridge.
When enough things are circled that I need, I go and stick to my list. That eliminates shopping too often and wasting food or getting off track and buying impulse things.
1. Meal plan before going
2. Shiop with a list
3. Work out the deals I want to do on paper at home so I know exactly what to buy.
4. Remember to take my coupons
Favorite tips:
1. Look in the discounted meat section. I’ve found everything from hamburger to pork chops to nice cuts of steak to entire roasts. Goes right in the freezer, and then I can have an assortment of things to choose from when I haven’t a clue what’s for dinner.
2. Look in the day-old rack. I find bagels, dinner bread, ciabattas, and sometimes pastries that I wouldn’t ordinarily buy but are a nice treat for the kids.
Check what you have on hand already before you go to the grocery store, then make a list, then–most importantly–stick to the list at the store!
Learn to cook from scratch & keep your staples well stocked (rotate your inventory, and keep a magnetic board on your fridge for making a grocery list as your supplies deplete).
Precooked, prepackaged, processed foods are expensive and generally less healthy. Cook from scratch, and make delicious soups & stews, then freeze them in mason jars. That supply will come in handy on days you just don’t feel like cooking – you’ll save a lot of money by avoiding fast food or take out on those days!
My main goal when grocery shopping is to buy what is on sale that I need. I keep my pantry stocked that way, and can always throw together a meal at a low price. If it won’t go bad, it is stocked up!
My number one grocery saving tip is to buy store brands. Safeway even has their own line of organic items. And I leave the impulsive shoppers at home.
Mine is pretty simple. Don’t cook from packaged/boxed food. Instead cook from your own recipes. This way you add what ingredients and seasonings you want or need and avoid those that will cause you to become overweight or other health related problems.
When it comes to buying, it’s better to buy in bulk and using the freshest products rather than canned or frozen items.
I miss Safeway. Our neighborhood is more Vons-based.
People have posted some great ideas, but my number one money saver is NEVER shop with hungry children. If I’m hungry when I shop, there is hope that I can override my instinct to throw things in the cart. This just doesn’t work with hungry, cranky children.
Another tip: Vons (and Safeway, I presume) has a place on their website where you can load electronic coupons directly onto your club card, eliminating the possibility of forgetting them. If you don’t have issues with shopping privacy, this can be a real money-saver.
My Safeway is only about 4 miles from me. My tip is only go to the store once a week at the most. The more times you go the more items you just think you have to have. It is easy to do that when you are so close to the store.
I really enjoy your blog.
When you purchase produce make sure you buy the sale items. Then when you get it home make sure it’s stored properly for the best value. If fruit is not quite ripe, you can put it in a paper bag for a day or two to ripen it. If it is ripe, plan to use it in your menu in the next day or two, and you can freeze any extras or share it with your loved ones or a needy family.
My best tip to save money at the grocery store by staying healthy. That is, we read ingredients. Anything with artificial ingredients doesn’t make it to the cart. As expected this eliminates processed foods and drinks that are not nutritionally sound choices. When my sons ask for an item all I have to do is say read the ingredients which effectively ends the debate before it starts. Also, use only food prodcuts for cleaning such as lemon juice, baking soda, vinegar, & olive oil. My other saving grace comes from my own backyard. We raise our own chickens and our hens provide us with eggs. This spring, we aim to grow 100 percent of our own vegetables.