Save A Little On Groceries

With the last raise in the minimum wage and the rising cost of gasoline we have all seen the cost of groceries going up too. With the cost of fuel it is costing more to transport the items from the farms and manufacturers to the grocery shelves. With the raise in minimum wage it is costing more to have store employees to stock those shelves. Most of those folks stocking the shelves work at or near minimum wage. I know the missus and I have noticed it's taking more money to put food on the table. I'm sure you have too.

In last Sunday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in their Personal Business column was an article entitled "How to cut down on those grocery bills". It got my interest and I thought I would pass on the high lights and some of my thoughts to you all. They noted that the cost of eggs have gone up 30% and the cost of juices and pet food are up 15% just in the past year. You may think that those are small percentages but it all adds up at the check-out. The Post-Gazette picked up on the story from a new magazine called ShopSmart put out by Consumer Reports.

Some of the marketing tricks in the grocery business have been used for years. Colleges even offer degrees in these marketing tricks to separate us from our money. A lot of them are done in a sly manner that we may not notice or even realize. Did you ever wonder why the milk is nearly always in the back of a store? It's rare to see any store that is not set up this way. I don't care what chain they are. The answer is simple. It's to get us to walk through the whole store and see everything they offer on our quick stop on the way home to pick up a gallon. Most of those quick stop customers will notice something else they may or may not need and pick it up. A lot of people suddenly realize they do need a buggy before they even get to the dairy section.

Studies have found out that a large portion of what we pick up at the store is a decision made once we get inside the doors. Now this has long been a pet peeve of mine. How many times do we say to ourselves "oh I don't need a list. I know what we need"? Suddenly we see the half dozen items we went shopping for mushroom into a buggy full of merchandise. Make a list. Stick to it and ignore the other stuff. If it ain't on the list we must not have needed it.

Grocery stores are set up with you in mind. They have the attractive displays set up to fool you into thinking it's being offered at a reduced price. If you check the labels on the shelves you'll find it's the same price. Learn your prices. They have the flashing coupon dispensers that make us think "hey I can save 50 cents on this item! I can't pass that up." If it's not on your list pass it up. You don't need it. They have folks at special stations offering samples and maybe even some of those coupons to entice you to buy their products. They have some shelves set up at angles so we can see down the whole aisle at all that is stocked there. It's all done to trigger that impulse decision to add that item to your purchases even it's not on your list.

Another savings is manufacturer's coupons. According to ShopSmart coupon users save an average of 10 cents on the dollar. Again it doesn't sound like much but at the end of a year it could add up to hundreds of dollars. You can get coupons on various on-line sites and the Sunday papers are usually loaded with them. Clipping and printing coupons and using them is smart shopping for us.

Of course those coupons are for a specific product which brings me to the next point. How many of you are name brand product snobs? Generic and store brands are generally less expensive and studies have found that most of them are just as good. The missus and I have found this to be especially true with ketchups, mustards, salad dressings and items in the pickle line. Most of those items are made by the same companies that give us the "name brands". What? Do you think there is a plant somewhere that only makes generic items? A lot of those store brands are the very same product as the name brand. The only difference is the labeling and price.

Another trick they brought up that I heard about years ago is the placement of items on the shelves. Usually the more expensive items are from eye level down to knee level. It's located so it's right in front of our eyes. The better priced and less profitable items can mostly be found above or below that area. Take a few moments to check the higher or lower shelves.

Checking the weekly advertisements is another way to keep some money. If you don't have time to go from store to store to stock up on the weekly specials keep in mind that most stores offer to be competitive with their competition and match those prices. I've been told by a Wal-Mart cashier that they will match anyone in the 25 or 30 mile radius of the store. All you need to do is bring the ad with you. We get the Steubenville paper every week to get the Kroger and Riesbeck ads. We have found that it is rare we don't find something that we can save on. Think about it. Get something that's on sale and save a little bit more with a coupon. How much more savvy can you get?

My final piece of advice is teaching yourself to say NO. It's easier to say no to yourself but you frequently have to say no to your spouse, your kids or any other shopping companion you have with you. If you can teach yourself that then you can save some big bucks over the course of a year. "It's not on the list. No, we don't need it." Wasn't that easy?

Take a little time. Make that shopping list. Get those coupons and check out the ads. Maybe you'll save enough to get something nice for yourself...

ole nib