How To Keep Food Costs Down at the Supermarket

Food4thought

Food4thought

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I usually pick supermarket own brands rather than pay for more expensive brand names. I buy loose fruit and vegetables, which I can select and weigh, rather than the prepackaged ones which cost more.

I always look in the reduced section for items that are near to their sell-by date. Towards the end of the day these are further reduced for quick sale, so it pays to shop later sometimes.

Buying bigger packs can cut down the cost of some food items. I only go for special offers when it's something I want and will not go off before I use it.

Are you cost conscious when shopping for food in supermarkets?
 
Oddly I usually avoid the reduced food unless it is actually on my shopping list and I can rearrange the week's food to use the reduced item first. I don't buy it because it is reduced and I don't buy it because it is on offer.

And the best way I know of reducing the cost of shopping - eat before you go, make and stick to your list! Shopping when hungry is a recipe for disaster as is 'making it up as you go along'. If you really want to keep the costs down, plan your meals and stick to that plan.
 
Usually large quantities are always cheaper. I guess the sell-by date is different in different countries, in here if you want those items it's best to go in the morning. They have a BIG reduction (like half price) and are usually gone in an hour or so.

I also like to calculate the cost of a meal in my head. That way when looking at things to buy I can see if it's going to be much more expensive than what I usually have.
 
I use a lot of coupons and try to only buy what is on sale (with the exception of fresh produce which I never "skimp on".). Also, some stores have aps you can download on your smart phone to save more money. I shop a lot at Safeway and their iPhone app is amazing! You can download coupons straight to your member card and then just swipe your card at checkout (or put in your phone number) and it automatically applies all your coupons. I save a ton of money using it! Also, apps like iBotta will give you rebates if you buy certain products!
 
My uncle told me something strange about when it comes to supermarket budgeting. I was of the mindset that you save money if you buy in bulk, especially for non-perishable items, because you'll use it anyway...and my uncle said that buying in bulk still means spending more, and since it's available in large quantities, then people naturally use up more and faster because they aren't usually aware of the rate and volume that they usually use up stuff. So, it's a false economy.

Still, I have...fun, I guess...calculating the cost per net weight. Most recently I pondered these powdered malted drink brands that come in single packs, versus single packs in a big pack (that boasted that you get one single pack in that pack free!!), versus a larger amount of loose powder in a large glass jar.

I went for the third option because it worked out in my head to be cheaper than the equivalent volume of powdered malt in single packs, and I could re-use the glass jar so hurrah free glass jar. Then it occurred to me that loose powder didn't have a measure unlike the single packs that could basically ration it, so it didn't necessarily have as many servings just because it had more value for the equivalent blah whatever I just like Ovaltine which I have now so I'm happy.
 
I use tons and tons of coupons on all of my groceries. I contact any and every company to get coupons from fresh fruit to fresh meats. I do not buy in bigger sizes because its cheaper to buy the smaller version and use a coupon for each one.

I often look at sales papers a week ahead to possibly make a menu for that week for very little cost.
 
I've been looking over sites like CouponMom to see what the fuss is all about with their coupons. However, the more I look over them all, the more I am seeing that these coupons are all for brand name items, which are typically much more expensive to begin with. After doing the math in my head on some of these items, I could generally get the store brand at or below what the brand name item would be with a coupon, so it begs the bigger question, why bother with the coupons at all? Unless it was some type of offer where I could double down with the coupon on top of store discount and get the item(s) for next to nothing, I wouldn't bother with coupons. Plus I got the feeling that the flyers would start dictating my shopping lists instead of me buying what I actually want and need, I would wind up buying a lot of stuff I don't really want, but didn't want to pass up because it was on sale.

In the case of CouponMom, all their coupons need to be printed out. So when you do the math on how much you will be paying for printer cartridges and paper to do all of this, that seems like it would practically negate their benefits.

I think these sites and couponing in general can be very misleading. Simply taking a bunch of coupons that total up to $500 in discounts doesn't mean you would ever actually buy all those products at once or ever in the first place.
 
I always buy staples, such as rice, pasta, tins of beans etc., in bulk, when they are on offer - it's a great way to hedge against food inflation! If I buy pasta now at £1.00 and it goes up to £1.40 in three months, I've saved nearly 50%.

I always make a list when I shop, so that I don't go astray when I am in the supermarket. In the winter I do a lot of bulk cooking so I will make a huge lasagne then eat it for three nights!

I would love the opportunity to coupon properly, but we just don't have the culture in the UK and very few coupons. I would be very happy sitting amongst a giant food stockpile in the garage!
 
I usually buy at farmers markets for vegs and fruit, but if I'm at the supermarket I go on the reduced to clear area...

As Rachele says, i would love to have more coupons on fresh products, Tesco have some but really minimal ones..
 
I am always trying new strategies for saving money at the grocery store (and everywhere else as well). I agree with everything already posted.... I do not shop hungry, I make a list and stick to it unless there is a great sale on something I will use, I only buy a few staple items in bulk that I know works out cheaper for me personally, I will not buy something just because I have a coupon, I will not buy something if I know it is overpriced, I will only buy reduced priced items if I am going to use it right away. I am always reading and searching for new ideas to try as far as saving money.
 
Because I have a Safeway nearby, and because I don't drive, my method is top make a habit of popping in multiple times a week to check the reduced sections and sales for staples (meat and so on). That plus buying dry and bulk for items like beans and picking up vegetables at the much more reasonable (and tasty) vegetable market down the street means I usually can make multiple crock pots of hearty means each week and freeze them so I always have a decent variety.
 
Zestery ~ LOVE my crock pot as well! Would be interested in any great recipes you use. I am working on a healthier diet. Leaning into veggie....thanks in advance!
 
To be honest, I don't really use recipes as such. If I have a new ingredient I will google around and contrast & compare three or four likely looking ones to gauge rough cooking times and common ingredients and then sort of wing it. I've found that it's really hard to go wrong with the crockpot (I haven't tried anything crazy fancy).

On of my favorite things to do is using it to cook a few servings of chickpeas, which I can then use in other stovetop recipes (with sausage, for instance), in salads, and if in my endless attempts at hummus making.

I also like to use it to just drop a nice bit of pork and a marinade in it, leave that in till its all tender and make the sides when it's actually time to eat :) (obvs that's not veggie, sorry!)
 
Thank you Zestery! I have never tried to make hummus. Any suggestions for a newbie? :D
 
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