Went to Pathmark for a change today, because they had more stuff that I needed on sale than ShopRite did.
I laughed when the cashier handed me my receipt and seemed amazed when she read me my total and my savings. “Your total was $74.29 and you saved $48.39!”
Granted, I only had $3.75 in manufacturer coupons, but between sales and two coupons from this week’s flier, I saved the remainder. That was a savings of almost 61%!
It makes me wonder about people who don’t take advantage of the weekly sales. Every week I check out the circulars for A&P, Pathmark and ShopRite (all close by), and see which place would be most advantageous for me to shop at on the following Tuesday. Once in a while I”ll make a quick trip to a second place. Most of the time, ShopRite wins out.
So I make my list based on the sales. Sure, there are some things that I need every week no matter what the cost (milk, bread, eggs), but most of the time, I buy what’s on sale. When meat or chicken is on sale, I buy a lot and freeze it in dinner-size portions, that way it lasts for a few weeks. When there’s a sale on cereal, I’ll pick up a few boxes, since they last, sealed, for months. Condiments and canned goods I’ll stock up on, since they last a long time, too.
My tips:
1. Sign up for club cards in order to qualify for most discounts.
2. Use the weekly circular when making your weekly grocery lists.
3. Buy what’s on sale. Make the majority of your purchase sale items.
4. Plan your meals for the week around what’s on sale.
