Don't let groceries eat up your paycheck - Kenosha News (subscription)

Don’t let groceries eat up your paycheck

BY MEAGAN COBLEIGH

KENOSHA NEWS CORRESPONDENT

Everybody’s gotta eat.

Groceries are just a part of life, but it seems as though that part of life gets more expensive by the day. With the bombardment of grocery-bill saving shows like “Extreme Couponing” and the renaissance of the farmers market, you never know exactly which way is the right way to save money and get the best quality.

To try to alleviate some of the cost of the ever-rising grocery bills, here are some money saving tips to incorporate in your weekly shopping trip.

Use coupons

Coupons come in all shapes and sizes and you can find them just about anywhere. Printable coupons online, manufacturer’s coupons in the Sunday paper, coupons that print out when you purchase a certain item at the store and coupons that are stuck to items in the store.

A few strategies go into “couponing” but the most important are “stacking,” reviewing store coupon policies and the all important “BOGO” rule (buy one, get one).

Stacking was created by extreme couponers and is the concept of using as many different coupons on one item as legally allowed to make it very low in price or free. Most coupons have disclaimers that limit how coupons can be used.

Coupon Diva, a self-proclaimed couponing expert, explains stacking as such, “When you stack a coupon, you are using two coupons (or more depending on the scenario) for your purchase. To coupon stack, you need one store coupon and at least one manufacturer’s coupon.”

For example, if you buy two jars of peanut butter for $4, and you add a store coupon for 50 cents off of two, your total then becomes $3.50 for two. Stacking would allow you to add up to two manufacturer’s coupons (one per item) of, say, 50 cents off each item. This would then bring your total to $2.50 for two jars of peanut butter. For more information about stacking visit: http://coupondivas.com/stacking-coupons-explained-how-to-coupon-stack-anywhere.

Know the store’s coupon policy: It is one of the most important bits of knowledge to have before setting out on your first coupon trip. Many stores will allow stacking, but there are other rules that can come into effect and be very embarrassing at the checkout if you’re not careful.

Some stores allow only a certain number of coupons per item, per purchase. So, you may have to break a large purchase with multiple coupons into two or three transactions. It is also possible that you will run across a limit of items per person, which means you may have to have kids, neighbors, husbands, wives or long lost relatives join you in line to complete a large purchase.

The best way to savvy up on a store’s coupon policy is to visit their website beforehand.

BOGO. Many coupons stipulate a buy one-get one for the deal they are touting. If you are trying to double up or stack these types of coupons, the logistics can get a little bit hazy.

These can be one of the most valuable coupons in your trapper-keeper, but only if you use them correctly.

The Krazy Coupon Lady, another one of the Internet’s self-proclaimed coupon successes, explains the BOGO rule: “Buy one-get one coupons come in different forms such as Buy ‘Product X’ and get another ‘Product X’ for free, or Buy ‘Product X’ and get ‘Product Y’ for free. These coupons are similar to $1 off of two items in that they attach to both products, and therefore another manufacturer coupon cannot be used when only purchasing two products. By attempting to use a second manufacturer coupon on one of those two items, you are breaking the ‘one coupon per purchase’ rule.”

For an informative video on BOGO, visit: http://thekrazycouponlady.com/2012/10/08/extreme-couponing-tip-know-this-important-bogo-rule/.

If couponing is a bit too extreme for you, move on to the second tip of the day: bargain hunting.

Bargain hunting

There are many ways to find a good bargain but a few fail-safes start at home. Grocery store flyers come in the mail whether you want them or not; instead of just throwing them in the recycle bin, give those flyers a quick look and compare them to your grocery list. Sometimes you have to expand your grocery shopping to more than one store to get the best deals. Mark on your list where that item was on sale and design a plan of attack for your grocery shopping trip.

Avoid pre-made items. You are paying for convenience. If you compare the price of a head of romaine lettuce with that of a container of pre-washed, pre-mixed salad, the savings is obvious. Instead of buying pre-made guacamole, buy the ingredients and make it for days. Instead of paying more for smaller packages of items, buy the bulk amount and freeze the rest. Also, think about buying some items in bulk such as rice, legumes and beans. The price per pound may be intimidating at first, but you can control the amount you take home.

Don’t immediately dismiss store brands. There are times when the brand name is better than the generic, so to demystify some of the confusion, here is a list from MSNmoney.com with the top five store brands to buy: alkaline batteries, eggs, sugar, plates and bowls and pasta.

For these next five, stick with your well-known brand name: flour, light bulbs, juice, silverware and socks. For a little more information about the whys and hows of store brand vs. brand name visit: http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=28394da9-5bf9-4bb9-9dab-5e8d04222d0f.

Watch the scanner. Don’t get complacent once you’ve filled your cart with all of your deals and steals. One of the most important things to do to keep your dollars in your wallet is to pay attention to your cashier and scanner. Scanners make mistakes. Remember signs and promotions that you saw throughout the store and make sure you know the stipulations (if you need a store card or coupon to reap the promotion or if it is contingent on an in-ad coupon).

Watch that subtotal and make sure things ring up correctly; if they don’t, make sure you speak up. According to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, which does random spot checks on the accuracy of scanners in grocery stores, scanners were overpricing items 5 percent of the time five years ago, which dropped to 2.8 percent more recently. So, although it is not a high percentage of error, it is still possible. Be vigilant.

Don’t sacrifice quality for price. You may pay more for organic or healthier foods, but what you are sacrificing for a few dollars comes down to your health. If you really want to save money on your grocery bill, eliminate the foods and fillers that don’t do your body justice. By not buying those potato chips and cookies, you save money for organic fresh vegetables and meat.

Kenosha resident and fitness enthusiast Jenni Guarascio cuts her grocery bill by doing just that. “I buy produce. I don’t see the value in paying for fake food with fillers,” she said.

“You know, I like to buy food you can actually poop out. I’m far from perfect, but the less garbage inhabiting my body because it’s processed and sticks to my ribs in a bad way, the better. I find [buying organic] is cost effective in more than one way.”

She keeps her veggies fresh by buying them often and says, “Because there are no ingredients that addict me, I’m less likely to overeat, thus it lasts longer.”

So be sure to account for your savings with more than just your pocketbook. You may save yourself more money in the long run by buying quality foods rather than discounted junk.

“Buying junk is bad for the bill and the waistline — you’ll add on to your expense by paying for a gym membership to burn off what you bought [at the grocery store],” Guarascio said. “It’s nonsensical!”

Buying healthy or junky

Sometimes saving money can mean spending money elsewhere, such as the gym or the doctor. Take into consideration the amount of product received compared to the price per serving. Here are some examples:

Junk food

— 11 ounces of potato chips: $3.21

— 14.5 ounces of cookies: $2.75

— 16 ounces of powdered sugar donuts: $2.19

— 12 ounces of cinnamon cereal: $3.39

— 48 ounces of canola oil: $3.99

— 12 pack of Coke: $3.33

— 1 package chocolate chip cookie dough: $2.99

— 1 pound sirloin steak: $4.99

Healthy food

— 1 pound of organic baby carrots: $1.75

— 1 pound of organic chicken breast: $2.49