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To this day, I still remember my first big grocery bill after marriage. It was about $200 and I cried on the way home. I didn’t get anything too fancy—just the basics. We were poor newly married students and the cost of food was a necessary evil that I could not escape.
Buying groceries for the wedding was my responsibility and I was determined to stay within my meager budget. I rightfully accepted the challenge and years later found myself teaching community classes on “couponing” (“yes”, I had to tell my sisters, “couponing is a word”).
I no longer spend hours finding, printing, cutting and organizing coupons, but there are some invaluable shopping principles I’ve learned from those studies that I’ll never change. My favorite is buying more to save more.
The simple idea behind the strategy is to buy more of an item when it’s on sale so that you don’t have to pay full price later when you need it. Applying this principle will result in a different look for everyone’s home. Take a moment to consider the following questions to be able to maximize your savings.
*How much space do you have for food storage?
This may seem like an obvious question but it has tripped me up more than once when it comes to frozen foods. I’ve become more organized (and creative!) with my freezer space than necessary. While it’s obviously not the answer for everyone, we’ve invested in a deep freezer as a result of the best sales ever on cheese and meat. I convinced my husband that after a few extra sales like this, we would pay for the freezer with the amount we saved.
* How much will we use this item?
It doesn’t matter how good the sale is, it’s never a good deal if the food goes to waste. Be sure not to buy more than you can use. Consider the expiration date and your schedule and meal cycles. I always try to make meals where most of my ingredients are things I’ve already stored so that nothing gets wasted or forgotten, but that’s another principle.
* How well are sales?
This is something you will get better at knowing over time. The worst feeling is when you stock up on a favorite item because it’s on a big sale, only to find out the next week that same item is being sold at a neighboring store for a much better price. You’ll become familiar with prices in your area and learn what a good price is for different items. Also, don’t be afraid to ask people! I’ve talked several times with my butcher at my grocery store about prices. I don’t know of a single grocery store where they pay their employees a commission on sales, so they will honestly tell you whether you should wait for a better sale or when an upcoming discount can be expected. Be kind and friendly to the staff – they have a wealth of knowledge!
* How often is it on sale?
This question is one of my favorites because it is a game changer. Sales go into rotation. Not only can you expect certain items to be discounted around certain times, you can plan your food storage around them! For example, my grocery store has meat sales on a two-week rotation. This means that I only need to buy enough chicken for my family for two weeks before I know it will be on sale again. It also gives me a reason to never again have to buy chicken at full price between those sale prices because I can easily pull it out of my freezer.
Another sales rotation that is extremely helpful to be aware of and watch for seasonal sales. For example, barbecue sauce is usually marked at its lowest around the Fourth of July and nutrition and health bars are usually at their lowest in January for everyone’s New Year’s resolutions. Often these items don’t last more than a year, so if you have the space, buy enough to last your family that long.
Once your stock pile gets on one successful rotation, you may find that you’re shopping in a completely different way. It’s not unusual for me to come home from the store with 25 boxes of cereal, 10 bags of cheese, and then other basics like bread, milk, and bananas. I don’t need to buy every single ingredient on my list for meals that week because I’ve already stocked them when they’re on sale. As a result, I can cook the same delicious food for my family at a much lower cost. Buying more to save money is all about timing your big purchases with their sale prices and, ironically, you’ll soon find that buying more can actually help you spend less.
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