Going Grocery Shopping is my favorite pastime! I like shopping so much, I went into the grocery business.
That said, let's dive into how to have a successful grocery shopping trip, how to save money while you're shopping, and what to buy on sale every month of the year.
When I'm not writing blog posts, I'm a consultant for emerging brands. I help food brands set up manufacturing processes, distribution, marketing, and logistics systems so everything runs smoothly with production, distribution, and retail-level sales.
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Best Tips for Grocery Shopping
- Plan Ahead: Make a shopping list before you head to the store. This helps you stay organized, avoid impulse purchases, and ensure you don't forget essential items.
- Meal Planning: If you take a few minutes and plan your meals for the next few days or the entire week, there will be fewer trips to the store to pick up your missing ingredients, saving gas money too!
- Check Retailers Apps for Sales Take advantage of discounts, loyalty programs, and digital coupons. Check the store's app before you go--many retailers offer weekly specials, and digital coupons can save you money. If there is an item you'd like to try, reach out to the brand and ask if they don't have coupons posted on their site.
- Choose Real Foods: Fresh food, meat, fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, and dairy. These are typically healthier and more cost-effective than processed or pre-packaged items.
- The Best Time of Day to go shopping is early in the morning. The produce is fresh, no long lines, and the parking lot is empty.
How To Save Money on Groceries
- Go to the store in person. When you buy from Instacart or a grocery delivery service, you pay 20% more for your items than you would in the grocery store. Many of the sale items aren't available through the service.
- Cut your own fresh fruits. The pre-packed cut fruit and vegetables are very tempting but cost almost 50% more than those you have to peel and cut yourself, which takes 5 minutes.
- Compare prices: Pay attention to unit prices (price per ounce, pound, etc.) to find the best deals. Sometimes buying a larger size is more economical, but not always.
- Look for BOGOs. A BOGO means Buy One, Get One Free. BOGOs are a great way to save on necessities.
- Shop at farmer's markets. Fresh produce usually costs less money at the farmer's market and it is fresh.
- Amazon subscriptions are good money savers if you want the same item delivered every few weeks or months. If you forget that you have an auto-subscription and keep getting groceries in the mail you don't need or want, you're wasting money. Be careful!
- Store brands can save you a lot of money if the store brand is of comparable quality. Sometimes, there is a significant difference. It depends on what you're buying.
- Bring reusable grocery bags to the store. At Whole Foods Market, you'll get a discount on your bill if you bring your bags. Home Goods sells double-wide shopping bags made from recycled bottles and I keep a few of them in the trunk of my car for groceries. I can easily get a whole shopping cart of food in three big bags.
Shop the Perimeter of the Store
Shop the perimeter of the store For the most part, each store is set up in the same way. Around the outskirts of the store are produce, meat, fish, deli, baked goods, and dairy. This arrangement gives each of those departments access to electricity for refrigeration, water, and inventory in the backrooms. The nonperishable items are in the center aisles. Most of the junk food is located in the center aisles.
Start with produce Most grocery stores have their produce sections right by the front door. While you're fresh, spend time picking unblemished high-quality produce. It is essential to eat good quality fruits and vegetables so make the time, pick and squeeze, and make sure you are getting the best "live" foods you can.
Should I Shop When I'm Hungry?
Some so-called experts warn you against food shopping on an empty stomach. They say you will walk down the aisles of the grocery store, see all of the shiny objects, and throw them in your cart.
I don't think so
When I'm not hungry I walk into the store, get exactly what I need for the moment, and then leave.
When I shop and I'm feeling a little hungry, I buy what looks good and I get what I want to eat. If I buy nothing, and I get hungry later that day or the next, there's nothing to snack on.
Can Grocery Stores Take Returns?
Grocery stores take returns just like your favorite department stores. If you don't like what you bought, bring it back.
If you don't have a receipt, you will most likely receive a store credit.
A Little Industry Advice
Some things I've learned in the grocery business about going grocery shopping...
- Walmart really is less expensive than grocery stores for name-brand products. They buy most of their food directly from the manufacturers for an everyday low price. Otherwise known as an EDLP, Walmart asks vendors for their absolute lowest price and they will never be required to provide sale prices every quarter.
- BJ's and Costco's markup is much lower than the supermarkets and Walmart. You are absolutely getting a better deal.
- Whole Foods Market sells lots of junk that has "clean" ingredients, but it's still unhealthy. They have lists of thousands of ingredients that they will not allow onto their shelves.
- Sprouts Market also has a lot of "clean ingredients" that are not permitted on their shelves, but it is a shorter list than the one at Whole Foods.
- People do stick their hands in the salads at the salad bar at Whole Foods.
- Ounce for ounce, junk food is way more expensive than anything on a Paleo diet.
- If your store looks dirty, it's worse in the back where they might be cutting your fruit or baking your cake.
- Sometimes when fresh produce is on sale, cheaper versions of the fruit or vegetables are brought in for the sale. They think you don't notice.
That's me (above) cooking something for Whole Foods at the Port Washington, NY, organic farmer's market a few years back.
Final Take Away
When I'm not writing blog posts, I'm a consultant for emerging brands. I help food brands set up manufacturing processes, distribution, marketing, and logistics systems so everything runs smoothly with production, distribution, and retail-level sales.
I've been in the grocery business for many years and there are many patterns to the sales that the manufacturers run every year. Most of your groceries have a promo every quarter. Stock up when things are on sale and you'll save a lot of money.
Prioritize nourishing your body by seeking out fresh foods at your local grocery store, through online sources, or by connecting with nearby farms.
Cooking in The Keys is a food blog that encourages the use of fresh ingredients to be healthy. Visit About Cooking in The Keys to learn more.
The Grand Opening of Sprouts Farmer's Market
Homestead is a half-hour north of where I live in Key Largo. When I moved to the Keys I used to drive to Whole Foods to go shopping. After a few months, the 45-minute drive got old and I learned to make do with what I had down here.
About 2 years ago I was at Bed Bath and Beyond in Homestead, a small town 30 minutes north of Key Largo. As I glanced to my right, a small sign caught my eye, announcing the arrival of "Sprouts Farmer's Market coming soon." I was so happy, I almost fell down.
At the grand opening, I photographed Sprouts in Homestead, Florida. I went shopping, had a few snacks and I was thrilled.
Sprouts Farmers Market is similar to Whole Foods Market. The fruits and vegetables are much higher quality than what I get down in Key Largo and they have more organic choices. There is a huge supplement section too 🌴
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