Holiday Savings Tips at the Grocery Store

Holiday gatherings are often centered around food, and when planning for a family dinner or another gathering, it can be easy to let your spending get a little out of control when purchasing everything you’ll need to prepare lots of delicious dishes for your festivities… not to mention all the other items you’ll want to have on hand when your holiday guests arrive.

It is important to think of ways you can save money at the grocery store, as you’ll be purchasing more during the holidays than you would on a normal grocery shopping trip. Below are a few suggestions we recommend to help keep your spending in check the next time you head to the grocery store.

Buy One Get One (BOGO) Deals: There are many great BOGO deals at grocery stores, but there are also some offers that can be rather deceptive. Before you head out for a BOGO offer, look into it carefully. For example, many +grocers offer BOGO specials on meats. These meats are typically displayed in a separate case from the other meats. Visit the meat department and compare the prices per pound of BOGO meats and the meats in the meat department.

Also, look at expiration dates on BOGO items. Sometimes, BOGO items at +grocery stores are nearing their expiration date. Make sure you have time to use the items before they go bad. If you don’t, then it’s a deal you should skip.

Sizing It Up: When you see sale items in your weekly grocery store flyer, read the fine print to see if the sale items are for a certain size. Many times, sale items will be for the smallest containers of the product. Compare prices per unit before you buy – the larger containers that aren’t on sale might be the better deal.

10 for $10: Many store offer 10 for $10 +specials, which can be handy when you want to get a good deal on items you use regularly. However, compare the +prices of the same items at other stores, as you may be able to find them for less than a dollar at another store.

Two-For: +Deals offering two products of a certain brand for a certain price can also be deceptive. For example, you see a brand of aspirin marked two for $4, with the regular price $3. Check the specifics of the +promotion before you buy it. If you only want to buy one bottle, will you be charged $2 or $3? Will you be buying and spending more than you need in order to get the deal? Are there other brands you can purchase for less? Do your homework and see if the two-for deal is as good as it looks.

For more suggestions to help you with cost savings at the grocery store this holiday season (and all year long), be sure to subscribe to Spread the Purple to receive our regular updates.

 Image courtesy of  Luigi Diamanti /FreeDigitalPhotos.net