No need to clip coupons. Saving money on groceries is as easy as learning marketing trends. Every body has to eat but not every body needs to feel the pain of a high grocery bill. Here are a few easy steps to keeping your money where it belongs, in your pocket!We are now approaching the end of summer and grocery retailers are preparing to unleash some hot pricing. Saving money on groceries is probably the easiest at this time of year. You are probably wondering why now? Summer business is driven by what we call transient shoppers. These shoppers are cottage users, tourists, visiting family members. Sales are brisk and households tend to loosen the purse strings and enjoy the summer barbeque's. This time of the year for grocery retailers is gravy time, we don't have to work very hard for sales. The war chest is growing and the fight for local consumers dollars is quickly approaching.
Fall is arriving and kids are going back to school, households are looking to get back into a routines and stock their pantries and freezers for regular meals.
Grocery retailers know every trend and focus their marketing strategies to target these trends. You will start to see more case lots or buy bulk incentives. This time of the year is a great time to buy front page bulk items. Lost leaders at this time of the year will have hot pricing and negative margins for the retailer. Their is only one other time of the year where stocking the pantry or freezer offers such great value and that is February.
February is usually a very fiscally tight and money to run household expenditures are at their lowest. This is do in part to people paying down Christmas debts and holiday entertainment costs. People tend to commit to some type of fiscal planning as a new years focus. Retailers need to pull out all the stops to bring shoppers to their stores.
There are many ways to save money on groceries. Here are a few quick tips to help you start seeing savings on your grocery bill today.
1) Always make a grocery list. Easiest way to save money on groceries is to have a plan and stick to it. We love impulse shoppers!
2) Avoid floor displays that have marketing attached, these are geared for high profit returns.
3) Save money on groceries buy buying front page items and filling your grocery list drawing from the front page and the back. The middle pages of a flyer are made up of sub features. These sub features are higher profit items with a less attractive price point.
4) If you have time and access to a computer record sale prices on front page items so you can refer to feature products at a later date ensuring the very lowest pricing though out the year.
5) Take advantage of customer loyalty programs only when they accompany hot pricing. Don't get sucked into paying more to get points or air miles.
6) Keep your eye out for discount buggies with summer related items. This is the time to buy your plastic cups, plates, hoses, garden decorations, etc. Avoid displays in isles that have glossy promotional material attached, these are usually very high profit items.
7) Look for manager specials on hot dogs, burgers, etc. If the store is long on these items they will be blowing them out over the next few weeks. Sales on these commodities really drop off and inventory will need to move.
8) Delegate one person to do the grocery shopping. This eliminates duplicate buying. This step goes hand in hand with taking a quick inventory of your cupboards or pantries. You don't have to buy when you are out. The key to saving money on groceries is to keep an eye on your inventory levels and buy when the pricing is best on that product. Anticipate your families requirements. Don't buy 3 if you need 1' if the pricing is crazy hot buy 2. Buying excessive amounts leads to over buying and waste. Grocery retailers rotate flyer items regularly so don't panic buy. I guarantee you someone will have that product on in the near future.
9) This time of the year people will be looking for what we call comfort food. You will see some great pricing on pasta, ground meats, whole boneless pork loins, canned tomato's, etc. If you have a pantry and pasta for example is super cheap, then this would be the only time I would suggest a multiple of more than two.
