Making your shopper card count

[Fumesucker]

I went grocery shopping last night, got $80 list price of food for just under $70 by using my store shoppers card to the max on every item I could. I calculate that as a 12.5% savings out the door.

The store is a bit sneaky and changes this stuff around every week so you really have to pay attention to the labels to get the most discount on what you need. It helps if you're reasonably comfortable juggling a few numbers to figure out what the best deal is and you have to be willing to forgo specific brands. The store brand of just about everything I've tried at the Ingles I was shopping last night is fine, can't really tell it from the advertised brands and it's usually (but definitely not always, pay attention) cheaper than the national brands.

I probably added fifteen minutes to my shopping last night by being careful and saved ten bucks, I figure that's not far off forty dollars an hour return and it made the difference between a bland diet for the next ten days or a more interesting one.

[Hayabusa]

1. My family has a Kroger card

and it certainly does come in handy, especially when we have to stock up. I've seen bills for $100 go all of the way back into the $70s once we scan the card in. Sometimes, it isn't much, but it certainly does help out.

[Curmudgeoness]

2. I am not sure what grocery cards you have available,

but where I live, the grocery store with a card has you earning cents off on gas that they sell. I don't see special deals just for card members beyond that.

I suppose that getting cheaper gas could be a good deal too, although I believe that the prices at this store are higher than any other store in the area---and they are all locally owned smaller grocery stores.

So what I am saying is, you should always know what the prices of the products you are buying are supposed to be, and know that what you get is a real bargain.....and if it is, good for you. Keep it up.

[Fumesucker]

3. In fact I think this card does give some money off on gasoline, I know they have their own station

But I don't have a car so gas isn't really something I think about very often any more.

I'm also limited in which stores I can get to and when, the store I can reach that has the best produce is not the cheapest overall and the one that has the cheapest prices is actually easier to get to but has a miserable produce department.

You don't have to drive all that far to burn up enough gas to make the difference in the food prices moot, I've taken some time to settle on the store I shopped this time and I have weighed multiple factors of which convenience is a major one for my situation and a good produce section is another.

How much your return is on the time you spend counts for something too, If I had spent two hours at home scouring coupons on the computer and printing them and saved another ten dollars that would only have been five dollars an hour. I'm not obsessive enough to do that but paying attention and doing a little mental arithmetic when walking around the store is within my limited attention span.

The bottom line is I walked out with as much food as I would have gotten at the "discount" store for the same money but I had access to better produce and a more pleasant shopping environment with better selection and the down side being it took more effort on my part.

[Curmudgeoness]

4. Since you have thought it through

and gone over the pros and cons of each, along with checking for the lowest prices on what you needed to buy, you have done fine.

I do have a car, but the cents off on gas is a moot point for me for several reasons. First, I live on the PA/OH border, and gas in OH is from 20 to 40 cents lower, depending on the day. Also, I plan errands, so I stop by to get groceries while doing other things that I have to do in an area. And lastly, the store with the card is so much higher on most products that, with only a 10 gallon tank, I don't get much benefit compared to how much I would have to spend.

How much higher are the prices? Well, the one example that hit it home to me was when I had stopped at my regular store and got all that I needed but one thing that they did not have. One of the things was leaf lettuce at $1.99 a pound. On the way past the card store, I stopped to get that one item, and I happened to look at the price of their leaf lettuce. It was $3.99....double....same day.

I can see that you need to think harder about your choices when you don't have a car. It must be difficult. Well, it would be here in semi-rural BFE.

[RebelOne]

8. Kroger has the savings on gas. n/t

[Curmudgeoness]

9. There hasn't been a Kroger around here since I was a kid

and that was a long long time ago. I didn't even realize they were still in business until I moved to Houston in 1978 and saw them there. We have one large grocery chain store here, Giant Eagle. And of course, I am told our Walmart has one too, but I don't go there.

[RebelOne]

10. They are all over Georgia.

Too bad you don't have any where you live because their prices are the best in town. I have a Kroger within 1 mile from my house and an Ingles within 1/2 mile, but I prefer Kroger. I only go to Ingles if I have to pick up a couple of items, but for serious shopping, I go to Kroger.

[Starboard Tack]

11. Kroger is the largest grocery store chain in the country. $90+ billion in sales this year.

They own many other chains including Ralph's here in California.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger

Giant Eagle was created by the original founders of Eagle Grocery (3 families). They sold Eagle to Kroger in 1928, stayed out of the business for 3 years, then started Giant Eagle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Eagle

[safeinOhio]

12. Our Kroger is a union store.

They also donate 10% of profits to charities. My UU Church gets a little every time I use my card. While wallyworld may be a little cheaper, Kroger has friendly service. I can also use my Kroger gas points at Shell now.

[Sherman A1]

5. To my knowledge the stores around me do not have such cards

however, they all seem to have a presence on FB and do direct emails with specials. One just has to use the systems available to their best advantage.

[cbayer]

6. If you can find out what their weekly specials are before going to the store

(on line or printed circular), then you can plan you meals around them.

I find if I just go to the store and shop the specials, I will buy things I don't really need or necessarily want.

But if I plan around the specials, I can save even more money.

I'm not really fond of the whole system, because they are tracking my purchases, but agree with you that the savings can be significant.

[we can do it]

7. Usually there is an on-line ad for weekly specials, too, if you like to pre-plan