Markdowns

Markdown meats and produce are 2 of the biggest ways I save money when I grocery shop. When stores don’t sell products in time, they have to dispose of those items. In order to reduce waste, certain stores will lower prices (by as much as 65%!) which can mean BIG savings for you!

Not all grocery chains take part in this practice, so it’s up to you to determine which stores in your area have the best markdown sections, or if they markdown items at all. Once you find a store that does mark down items, it’s best to figure out what time(s) of day they do it, so you can take advantage of the best items first! You can do this by shopping at different times and days, and you will find out that most stores have a schedule they follow.

I’m fortunate enough to live in an area with a whole lot of grocery stores, and I have determined which stores have the best markdowns and shop there most often. At the chain where I shop, they mark down meats and produce as well as bakery items, so it adds up to big savings for my family. The meats get marked down randomly all day, but the produce and the bakery items are marked down around 5 pm every night, and the prepared foods are marked down later (around 9 pm or so). When I can get a rotisserie chicken marked down to $2.49 that will feed my whole family, or a premade large pizza for $2.99, I bring it home and freeze it, and use them on a night when I don’t feel like cooking (or don’t have the time).

You’ll also want to spend time looking around for discount shelves in your store. The chain I shop in has one (sometimes more!) by the dairy section in the back of the store, and I’ve found some great items there. Things like paper products, cereals, gravy envelopes, spices, pet products and such are just some examples of things that I’ve found. If you can’t find a separate shelf, try looking at the end caps (the end of the aisles), or in bins at the front of the store. Most stores do have discontinued items they are trying to get rid of, and they will put them out at big savings!

My last tip for shopping markdowns is to make certain that the cashier rings them up properly! Sometimes they are scanning the items so fast that they miss the lower price, so you have to keep an eye on that register window.

Shopping markdowns has easily cut our monthly grocery bill by at least 1/3, and we get to eat produce and some meats that we normally couldn’t afford. You’ll want to check out my tips on Food Storage so that you can get the most out of your markdowns, and have fresh produce and meats all year long!

Coupons and Store Cards

Cutting coupons can be a hassle, but now there are websites that let you enter your store card number and then you can browse their site and digitally add the coupons right onto your card, so you don’t have to even remember to bring them to the store! Just bring your card, and if you forget that too, give the cashier your phone number and you’ll still get all your savings. There are a whole lot of coupon sites out there, but the one I’ve found the most effective is Lozo. When you sign up with them, it connects you with all the major coupon sites, and you receive daily emails telling you about new offers. Another great site I love is Coupon Network. There they have a section where you can make up a shopping list and then it calculates if there are any coupons that match your shopping needs. I found Coupon Network through one of my Lozo emails, so you really only need to sign up with them, and then decide which sites you prefer.

Another way of getting the most for your dollar is to make sure you sign up for a store discount card. I know some people don’t want to sign up for store savings cards because they are afraid of their purchases being ‘tracked’ or the store knowing all about your buying habits. My answer to that is: So What? I don’t mind if my store knows what my family is eating, or that I shop using coupons and sales and markdowns and whatever else I can do to save a buck. I gladly give them my email, and that way when they have any extra savings to take advantage of (in the case of my store, they are called Your Bucks Offers that are digitally downloaded onto my card) I get them all!! I even give them my home address, and I get coupons and discounts through the mail. One of the stores we shop at even sends out a sheet of $5 off coupons to their card customers. It doesn’t sound like much, but combined with other offers (sales, markdowns, coupons, etc) it helps!

Now that you have your coupons and store card taken care of, make sure your store offers double coupons, so you can get the most out of those sales. And, as always, keep an eye on the prices as you check-out to make sure you’re getting all the savings you deserve!