Around the country most grocery stores offer new sales starting each Thursday through the following Wednesday.  On Wednesday in your local newspaper's food section the new sales circulars are printed as an advertisement.  Many larger grocery store chains have their own circulars printed and are included as inserts with the Wednesday newspaper.  Sometimes these circulars are mailed as a group and include four or five different grocery stores.  (This helps you to do comparative shopping.)

Shop-Smart Shopping-Tip: Set Your Menu and Your Purchases around What is on Sale at one or more stores. In a recent article I wrote –“Seven Important Things You May Want to Know about Saving for College”-- I challenged the reader to save 40% on their family grocery shopping.  Later in discussing this article with friends, they thought that it was an unrealistic goal…too high!  They thought at best a shopper might be able to save 20% with a trip to their local grocery store.  So I went home and thought about it.  I disagreed with them.  I decided to put up or shut up.  The Challenge is on.

So with next week’s Wednesday’s advertisement I was going to take the challenge myself.  Without much effort I would simply go through all the new sales papers and look each store sale offerings.  I wouldn’t spend any extra time looking for manufacturer coupons from Sunday’s newspapers or on the internet.  I would use what ever coupons I have now.  I would limit my shopping to just one store, instead of doing the comparative shopping search process and having up to 3 stores to put the best buys with the biggest savings. I will even   raise the bar setting a higher goal.  The goal is cut my grocery-bill in-half and save 50%.

I begin with Rule #1 Never pay full price.  I have gathered the insert pack of grocery store advertisements  in front of me.  There are six stores in the running for my money and this challenge.  I go through all six store circulars.  I have a loyalty card for two of the six stores. This is an advantage for them and for me.  The other four stores don’t offer loyalty cards. Rule #2 Always sign up for the free store loyalty card when available.  These cards will always keep your cash in your pockets with the automatic savings they provide for the shopper.  It is beyond me why people choose to pass on this free money the card gives you back at the check-out counter, and thoughtlessly give their money away to the supermarket chain by not signing up for the card.

Store # 2 with my loyalty card will be my partner in this challenge. The first two sales items that catch my eye are for meat that are on sale with their savings card: (1) Boneless Whole Pork Tenderloin at $1.99 per lb. and (2) 7-Bone Chuck Roast at 0.99 per lb. They had a 21-inch long boneless whole pork loin which I put in my shopping cart.  Regular price: $53.58. The price isn’t a problem, because I’m not going to pay that price.  With the store loyalty card I will pay just $19.78.  “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” The card just saved me $33.80. There was only one 7-bone Chuck Roast that appeared to have more meat than bone. So I saved another $3.30 off the $5.43 regular price. (Remember when buying meat you don't want to be paying a per lb. price for a lot of bone.)  Total savings on the meat purchases comes to $37.10, which I’m keeping in my wallet…thank you very much!

Next in the store ad on the shopping list is salad mix…a dollar per bag…saving $1.99 on each bag.  I chose to use Rule #4 Buy in Bulk Sale items that are needed or used frequently. So I buy 3 bags of the Salad Mix. (I buy my fresh fruits and vegetable at the fruit market where the prices are more giving compared to the major chain grocery stores.) Now I need salad dressing, and they have my favorite, healthy brand on sale as buy one/ get one free.  Two bottles are in my shopping cart.  Off to the beverage aisle for the buy two get two free 12-can packs of a brand name cola.

Then being an alert, smart shopper, I spot another buy 1 get 1 free unadvertised item.  It’s a 24-count cooked shrimp tray with cocktail sauce.  Percentage wise these buys were automatic no-brainers for the challenge.  Moneywise, that’s another $26.13 card produced savings that will stay in my pocket.

My favorite brand of crackers are on sale, I toss two boxes into the cart.  Cake mixes are on sale for .99 cents each….a savings of $1.40.  Again, as an alert shopper, I spot a “Save Now” coupon on one of the cake boxes for fifty-cents (.50) off for the same brand name can of frosting. I buy four boxes of cake mixes….all have a “save now” coupon.  I grab one of boxes, peel the coupon off. I buy only one can of frosting since they weren’t on sale, and add it to my cart.  Now I have three money saving coupons waiting for the frosting to go on sale…hopefully on my next visit.  (When shopping, make sure that if you have products with “save now” coupons; peel them off before putting the item into your cart, or the coupon might go unused when you see it again unpacking your groceries at home.)

Cans of broth, ketchup, pasta sauce, and the healthy brand of buttery spread also added their share to the savings to help the challenge meet its goal.  The two coupons for a free 2-liter bottle of soda pop contributed their 100% and this helped the zero contributions from the bouillon cubes and the brown sugar that weren’t on sale.   Don’t forget Rule #3: Optimize your savings always use coupons.

I feel good about being successful with this challenge as I approach the check out counter with a cart full of groceries. Before I am able to enter my loyalty card number into the scanner the dollars amounts are quickly soaring. This creates a moment of panic. But once the card number is recorded the dollars fall off like icicles on the first day of spring.  This reversal of fortune has secured my confidence for success.

Now for the finishing touch I hand the check-out clerk the three coupons I have in hand. She looks at me, and politely announces the total cost…$75.21.  I hand her the cash, and she gives me my change and the receipt.  There it is…SUCCESS!  The Total Savings Value is 53% with a savings of $83.36.  Thanks to the loyalty card and a couple of coupons these family shopping Savings could easily belong to you and your family. 

I hardly can wait to show all my “doubting Thomas” friends. To see the receipt for yourself log on to: www.robertwalshkidsclothing.com .  The copy of the store receipt can be located under A Be Smart…..Shop-Smart….Shopping-Tips on the Family Kidswear Page.       

-by Robert Walsh  Webmaster of www.robertwalshkidsclothing.com