Yahoo Finance 7 Secret Grocery Discounts Frugal People Know About
Grocery prices are high, but frugal people aren’t stressed. This economical group is always finding creative ways to save money.
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Instead of conceding to astronomical prices on supermarket items, they challenge themselves to uncover little-known ways to save. This allows them to keep their both their wallets and kitchen cupboards full.
Thankfully, many are willing to share their secrets, so you can use them, too. Here’s a look at seven money-saving tips frugal people use to get grocery discounts.
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Shop at Aldi or Lidl
The best-kept secret to scoring discounts on groceries is shopping at Aldi or Lidl, said Maggie Tucker, host of the “Inside Out Money” podcast.
“Their prices are significantly lower than Kroger, Publix, Trader Joe’s and any other regional grocery stores,” she said. “They keep their cost low, because they have an efficient staffing model, a smaller store footprint than the average grocery store and a small selection of products.”
As for the smaller selection of products, she said they might carry two brands of oatmeal, instead of more than a dozen like at Publix or Kroger. She said their store-brand products are also fantastic quality.
“My kids like some of their store brand cereals better than their name-brand equivalents,” she said. “They make shopping less overwhelming, and they save you money, which to me is a win-win.”
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Never Buy Convenience Products
“Don’t ever buy convenience products at a grocery store, and by this I mean pre-cut fruit or veggies,” Tucker said. “There’s a massive markup, and in the end, the quality is often not as good.”
She said this is because the fruit has already been cut, but typically keeps best if it’s not sliced up until you’re about to eat it.
“So you’ve paid more for the convenience and the food lasts less long — it’s a lose-lose,” she said. “It usually takes one or two minutes to cut up a fruit or vegetable yourself.”
Learn Markdown Schedules and Seek Rain Checks
“Many grocery stores have specific days of the week when they mark down perishables like meat, baked goods and produce to clear out inventory ahead of new shipments,” said Scott Lieberman, founder of Touchdown Money. “Frugal shoppers learn these schedules — frequently by asking store employees — and shop on these days to get fresh items at a discount.”
Another way to save, he said, is that if you have a coupon, but the item is out of stock, frugal people aren’t afraid to ask an employee or the store manager for a rain check. This allows you to get the discount when the item is back in stock.
“Rain checks used to be more common in the past, but savvy store managers will usually still honor them if you ask,” he said.
Download Loyalty and Reward Apps
Frugal shoppers use apps for specific grocery chains to plan their shopping trips, Lieberman said.
“Grocery chains’ reward apps go far beyond coupons,” he said. “Log in every time before you go to the store to get additional cash back or bonus points for buying specific items — sometimes as open-ended as the store’s brand versus a name brand — or limited time free or deeply discounted items.”
Split Up Your Trips
Buying your groceries and household essentials at one store might be easier, but Samantha Landau, consumer expert at TopCashback USA, said frugal people don’t hesitate to go out of their way to save.
“When making your grocery list, keep non-food items — i.e. paper goods, sponges, tinfoil, etc. — on a separate list,” she said. “Grocery stores often mark up these items, because they are there as a convenience for you, but you’ll often find better deals for these items at dollar stores, if you’re willing to make the extra trip.”
Use the Right Credit Card
“Since prices have increased, you’ll want to maximize your savings with your credit card,” Landau said. “Review the terms of your credit card’s program to determine which spending categories give you the most cash back, rewards points or miles per dollar spent, and make sure to use that card when shopping for those items.”
Following this strategy can lead to notable savings.
“For example, you may have a credit card that gives you triple cash back on groceries, or you may have one that rewards you with double miles per dollar spent on gas station purchases,” she said. “Depending on the program, you may also be able to apply these rewards toward your bill as a statement credit.”
Leverage Fuel Rewards
“Grocery chains often run promotions where shoppers can earn fuel rewards for making certain purchases in-store,” said Brett Narlinger, senior vice president of global commerce at Blackhawk Network. “So not only can you save money at the pump, but you can use the points [and/or] rewards you earn to pay for your groceries, thereby reducing the costs.”
He said many chains offer promotions on certain gift card purchases, which could allow you to save money on gas, while also potentially earning loyalty points. Not just for gift-giving, he noted that you could use certain gift cards to buy groceries or other household items.
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