Making the Most of the Grocery Store

Some Say Cheap, I Say Frugal

Frugality is not a universal truth I live by. I will splurge when it counts, and I love those moments. But if I can help it, I want to save money in the easiest ways possible. I also don't want to sacrifice quality in doing that. So here are some tips I'd like to share about how I make the most of my grocery shopping. Hopefully you find it useful!

1. Almost all grocery stores get their deliveries on Wednesdays. This means that Wednesday evening, after the clerks have spent all day Wednesday re-stocking things, that's when stuff will be the freshest, and if you go right after work, you'll basically get first pick of the fresh shipment. Just don't go too early in the day, because they won't have turned over the inventory yet! (made that mistake before). This is why their weekly circular sales start on Weds
2. Conversely, avoid the store on Mondays/Tuesdays. A) it's a mad house on Mondays as people stock up for the week, and I hate crowds so... no. And B) the food has been sitting in storage in the store for 6 days. I'd rather get it while it's fresh, and at least let it sit in storage at my house so that I have it at its freshest for as long as possible. This means less waste because you have to toss something that's gone bad.
3. I live by one of two rules. I either:
1. Only stick to the perimeter of the store where the fresh produce, meat, almond milk, and eggs are. I do not allow myself to go into the center aisles at all. Not even a little. OR if I do need something from the center aisles...
2. I make a list, and only allow myself to purchase the items from the list. This occurs either when I'm having a party and need snacks, or when I need something like peanut butter or have a specific recipe I'm making that requires something from an aisle. I NEVER EVER just wander the aisles. Ever. It is all processed, and most things in the aisles should be eaten in great moderation
4. Most "experts" will tell you to make a list and to stick to it closely. But if I stick to the above rules, I'm fine whether I have a list or not. For weekly trips, I rarely bring lists. I usually only use lists if there are specific recipes I want to try, or if I'm preparing to host a party. But otherwise, I have no problem wandering the produce aisle and picking up whatever tickles my fancy that week. The more fruits and veggies, the better!! And as for shopping hungry? Again, if I stick to my rules, this is a non-issue. I find that whenever I shop hungry, the worst thing that happens is that I leave with a wheel of brie and some Blue Diamond Almond thins (gluten free), and really, how is that a bad thing? So make lists or don't, whatever works for you.
5. This is the one that will really help you get to know me and the intensity of my Type-A personality... after each grocery trip, I bring home the receipt, plop down in front of my computer, and open up my "Grocery" google doc. There, I enter in the date and price of each item into a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet automatically calculates the minimum, maximum, and average price spent on each item. I keep this google doc open on my phone while I'm shopping so that I can see when something is a good deal. My rule is that unless I need it for a specific recipe, I don't buy it if the price that week is above the average that I've paid for it in the past. And if the price is at or below the rock bottom that I have listed, I stock the hell up. (In later posts, I'll talk about strategies for stocking up on different produce, what to do with it, and how to make it last.) The reason I do this is twofold. First, it helps me track the prices of seasonal items by date, so I have a better idea of when Asparagus starts to come into season in early spring, and when butternut squash is official en vogue in the late summer / early fall. And secondly, and I hope this doesn't come as a shock to you, the sales paper is a marketing tool and is not always reliable to determine value!! Sure they accurately told you what the price would be, but unless you have an amazing memory for every item you purchase, do you really remember if that's a good price for spinach? How do you know if it's actually a sale?? What I've found by doing this is that maybe 75% of the time, the price listed in the "sale" paper can actually be considered a sale, meaning the price is lower than average. The rest of the time, they're just advertising their inventory without changing the price at all. So if you keep your own record, then you'll really know when to make a run on butter because it really has hit rock bottom. 

Any other tips on making the most of the store? Please share!