I love puzzles…jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word search, Sudoku, and logic puzzles. But my favorite puzzle? Saving as much as I can on my groceries. Figuring out how to beat the grocery store prices is a challenge, with a reward of keeping money in my pocket. So, here’s tips to save even more on your groceries! (Gas, too!)
Every week is another opportunity for me to “enjoy” the grocery price puzzle. There’s nothing better than figuring how much I will spend based on my list and then beating that price. Makes me wanna do a little happy dance right there in the store! Want a happy dance of your own? Add these savings tips to your arsenal today.
Save even more with money they GIVE away!
All my stores have my email from where I signed up with online accounts. I don’t mind them having it because, periodically, I get emails like this one from Publix.
I don’t necessarily go to Publix every week, but if I have this deal and there’s a loss leader or two I can stock up on and reach that $10 mark, it’s 2 doors down from my Kroger. Yes, I’ll stop in there and save that $2 (though I only do it if it’s something I WILL use and will last a while).
Sprouts just opened a new store in my area. I went to the grand opening (lots of fun things to taste if you have one of those happen near you) and left with a QR code to take their online survey for a $5 gift card. YES, I took the survey! Turns out I chose a StarBucks gift card for my daughter (shhhh…that’s a secret!)
When you use your Kroger rewards card, there’s a survey at the bottom of your receipts. You can fill it once within 7 days (only 1 survey each 7 days) and get 50 points. Every 100 points is worth 10c off on a gas fill-up. Plus, your purchases gain points as well.
Watch carefully though because our Kroger gas prices are usually higher. But if I get into the range of 30¢ or even 40¢ off a gallon? Yep, that’s worth doing it! (Use the Gasbuddy app to find the lowest gas prices in your area, too!)
Know your prices
I see that eye roll. It’s not that hard if you pay attention or simply write down the prices on what you buy most frequently.
For example, if I know that milk at Aldi is always $1.92/half gallon and always MORE at Kroger, I’m going to get that at Aldi (for my husband…dairy doesn’t like me). If I see a Kroger sale that puts that same half gallon under $1.92, I’ll get it at Kroger if I’m going there already.
This week, I had picked out Kroger’s sweet mini peppers as they were on sale – a 16 oz bag for $2.99. But when I got to Aldi, the same 16 oz bag was $2.69. You bet I scooped those up! Even though it wasn’t a sale price, it was the BEST price.
I also bought a can of tomatoes and chiles there…store brand for $0.85 as I thought I remembered Rotel (the brand name of diced tomatoes and chiles) were usually 10/$10 (so $1 each). When I got there, I found it was the Kroger brand that was 10/$10 and the Rotel brand was as much as $1.25 and sometimes $1.34 per can. More savings!
Use Ibotta? Try Fetch!
My daughter put me on this app and it’s super easy. You earn points for every shopping receipt you scan in (groceries, gasoline, Lowe’s, AutoZone and even digital shopping receipts) and earn gift cards for your points. See a full break down on Fetch here (and if you decide to sign up, please use my referral code of XWMPYH to give me some extra love!).
They’re tracking you!
Some folks don’t like to use the store rewards cards, but I do. I want the stores to track my purchases so they can see most of what I buy is on sale. And they can tell by the limited $ I spend at Kroger, I have to be shopping somewhere else, too.
They also give me coupons tailored to what I already buy. Yes, I WILL take those savings, too!
Bottom line…you get to vote!
See these? These are your votes for the kind of prices you’re willing to pay. As long as we continue to buy, and buy no matter what the cost is, they can feel confident to continue raising those prices. So, vote carefully!
Want more strategies for saving on your groceries? Check these out!
