No Coupons Required!

No Coupons? No Worries!

For those of you that really aren’t ready to take the leap in to couponing or aren’t ready for the potential glares, there are still ways that you can save big at the grocery store!  Here are just a few tips:

Shop the Sales

Obvious I know, but many people don’t do this. My produce selection for the week will be based on whatever is on sale (which is also what is in season).  Weekly ads are available online and some stores will even send you a “sneak peak” so you can plan your shopping trips ahead of time.   Unless I absolutely need something, I often wait until the next week because most of the time it will be on sale!

Take Advantage of Store Promotions

Many stores have promotions where you buy a certain dollar amount and get an instant discount, a coupon to use at a later date or free items. You can use these deals to stock up on the items that have a longer expiration date or items you can freeze.

Oikos Greek Yogurt – Regular Price $1.09

Promotion: Buy $10 in yogurt get $3 off your next shopping trip (coupon prints at checkout)

I bought 10 yogurts for $10.90 and got $3 back so it’s like getting each yogurt for $0.79!

Note: Many brands of Greek yogurt have a longer shelf life than regular yogurt, and yogurt freezes well! Frozen yogurt anyone?

 Keep your eyes peeled for marked down products

Consider shopping early in the week. Grocery stores typically have surplus from the weekend and will offer special savings on products that are nearing their sell by date. I can find salad kits, precut veggies and prepackaged meats discounted by at least 20%!

I went to the store on a Wednesday and found lots of discounted ground sirloin and pork loin packages (both are very lean cuts of meat). I saved over $1 on each package!

Note: Meats will be marked down because they are approaching their sell by/expiration date, so you must use them quickly or freeze them!  I transferred these to freezer bags for longer-term storage.

Give the store brand a chance

Trust me; I’ve had my share of bad generic products. I almost asked for my money back after trying Walmart’s cottage cheese, yuck!  However, there are many basic staples worth buying generic because you really won’t be able to tell the difference: frozen fruits & veggies, canned beans, canned tuna, brown rice and oatmeal are just a few of them!

Basically, it all comes down to being more aware at your grocery shopping trips. Be on the lookout for sale signs, store promotions, discounted items and store brands, and you’ll see how easy it is to save money on healthy staples. No Coupons Required!