Blog.EmealsForYou

A while ago I wrote a post on Grocery Shopping – Inattention Can Cost You Big spelling out how smart shoppers understand how grocery stores increase their profits through the use of shelf tags and shelf talkers.  This is nothing illegal, just a way for them to augment their small profits by tricking the unaware shopper into spending more than they have to to purchase what the store would like you to purchase.

This post takes the consumer education a little further; into the world of coupons and BOGO’s (buy one get one) specials.  Again, this is not to condemn the grocery stores and call foul on their methods; only to provide an understanding on how it works and how smart shoppers can profit from it.  Product manufacturers and grocery stores spend lots of marketing money and effort in convincing you to buy what they want you to buy.  Our job will be to convince you to buy only the products you really need.

As the economy tightens more and more of us are clipping coupons and marching off to the store to “save” a bunch on our purchases.  To successfully work within the “coupon” system we have to actually put forward some effort on our part.  First there is the finding and clipping of the coupons; no big deal just developing a routine.  Now that we have the coupons we have to organize them, maintaining our collection within the expiration dates.  There is nothing like getting to the checkout line, thinking you have just saved a bunch, only to find out that many of your coupons have expired.

Now it is time to talk about shopping discipline.  Hopefully you are planning your meals and making a shopping list.  Take out your coupon collection and go through it to pick out only the ones that are for the products you need and have on your shopping list.  This is where the store’s marketing attempts to take over your thought process, be sure that the product is still the best buy even with your coupon, even with double coupon offers.  Sometimes the stores will push a certain product and an equal product will be cheaper without the coupon.  At times the BOGO offer is good, but can you really use 2 of that product?  Most stores will only charge you half price if you buy only one of a BOGO.

To sum this up, saving money at the grocery will cost you time and effort.  You are up against an army of marketing specialists, hired by the manufacturers and grocery stores to seperate you from your money.  You need to be just as deligent in your process as they are in theirs.  Be tough, be smart, it is us against them and I am on your side.