Do you have coupon fatigue?
Are you tired of clipping, printing and saving coupons week after week?
Is couponing just not worth your time?
You're not alone. According to recent statistics from NCH Marketing, coupon redemption has decreased by 3.4%. Millenials and busy moms are looking for ways to save on groceries without using coupons, and it is possible. According to Teri Gault, CEO of The Grocery Game, “It's not just about coupons. It never has been. I've always said, it's about smart shopping, and coupons are the frosting on the cake.”
5 Ways to Save on Groceries Without Coupons
- Don't Be Brand Loyal – Switch to store brands you'll instantly cut 25% off your grocery bill. Many grocery stores have a “try it, you'll like it” policy and will refund your money on a store brand item if you don't like it. If your pantry is filled with name brand cereal, pastas and snacks…it's time to make the switch.
- Jump Ship – If you shop the same grocery week after week, you're missing out on savings. I don't clip as many coupons as I used to, but I do shop at more than one store, and I do rack up huge savings every week. I've learned which stores have the best prices on the items I regularly buy. I go to Costco every couple of weeks, Aldi weekly and Publix for the few things that Aldi doesn't carry. If you need help comparing prices, The Grocery Game is now offering a free trial on their “No Coupon List”. This list let's you quickly compare prices at your local groceries, and according to Teri Gault, you'll instantly see how easy it is to save 50% by shopping more than one store. Suppose The Grocery Game's No Coupon List shows you that a 3 lb. bag of apples is $3.49 at Aldi, $6.99 Kroger, $4.99 Publix and $3.97 Walmart. If you buy those apples at Aldi instead of Kroger…you'll save 50% thanks to the “No Coupon List” from The Grocery Game
- Stock Up – Grocery sales are cyclical and most items generally go on sale every 3 months. What does that mean for you? If your favorite pasta is on sale, buy enough to last about 3 months. When you run out of pasta, it will likely be on sale again.
- Learn to Love Your Freezer – Each week grocery stores offer huge savings on 1 or 2 types of meat. Buy it, freeze it, save money. Another money saving option…plan your meals based on the sale items.
- Buy Seasonal – You'll pay too much if you buy a watermelon in November or a winter squash in the summer. Seasonal produce is always the freshest and cheapest. If you're not sure what's seasonal, The Budget Diet girl has a “cheat sheet” for you – it's my Grocery Savings Calendar. Print and save my Grocery Savings Calendar, and you'll always know what's in season plus you'll discover interesting tidbits like…frozen foods are on sale in March because it's Frozen Food Month.
Ahhhh…don't you feel powerful knowing how much you can save on groceries without using coupons?
Please leave a comment to share your favorite ways to save on groceries without using coupons.
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image courtesy of digitalart, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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In full disclosure, this post contains affiliate links to help support The Budget Diet girl! My advice will always be unbiased and free, but free won’t pay the bills! Thanks!
