Being a savvy grocery store shopper depends largely on what you're buying (or NOT buying) there. Certain items that grocery stores keep in stock have significantly higher prices there than at their big-box counterparts. The worst offenders?
What NOT to Buy at the Grocery Store
- Personal care items
- Cosmetics
- Name-brand diapers
- Lightbulbs
- cleaning supplies
- Household goods
- Office supplies
- OTC pharmacy items
When it comes to saving money, it's best to stick to food at the grocery stores and hit places like target, walmart and Warehouse stores for the other non-perishable consumer items. Online giant Amazon is also betting in the game with competitive prices on personal care items, paper goods, and cosmetics. With their Subscribe and Save program, users avoid shipping costs and get a small discount on top of already low prices.
I recommend keeping a grocery price book to track costs of the 50 items you purchase most frequently. In time, you'll learn to recognize the best deals and when to stock up on them. You'll also quickly recognize what not to buy at the grocery store.
Join the conversation: What NOT to buy at the Grocery Store
The Best Grocery Shopping Tips
For more advice on savvy grocery shopping strategies, check out my book: Instant Bargains: 600+ Ways to Shrink Your Grocery Bills and Eat Well for Less
Also, helpful bloggers like me post their Price Books for others to share. Mine is here: http://frugaltownie.blogspot.com/p/current-price-book.html – with a little searching you might find one in your area too!