Grocery Savings

Saving money is one of the reasons behind this blog and the reason for saving money has been to have more money in order to more quickly pay off your credit card debt. I must apologize because an assumption was made that everyone must be in credit card debt since I was (yes, that is a bit of egocentric behavior there). In these trying economic times, it has been difficult for many to get by or save money. It has been noticed in the way that stores advertise, how people are striving for bargains more than ever.

I used to be somewhat of a snob when it came to grocery store choices. There are three large local grocery store chains in the region in which I live. One was known for its customer service, but the prices were a little elevated. Another had grown on its strength for having a little less in the quality department, but was more middle-of-the-road price--wise. Then there was the third which was more value driven and you had to bag your own groceries. It was the latter one that I rarely, if ever, frequented.

Now I shop there almost exclusively.

Here's why: they have improved the quality of their selection, but most Thursdays they offer a $1o off, no coupon day. Basically, if you spend $50 and more there on Thursday, they will knock $10 off your bill. If you spend $50, you will save 20%. If you spend $100, it is 10%. I shop with a list (a strategy that is recommended as a way to control spending) and do my best to keep my total as near $50 as possible. Of course, things like milk, eggs, and alcohol are excluded. They give you a receipt that shows how much you saved by posting the suggested retail price and show you how much you saved over all.

When I sat down this morning to enter the money into my check register, I saw how much I had saved. I spent (after $10 off) $51.33 for groceries for about two, maybe three weeks. My savings were $33.42 or around 40%. That's not too bad a deal. After all, food is just fuel for he body.

Becoming thrifty does change how you will view things and train your eyes to look for the bargains. After all, it is your hard-earned money that you are spending and you might as well get the most bang for your buck.

Have a GREAT day!