"Few people prepare themselves for the barrage of sales promotions they receive at the grocery store. That is why they end up over-paying,"
In the author's new book, "Better Groceries for Less Cash", the author explains how to organize your shopping efforts to maximize the quality of the food your family eats, while minimizing the cost of that food.
He says that when people arrive at the store, they're generally in a hurry to buy their groceries and get back home. This makes them subject to buying the most convenient foods that are placed at eye level or in aisle 'end cap' displays. Some of these items will be on sale, leading shoppers to assume that they are ALL on sale, he said.
By taking a few moments to compare the costs of the items on the higher and lower shelves, shoppers can often enjoy a much better value.
Another technique is to match up your grocery coupons with the week's sale items or 'bogo' items, (buy one / get one free.) The author also suggests that you should learn the store's 'bogo' policy up-front: do they allow you to buy just one item at half-price, or are you required to buy 2 items to get the reduced pricing? "It's a simple yet critical step in lowering your food costs, especially if you are single or have a small family. Often, you cannot consume two units of an item before the second one goes bad," Putala said.
The other major key to saving is coupon organization, according to the author. If you have no system, you will spend 2 or 3 minutes searching for a coupon and you will get frustrated. He advocates a simple system with 6 envelopes that will become second nature over time, allowing you to locate the coupons you need quickly and easily. "Ease of implementation is the key to success with any system," he said.
The author contends that people will spend countless hours planning a one-time major purchase such as an automobile or appliance, but generally will spend no time planning a purchase that they make every week out of every year in the life. "A few minutes of planning and organizing can save the average family between $25 and $100 per week. That adds up to thousands of dollars per year, which certainly makes it worth your while in today's economy," according to Putala.
Interested consumers can download a sample chapter of his book at http://www.freegrocerybook.com, or they can order the book through any bookseller.
