Shopping the Sales
Things to keep in mind when shopping:
Beware of the Pull Date
If buying an item that takes a while for you to use, or if buying multiple items to save additional money make sure to check the pull dates.
The item may be on sale because the “use before” date is just about to expire.
If you buy a product and don’t use it before the pull date expires, you may be losing money rather than saving it.
In general, it’s a good idea to check the pull dates on all of the items you buy.
Although this may sound tedious, it just takes a second and you’ll be surprised at how many items may have expired, or will expire within days.
The products are supposed to be “rotated” when they are stocked so that the newest product is in the back of the shelf and the oldest product is in the front of the shelf.
However, sometimes this isn’t the case.
Some items to pay especially close attention to when checking pull dates are:
- Milk
- Cottage Cheese
- Sour Cream
- Yogurt
- Shredded Cheese
- Bread
- Tortillas
- Lunch Meats
- Novelty-type items that may not be purchased very often (i.e. items in the deli/dairy department such as pre-made pasta, salsa, hummus, guacamole and other pre-made dips and spreads, dietary items, imported and seasonal items).
Limit the Purchase of Non-Food Items in the Grocery Store
Generally, the non-food items in a grocery store tend to be priced at a premium.
However, this may not always be the case when such items are on sale for a great price, or you may have a coupon that can be used to get the product free.
If you don’t have a coupon, and if the non-food item is not significantly discounted, an option is to purchase them at a discount store to maximize your savings.
For tips on saving money on groceries without having coupons check out “Shopping Without Coupons“.
Happy Shopping!
More on Couponing:
Types of Coupons
Finding Coupons
Organizing Coupons
Using Coupons
