Jessica Quindlen: [00:00:00] Welcome back to the Sound Cents Podcast. I'm Jessica Quindlen. Today we're discussing maximizing savings at the grocery store. I don't know about y'all, but grocery shopping is one of my favorite activities. I have with us today, Laura Straub, our Community Education Lead.
Hello, Laura.
Laura Straub: Hello, Jess.
Jessica Quindlen: And Pam Jones, our Senior Development Coordinator. Hello, Pam.
Pam Jones: Good morning.
Jessica Quindlen: So, Pam is also an extra expert. Not only does she work for the credit union, but you have experience in grocery stores. Talk to me about that.
Pam Jones: Yes, I worked for a grocery chain for over 33 years.
Jessica Quindlen: Good. I love it. I love it. All right, Laura, how does grocery shopping impact our overall finances?
Laura Straub: Yeah, it's one of our biggest variable costs that we have in our budgets typically, so it can really impact us, especially if we're not paying attention to how much we're spending at the grocery store. And in the long run we can utilize some of that savings for other goals of ours, whatever it may be. But yeah, on average, Americans spend around $300 per week on groceries so it can make a big dent in [00:01:00] our budgets.
Jessica Quindlen: Wow. $300 a week. I do feel that. What are common mistakes people make while grocery shopping that affect their finances?
Laura Straub: Well, first off, just not having a list. But then not sticking to that list can impact us, right? If we're going down random aisles, looking at what's fun on the shelves. So really making that list, sticking to it, and then not going to the grocery store when you're hungry or in a mood. Because then you're more likely to overspend as well, because you're looking at all this delicious, yummy food.
And then we'll talk a little bit about this too, I think, Pam, but preplanning our meals, right? So, having an idea of what we're going to be shopping for can really help you when it comes to even creating that list. So preplanning, kind of doing that in the forefront can just kind of help you out when it comes to actually going to the grocery store.
Pam Jones: Yeah, because if you pop in for a few things, those few things are going to be items you're buying on impulse. So, you know, not planning those meals ahead of [00:02:00] time is going to end up costing you a lot more in the end.
Jessica Quindlen: Absolutely. So, Pam, what are some strategies for saving money while grocery shopping?
Pam Jones: One of my favorite strategies is shopping the horseshoe. And the reason that it's so important is because most of the inner aisles is where you're going to find all of the higher priced items. When you shop the horseshoe, you're also shopping for nutrition. So, you're looking at the bakery department, you're looking at the meat department, the produce department, the frozen foods and the dairy.
And those areas are the areas that you're going to find the most markdowns as well. I always advise that if you are going to shop the interior aisles instead of the horseshoe, if you have a few things you need to get, you have to look at that unit tag. Because the unit tag is going to tell you how much something is per pound or per ounce.
And even if something's on sale or even if it's the store brand, it could be more expensive. So, the other tip that I have when [00:03:00] shopping the interior aisles is always make sure you look up and down because the vendors or brokers actually purchase the shelving. So, the space on the shelves are purchased by the manufacturers.
So, you know, their average height is about 5’5”. So, look up, look down, you're going to find a much better deal.
Jessica Quindlen: Fantastic. I love that. That's such a good tip. What are some tips to resist that impulse buying?
Pam Jones: I think one of the things that you have to make sure you do when you come in is have your shopping plan in your mind.
Adding up the items as you go along is a really good idea as well, because then you're sticking to that budget. Buying online can also be another way to resist those impulse buys. So, maybe you do half of your shopping in the month online and that way you're just sticking to what it is that you need. And then the other half, you go in and you are actually shopping so you can buy the markdown items in the meat department and produce and bakery.
Another thing is shopping while you're distracted. If you take your [00:04:00] children with you or significant other, you know, even if you're looking at your phone, you're going to be less likely to look for bargains. You're just going to pick up whatever you see that is an impulse and put it in your cart.
And then meal planning. I think that meal planning is definitely going to help you resist that temptation to buy just what you see in front of you.
Jessica Quindlen: That's fantastic. So, Laura, how can planning meals in advance contribute to long-term financial savings? I know you're a big meal prepper.
Laura Straub: I am. I love doing this because it really can help you because then you're looking at what is on sale, especially after holidays. For instance, certain meats might be a little cheaper, so you can meal plan with that. looking for what's in season too can just kind of help you.
When you're developing your meal plan, you're really looking at all of that. You can start to look into like, okay, how much is this meal actually going to cost me per serving, or however you like to divvy it out.
But also using ingredients in multiple [00:05:00] meals can really help you too. So, a big block of cheese, right? And you have it set aside for lots of different meals throughout the week or two weeks, can help you buy bigger items a cheaper rate by doing that preplanning ahead of time.
Especially with produce to so that way you're using all of it and you're not letting some of it go to waste because you don't know what to do with the other half of it if you only use half in a recipe.
It can really help you out just in the wastefulness too of your groceries. So, I love meal planning. There are so many resources online to kind of help you do that too. From planners to just recipes that you can look up to try something different and new.
Pam, do you like to meal prep too? Like, do you have any tips with it?
Pam Jones: I do. And we have this really fun thing we do as a family. You know how you'll buy things and you intend on using them and then pretty soon your cupboard just gets packed full of canned goods and packaged rice? We do this family “Chopped” style [00:06:00] game where we say, you can go to the store and you can buy one meat item and one produce item, but then everything else has to come from the pantry.
And then we have a contest. And at the end of the week, we see whose meals were most creative. And then that individual gets to pick out a family movie for the week.
Jessica Quindlen: That's so cute. Is this with your children?
Pam Jones: Yes.
Jessica Quindlen: How old are they?
Pam Jones: Well, now they're adults. 29 and 35, but we've been doing this for a very long time.
Jessica Quindlen: It's such a cute idea. I love Chopped.
Laura Straub: Yeah. And last thing I'll say with meal planning too, if you know what you're going to have in advance, it can really help you with those “What do you want for dinner? What are we doing?” conversations. And so you already know “Oh, okay. Tuesday is our taco night.”
It may vary the type of taco, but you kind of have a plan in place, so you're less likely to also go out to eat or stop by fast food as well. If you have an idea of what you're going to be eating for the week, it can help you out all around.
Jessica Quindlen: That's [00:07:00] great. So Pam, are there strategies for incorporating seasonal and local produce into meal planning for additional savings?
Pam Jones: Oh, absolutely. I think one of the things that's most unique about Colorado is the amount of fresh produce that we actually produce. If you go to the far north of our state or even south, you're going to find farm stands. So sometimes shopping outside of the grocery store might be a wise idea.
And I think for seasonal produce, it's really a good one. It's a really fun trip. You go and you can smell the fresh produce. You can see it. You can taste it. You'll find it’s a lot less expensive. You'll try new things that maybe you've never tried before. So that's one of my top picks.
The other thing is when you're shopping in the produce department, look for the ABC label. Which is “Always Buy Colorado.” Those are going to be the freshest items that are going to be coming into the grocery store. So, you'll always want to make sure that you're looking for that label when you're purchasing.
[00:08:00] Another thing that I suggest is, you know, when things are not in season, but you still want to make them, don't be afraid to buy frozen foods. Frozen fruits and vegetables can save you a lot of money. And from a nutritional standpoint, they're one of the highest nutrient items that is sold in a grocery store. So, don't be afraid to look at those.
The last thing I would say about seasonal is buyer beware though. You can go to these side stands on, like, you'll see them set up on the side of a road. Those items are sometimes just purchased from the grocery store. Or they might be purchased from a warehouse.
And, say for instance, a large grocery chain rejected the load because it wasn't quality produce, well it may be sold on the side of a road. So, do be a little bit cautious when you're looking at those types of stands.
Jessica Quindlen: That's good to know. Pam, are there certain sections or marketing tactics in grocery stores that people should be mindful of to prevent overspending?
Pam Jones: Absolutely. [00:09:00] From a nutrition and spending point, I always suggest that everybody buys block cheese instead of shredded cheese.
Laura Straub: Same.
Pam Jones: Yeah, I mean, it contains preservatives, anti-caking agents. It doesn't take very long to throw a block of cheese into the food processor, so that's one of the top tips that I always pass on.
Another thing is the front page of an ad for a grocery chain is always going to be your less expensive items. We would call them loss leaders. So, these are items that the grocery chain is actually selling to you for a loss, but it gets you into the store. We may get you in there to buy the strawberries, but we're going to sell you that shortcake for a lot more money and it's going to cost you a lot.
So, that was one of the tips that we always gave to people who are looking to buy less expensive items is shop that front page. And sometimes it's not even a bad idea to shop the front page of each grocery chain. Maybe you [00:10:00] have two or three chains in close proximity, you know, go in and buy those.
Another thing is - one of my favorite topics - is the fresh baked breads. Most vendor items that are sold as bread are actually baked and then frozen and then shipped to the store. Well, if you buy the fresh baked products at any of your local chains, those are items baked fresh in store daily, so they're never frozen.
They have two or three ingredients opposed to the number of items that could be in the other loaves that have to sit on the shelf, more preservatives. You can buy day old bread, you can turn them into breadcrumbs, you can turn them into stuffing. So, I highly suggest that.
Another thing is you want to look at impulse buys at the check stand, like candy. Those are really expensive. Some of the highest and most expensive items in the store are sold at the check stands, so try to avoid those.[00:11:00]
Then, the other thing is you can look at shopping online and sometimes it does really save you money, but you have to make sure you consider is there a delivery cost? Is there a fee associated with the shopping? Make sure that you use coupons. Make sure that you really evaluate whether or not it's going to save you money.
And then another thing that I always tell people about shopping is if you're only going in there for like eggs and milks, make sure you stay on that horseshoe because if you go down the center aisles, you are going to be more likely to purchase items that you see that are impulse buys.
Laura Straub: Absolutely.
Jessica Quindlen: That's fantastic. Anything else to add to our savings at the grocery store?
Laura Straub: Have fun with meal planning, y'all. It's a game changer. Let me tell you.
Pam Jones: It is. And it's something our family does, you know, as well. And it does absolutely save you money.
Jessica Quindlen: I love that. Well, that brings us to the end of our show. Laura, Pam, thanks so much for being here.
Laura Straub: Thank you.
Pam Jones: Thank [00:12:00] you.
Jessica Quindlen: Thank you for listening to Sound Cents from Ent Credit Union. Be sure to follow our podcast as well as rate and review us. I'm Jessica Quindlen. I will see you next week, same time, same place.
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