How to Save Money on Groceries Without Clipping Coupons

Most people don’t have time to clip coupons to save money on groceries. If you spend an hour clipping coupons, and you save $20, you have to think about whether $20 is worth an hour to you. To some people, $20 is great savings for an hour’s work. To others, wasting that time is like wasting way more money. I don’t think it is a waste of time to clip coupons, but some people feel that way, so this article is for those of you who feel it is a waste of time to clip coupons.

If you haven’t already, you need to figure out which stores will have the best deals on which things. Write out a list of groceries and home supplies that you would normally purchase on an average trip to the grocery store.

Milk, butter, bread, toothpaste, paper towels, meat, cheese, eggs, chips, shampoo, razors, etc. Make the list relevant to your usual shopping experience.

First you need to compare grocery stores. Go to each of the grocery stores and stores like Walmart and Target around your neighborhood and write down how much all of these things cost when they’re not on sale. Figure out which store is the best place to buy milk and which store is the best place to buy paper towels, etc.

Around my house, I buy most grocery items like vegetables, fruits, meat, and milk at Vons because that is the cheapest grocery store. Albertson’s is too expensive. Albertson’s may sometimes have things that are cheaper, but on average, I save more money at Vons. I buy things like soap, cereal, chips, cream cheese, and canned items at Walmart. As for the things I can’t find at Walmart, I go to Target. We don’t have Super Walmarts in my county, so the items are limited.

Find the stores that are right for you for the specific items and brands you prefer to purchase.

Another great choice for produce are stores like Henry’s. They are usually cheaper than grocery stores like Vons. But again, I don’t have one close by, so I go to Vons. If you do have a store like Henry’s near you, check that out when you want to buy fruits and vegetables.

When you do decide which main grocery store you prefer (like Vons), do look at the ad you get in the mail for that store. Yes, there are coupons in there that you may actually want to use, and it only takes about 5 minutes to scan one grocery store’s ad paper. This way you are not spending an hour or so clipping coupons, but you are maximizing on savings while also maximizing your time. Sometimes the regular grocery store will have a sale and a coupon on an item, making it even cheaper than what you’d normally pay for that same item at some place like Walmart.

I spend about 5-10 minutes a week deciding where to go to get what. Other than that, I have learned over the years from experience and simply taking mental notes of how much things cost at all the different stores.

Happy Savings!