Save Money on Groceries: Tips from a Grocery Worker

If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to save money. The category that can really eat up your budget is food. I’ve been working in the grocery industry for over 4 yours now, so I thought it might be helpful if I shared some of the tips and tricks on cutting grocery costs I’ve picked up over the years. I’ve seen a lot of posts about how to save money on groceries, but I’m hoping that my unique perspective will teach you something new! These tips will help you make the most of your grocery budget and keep you thriving!

For more ideas on how to save money on groceries, check out my post How I Eat Inexpensively as a Vegetarian!

How to Save Money on Groceries: 10 Tips from a Grocery Store Employee

1. Look for the discount section

Almost every grocery store, even the big chains, has some system of discounting the products that are close to their expiration dates. They may have a separate section for all the products or put half off stickers to discount items and leave them on their respective shelves. Some stores repackage their old produce that usually sells by the pound and sell it for a flat rate. Stores with their own bakeries will usually have a special section for discounted baked goods. Make a point to figure out your favourite stores’ discounting systems. If you know the system, you may even be able to ask the staff to discount items for you that are close dated and haven’t been marked down yet.

2. Watch for case lot sales

A case lot sale is when a store will sell flats of certain products at a discounted bulk price. The sale might also include large sizes of products, like 2kg peanut butter tubs. Ask around and find out if any stores near you offer case lot sales. The store where I work generally has one every 3-4 months. This is a good time to stock up on canned goods, like beans and soups. If you don’t think you’ll use an entire flat of something, find a friend who wants to split it.

3. Stock up on staples during the holidays

Certain items are almost guaranteed to go on sale every year during holidays. During Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, all the items for a typical western holiday meal go on sale. This will include things like gravy mix, boxed mash potatoes, stuffing mix, soup broths, and canned cranberries. You’ll also see vegetables like yams, potatoes and Brussel sprouts for a really good price. If any of those holiday items is something you use year-round, now is your time to stock up! You’ll be able to plan how much you need to buy because you know that the items are guaranteed to be on sale again for the next holiday.

4. Check for daily specials

Not all the best deals are part of a store’s weekly specials. Some stores also have daily specials that can be an even greater deal than the weekly specials. Where I work, each day of the week has a special sale item that rotates every few months. For example, every Tuesday for 3 months potatoes will be $1.97 for a 3lb bag. Each other day will have something different. If one of those 7 things is something I use regularly, I can buy my week’s supply on sale once a week.

5. Utilize vendor coupons to their full potential

When you see a coupon stuck on an item, it doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be used for that specific product. Often those coupons are stuck on the items by brand representative after they’re already on the store shelf. If you read the coupon carefully, it should tell you the range of products it can be use on. It will also tell you its expiration date. For example, let’s say there is a $1 off coupon on a box of cereal. Reading the coupon, we find out it can be used on any cereal made by that company. We also find out that it expires in 2 months. Now we know that we can hang on to the coupon until we see our favourite cereal by that company go on sale. This will get us an even better deal on that product!

Coupons are not nearly as big of a thing in Canada as they are in the United States, but they can still help a lot! If you want to learn more, I recommend checking out this guide on couponing in Canada written by Brittany Wright on Yummy Mummy Club.

6. Create a list based on the sales in the flyer (Preferably before you leave the house)

Plan your meals around the flyers from your local store before hand. A common shopping mistake I see is that people plan their meals first, and then look around the store for the cheapest options for those meals. Often key ingredients won’t be on sale at all and you’ll end up spending the money anyway because you don’t want to change your plans. A much better way to budget is to create your menu based on the deals you find. Flyers are usually available a few days before the start of a sale so you can plan ahead.

7. Not all the sales will be in the advertised flyer

Even after you’ve looked through a store’s flyer, it is still worth checking the prices of all your favourite items. Flyers are usually consistent over a whole chain of stores and don’t show sales that are specific to an individual store. Often store managers will choose to put items in their store on a manager’s special. They do this if they have a large amount of a certain item or if they’ve gotten a special deal from a product vendor.

8. Always compare the price per pound for bagged vs. bulk vegetables

One of the most common grocery shopping mistakes I see concerns bulk produce items. Sometimes people prefer bulk produce because they can buy smaller amounts, but it is important to check that the price is justifiable. A common item I see people make mistakes with is bell peppers. Bell peppers can be really expensive per pound. A bag of 5-6 bell peppers goes on sale regularly for about $4.99. Sometimes when the bagged peppers are on sale, I will ring through someone buying 2 bell peppers and they will come out to be even more expensive than an entire bag! This also happens quite commonly with potatoes. In cases like this, always go for the bag. If you don’t think you will use it all before it spoils, share it with a friend or neighbour.

This mistake also goes the other way as well. Sometimes bulk items can be cheaper than their bagged alternatives, especially when you take quality into account. For example, when you select your own apples, you get to pick the best quality ones, whereas when you buy them pre bagged, you may end up throwing a few bruised ones away.

9. Know what a good price is for your staple items so you can stock up when you see it

Not all sales are created equally. It’s a good idea to know the difference between a great sale and just an okay sale when it comes to the items you use most frequently. That way you wont accidentally stock up on something only to see it cheaper a week later.

10. Ask for a rain check when sale items are sold out

If you ever go to a store hoping to stock up on a great sale item and it’s out of stock, ask if the store will offer you a rain check. A rain check is when the store gives you a slip that allows you to buy an item for a sale price even after the sale has ended. The rain check will usually specify the price, how many of the item you use it for, and when it expires. Usually a rain check will be good for about 2 weeks after the sale ends. Every store will have their own rules for what products are and aren’t allowed rain checks so it’s always good to ask even if you aren’t sure if a product qualifies.  

For more ideas on how to save money on groceries, check out my post How I Eat Inexpensively as a Vegetarian!

I hope these tips help you go from surviving on a budget to thriving on a budget!

I’d love to know what you do to save money on groceries. Grocery shopping can be a lot different from place to place, so I’m sure it will be helpful for others to learn what works best where different people are from.

Comment you grocery budgeting tips below!