Grocery Sale Ads and Coupons: Financial Blessing or Burden?

by Cheryl Hackett, Moms In Need of Mercy

I would love to interview Caroline Ingalls (of Little House on the Prairie) about the way she shopped for her family's food.  (Granted she grew most of their food and Mr. Ingalls hunted for the meat). Whenever I watch episodes of Little House, I see her stretching what she has on hand, and only buying the bare necessities—the staples—from Olsen’s mercantile I can’t see her getting sucked into any clever specials: buy 5 pounds of sugar, get one pound free. Maybe she would take advantage of the deal if she needed the item and had the money to buy it, but maybe she would say she only needed one pound of sugar and that was that.

We all grocery shop, and many of us pride ourselves on how much we can save. Smart shopping strategies teach the importance of watching the grocery store sale ads and taking advantage of the loss-leaders, those items that the store sells below cost to get you in the door and spend more on other items. Several months ago, though, I started wondering if I spend more in the long run by paying such close attention to the sale ads (and coupons available online) and shopping by them. Sure I save lots of money, but would I save more if I paid little attention to the ads and coupons and just bought only what I absolutely needed at the time--even if it meant paying the going price for it (or buying it, and only it, when it’s on sale)?

The grocery stores are brilliant at devising clever marketing schemes that get you in the door for a loss-leader item that you often have to purchase several of (or mix and match) to get the savings. These smart campaigns get you to pay more upfront under the guise of saving. You are saving, but you are also spending more than you would have originally.

For example, the Smiths (Kroger) mega deals where you have to buy a combination of 10 items always suck me in. Buy 10, save 50-cents more off the price. Combine that price with a coupon, and you save even more. I can buy Nature Valley Granola bars and cereal for about .50/box. The other day I bought canned tomatoes for .50 each, and evaporated milk for .24 cents a can, which I know were great deals. But I also bought 10 cans of tomatoes, 6 cans of evaporated milk and 4 other participating items to get the deal. I will use, but did not need at the time, 10 cans of tomatoes, 6 cans of milk and the other items—so essentially I spent more than I would have if I was only shopping based on current need.

Another example—Safeway had pineapple on sale for 1.99. I had three .75 off- coupons, which Safeway will double up to $1. So I was able to buy three pineapples for .99 each. A great deal on pineapple, right? But I still spent $3 (plus $25 more on other “great values” in the store that we will use), when I could have passed it all up and spent $0.

To weigh in on this, I asked Brandy of The Prudent Homemaker to lend her thoughts and experience. She has gone months without going to the grocery store—and in case you’re wondering what her family eats, take a look at her menus--they’re quite gourmet!

Here's Brandy!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I stopped looking at the ads and stopped going to the store completely, it didn't matter if there were good deals out there. I didn't have the money to spend. It's not a good deal if you have to put your groceries on a credit card--and then can't pay the credit card, either. Our income stopped completely, and the savings that we had ran out. I used what savings we did have to pay the mortgage, electric, water, gas, etc. By not buying food, that money went further. When that was gone, that was gone, and then there was nothing left for the utility bills or the mortgage, let alone for groceries.

When you come to that point, it's not a matter of saving money; it's a matter of not spending.

I need to make the money I do have to spend go as far as possible. So, how do I do that?

I need to buy things when they are at rock-bottom prices. When you're first building up a stockpile, you may not be able to get as many [items] as you would like, because you need to spend some of your money on other food for the week/month. Buy as many as you can. My goal is to never spend more than the lowest price for things. By doing this, I can buy more food.

Now, your question:

“Smith's has diced tomatoes on their mega sale this week for .50/can. But while I'm there, I'm sure I will pick up a "few other things" that are also on "such a great sale" with my coupons too. But do I really need tomatoes? No. So would it be better to ignore this advertised deal and stay home? That would mean when I do need tomatoes again, I will have to buy them at their full price (perhaps), which means spending more later even though I am saving money now by not going to the store.”

If I were you, and I needed tomatoes, AND I coupons for them too, then I would get them…Maybe you can only get 5 cans. So, get those 5. It's a start, and a good stewardship of your money.

If you need tomatoes again, then you buy them only when they're really low. Refuse to pay more than the lowest price.  Eat another meal that doesn't require tomatoes, if need be.

As far as picking up a few other "good deals" when you're there--that's a matter of self-discipline.  Can your budget afford it? Can you afford 2 loaves of bread while you're there, or do you need to make homemade bread this week because the money you're spending on tomatoes is the last of your budget for the month/week? Don't spend more than you have. Find a way to make it work within your budget.

If you really feel that you have more than you need, then consider taking a month off of shopping, and eat from your pantry.  Put the money you would have used towards debt, in savings, to buy something your family has been needing, or take the whole thing and give it to a charity that can help feed others. You can also use it to purchase some bulk food (say, wheat and a wheat grinder, for example).
--------------------------

Thanks Brandy! Another excellent point about stocking up at rock-bottom prices and then using what’s in your pantry is, as Brandy says, “I can make some well-balanced meals from what I have without going to the store if we can't. We'll have food to eat, and a roof over our heads…And [depending on where you live] I wouldn't have to worry about being stuck inside during storms, or needing to go to the store for milk when there's snow that hasn't been cleared, or when there's an ice storm, etc.”

November is the month to stock up on turkeys, potatoes (I just bought 10 pounds for .99), cream soups (some Wal-Mart stores reportedly have them for .58/can right now), and celery.

In closing, I do think it is helpful to look at the ads, and use coupons if you can to maximize your savings even more. For example, our Safeway has Gold Medal flour for $1.50 for a 5lb. bag. I have a .50 off coupon, which Safeway will double. I would be silly not to go buy flour for .50 for a 5lb. bag.

The point I am coming to realize, though, and what I am trying to say in this post, is that I should be better about ignoring the other sales that actually make me spend more than I truly need to. This week, all I really need is more milk, bread (or make my own) and some cheese. I will buy the flour because it's the lowest price I'll probably ever see it at for a long time (and I use lots of flour). Buying only these items would cost me about $10. But going to the Smith's mega-event and shelling out for 10 participating items--even though I'll use them later--will cost me much more. And I don't need any of those items at the current time. So for me, it would be most frugal to stick to what I truly need. That's what we're aiming for, after all, as money-wise women: stretching our dollars as far they will go.

Cheryl Hackett--a former broadcast news anchor turned full-time mom--writes Moms In Need of Mercy, a blog aimed at providing practical help and encouragement for women in the areas of homemaking, parenting, marriage, saving money, and finding beauty in everyday (and often messy) moments with kids.

Comments

[health leads]

I noticed how much everything has went up at the grocery store lately, even if coupons are a burden along with shopping specials, they are also a neccesity.