Every week I go to the grocery store and wince at the register. Beef, dairy, and produce prices seem to spike weekly. Our summer festivities are grilling, but let’s face it, Backyard barbeques are more expensive than ever says MarketWatch!
How can we save money at the grocery store and still grill? Fourth of July is Friday; for many of us, that means firing up the grill. Erin Chase, a Consumer Shopping Expert from Savings.com, and the $5 Dollar Dinner Mom offer tips to keep us celebrating at the grill!
Shop tomorrow! –
Wednesday is the day most stores begin their weekly discount and coupon promotions. Avid couponers will hit the stores as soon as the circulars are available that day and stock up on items that are the best deal, limiting quantities of items with the best sale prices.
Your phone’s secret savings weapon –
Download the free Favado grocery-savings app to review the sales at your local store before going shopping. You can create a grocery list to continually track the best deals on your favorite items and brands and locate coupons for additional savings at the check-out counter…all on your phone.
Here is a quick video showing how Favado helps shoppers stop overspending
Stock up and freeze –
when you say a great deal at the store, stock up with enough items to last the next few weeks and freeze. Items like meat and dairy freeze very well; many people do not know they can freeze dairy products like milk or shredded cheese. When milk is on sale, pick up an extra gallon and write a meal plan with ‘milk heavy’ meals such as muffins and cookies, perfect for a July 4th dessert display.
Recipe tip: Freeze milk in ice cube trays to drop into smoothies to add a touch of creaminess and surprise guests with a new twist.
End of the day meat sales –
Nearly all stores will have specials on their meats in July, with people eager to enjoy a grilled dinner outdoors, so the competitive price game begins on everyone’s favorites, from ribs to steaks to chicken breast. For meat, the best time to buy is at the end of the day – if the meat department is concerned about having too much stock left over, they will often reduce the price by up to 50 percent to encourage quick sales.