I try to make it a habit to check the weekly store ads online before going out to shop for groceries. This way I can check the places I most frequently shop at to see if any of the things I regularly purchase are on sale and plan accordingly. I'm learning to do this with non-grocery places as well. There are often specials listed online that don't appear in the regular circular found in the store. Do you shop what's on sale or just buy what you want?
Yes, immediately upon entering a store I check to see if they have a flyer, I look over the counter to see if they are advertising anything. Only recently have I begun to do this online. Sometimes there are online offers that are not advertised on paper. Its very easy with search engines now to quickly type in what you want and see who is offering the better sale. Many stores will now give you the competitive price if you bring it to their attention. This can be helpful to you if you have a card that earns points and you would rather buy it at the store of your choice but are in a position to find it cheaper elsewhere.
I always check online for weekly and weekend specials and then plan my grocery shopping around it. I also check to see what I need and if anywhere has any specials. The flyers are good as you can see at a glance what is on offer each week. Most stores will price match that week as well, so it's good to know what is on special.
I very rarely check online for promotions these days because most Botswana stores don't seem to do much online So what I do is look out for the promotions flyer as soon as I walk into a store, and also look out for those dotted around the store. We have had to cut right back, so it's especially important for us to take full advantage of all promotions we come across
I have not done much research online for promotions in the stores before I go shopping. It is something I will have to remember to do so that I am getting the best price for my money. I do get the flyers as soon as I go into the store to make sure I get everything I need.
That's a good point about the price matching. I see a lot of that at work where people ask if we will match our major competitor. Many prefer shopping with us so it's great the store will honor the other store's ad. I actually saw something they advertised that we recently had on sale and thought of asking about matching, but I'm trying to not shop for a while, lol.
I don't do a lot of research for the grocery shopping; I'll just look to see what's on sale at the places I shop the most - one store usually does good buy 1 get 1 offers, but if they don't have what I want, I go to the other store. For major stuff, I'll comparison shop online.
Give them time... I think it's good to cut back even if you don't have to just in case something happens. It's hard for most people though, because so many people around the globe live paycheck to paycheck (or worse). Shopping the sales ad first makes a huge difference, especially when you can be disciplined about it.
I never think about asking if the grocery store will price match. That would make my shopping a lot easier. One place I go has better sales, but another place has better selection of the kinds of products that I want. I will have to check to see if the latter will match the former!
I also try to plan my shopping trips as much as possible and I even do it for restaurants sometimes as well. Most of the time I'd check online for the prices first to see how much I could buy with a certain budget or if I should change some things around to get more value for my money. Sometimes I just wing it but if I can I usually try to plan.
That's the best way to do it, I think. You plan ahead and then you don't end up with unnecessary extras that serve to break your budget (and your resolve, lol). You can also plan your menu for the week, which makes food preparation a lot easier.
