Melanie_Alnwick's Blog

I stopped clipping coupons long ago.   Sure, it had something to do with having two toddlers and no time to pore through the Sunday paper, scissors in hand.   But I also found that it took me twice as long to shop with coupons... trying to decide which coupon with which product was a better deal.   Now, we're all dealing with sticker shock at the checkout stand -- so many people are changing the way they shop.

To cut your grocery budget the most, you have to be willing to go to another store.  Consumers Checkbook says that Shoppers Food Warehouse has consistently lower prices, by about 10%, than Giant or Safeway.    Surprisingly, it also found that Wegman's had really good prices on the staple foods... but that's because they put a really high profit margin on their prepared and convenience items.    

I do like the convenience of online shopping, but I'm sure there's a better deal in the aisle that I'm missing.   I also find that when I'm shopping online, I stick to my list, which is good for me since I'm a terrible impulse buyer.  Last weekend I compared online shopping sites..and did find that Peapod was about $10. cheaper than Safeway.com. 

I'd love to hear how you're cutting back on grocery costs... you can also see more grocery saving tips in our story... and on our web links.