Today is Wednesday and Wednesday is Sale Flyer day - a day that makes Janie very, very happy.
Do you voraciously pore over the sale flyers like I do? you don't? well you should be...
Grocery store, marketing agents, manufacturers, packagers are all in a big game against us to make us spend more. Actually they just want to make a profit... but I digress.
I listened to an excellent podcast last night about how more and more these days they are altering packaging in items to make you pay the same price or even more for LESS... And the main tip that was given was "shop the loss leaders - its one of the best ways to never pay retail for groceries" and when you shop the loss leaders buy enough so you don't have to buy again until it goes on sale.
Combine loss leaders with coupons and you are doing even better.
so my tips for grocery sale flyers are:
Loss leaders are generally only on the front page of the ad. I have started saving my time by generally skipping the middles pages. The back pages are generally produce but since I do bountiful baskets now that's no biggie.
I DO NOT go around to multiple stores. If there is a MAJOR deal at one particular store or its BOGO or for a brand only they carry I will maybe make an extra trip.
But... for the most part I price match at Walmart.
tips for price matching:
Supplies you will need:
flyers, big marker, and your coupons and price book (I record in my price book the lowest price I have ever seen an item sell for)
separate the stores you shop from and recycle the unnecessary stuff
this week I got flyers for:
Kroger
CVS
Albertsons
Brookshires
Sprouts
Tom Thumb
(and I check Big Lots and Aldi's online)
Now to prep them for price matching I go through and circle what are good deals, then circle the date of the flyer and write on the front what the deals are.
as I shop I make a pile of the flyers I will need at checkout.
the cashier will want to check the dates of the flyer
tips at checkout:
cashier profile (younger and preferably male) A teenage boy doesn't get as irritated about sale flyer price matching. White haired old ladies who themselves have been price matching for years get annoyed like Alex Trebek does when you don't know the answer right away.
If I am price matching a long list of items I do warn those getting in line behind me
I put the items that need to be price matched in in the back of all of my other groceries and I have my flyers folded neatly and ready to go.
I keep track of how many of each item I am purchasing, Especially if I am buying A LOT.
It goes like this I tell the cashier "I am buying 12 frozen pizzas, price matched at .79 cents each, here is the flyer, I circled it and the date"
Then watch your grocery prices drop... its lovely.
other tips:
KEEP YOUR FLYERS WITH YOU ALL THE TIME. Put them in your car. I can't tell you how many times something I didn't intend on purchasing all of sudden was needed when I didn't have the flyers. Or if you have to run in and get something last minute, stock up on the sale again. Some popular price match items sell out fast and often.
and now for the fine print :
Walmart will not match BOGO products, Buy one item get a different item free, or percentage off sales. They also don’t honor double or triple coupon ads, or any ad that is misprinted.
to be perfectly honest I hadn't remembered that before and they did price match 2/5.00 cereal, I just said those cereals are 2.50 each.. oops I may have cheated.
they have also matched store "coupons" for me that were in the sale flyer and they have been lenient on the "limit" so if the store ad limits 2, walmart generally honors the price match for more
and I have substituted items when they were sold out, but this warranted a manager coming over.
REMEMBER to be careful about thinking all deals in the flyers are deals. THEY ARE NOT, some are plain ol regular prices which can be double the price they were last week. Some things in the flyer are just "for sale" not "on sale" - so beware.
I am working on sharing my price book with you all... stay tuned.
Everyday food storage did an excellent video on this subject HERE
Want someone to do the flyer work for you?
go to Deals to Meals and they will do the flyer work and tell you where the best deals are.
Don't get flyers? call the newspaper and ask.
Making a quick trip somewhere - grab the flyer at the front door, and check it out - you may be walking by a deal all the time.
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