5 Ways Sales Ads Can Make or Break Your Grocery Budget

Ads have a dubious reputation for getting people to spend more money, but they can also help shoppers stay on budget. Use these simple tips to avoid common budget busters while making the grocery ads work for you.

Bundle Bargains
Ten for $10 sales and the like can wreck your budget by enticing you to buy a larger quantity. Before deciding whether to load your cart or skip the sale altogether, check to see if the store honors the sale price on smaller quantities. Unless it is some type of instant rebate or rewards deal, grocery stores usually do not require a bundled purchase.

Drug store pricing varies, but be careful of caveats, such as two for $5 or one for $2.99. In that case, shoppers have to buy the specified quantity to receive the discount.

Sales Circular Coupons
Despite being a careful shopper, ad coupons are my weakness--especially at the drug store. These particular coupons appear throughout the ad and are necessary to get the sale price.

Perusing the ad and tearing out coupons in the store is a bit cumbersome. If possible, I like to clip the ad coupons at home.

Forgetting to use these coupons can really blow the budget because there is often a big difference between the regular and discounted price. I make a note on my shopping list and attach the coupons with a binder clip so I remember to use them.

Faux Sales
Sales circulars tempt thrifty shoppers by featuring new and novel items alongside sale products. Pay attention to prices and look for mention of a dollar or percentage off the original price. Otherwise, the products may not be on sale at all.

Purchase Minimums and Sale Limits
Some sale items, particularly beverages, require a minimum purchase amount for the sale price to apply. Stores often limit the hottest buys, such as discount meat. Both of these policies can cause you to overspend because the computerized cash register systems can quietly apply the full price if you fail to meet the purchase minimum or exceed the sale limit.

Watch for asterisks in the sales ads or extra wording on the shelf tags because these usually indicate additional restrictions.

Price Matching
Some retailers, including Wal-Mart, will match a competitor's current advertised price. Policies vary and some stores, such as Target, do not price match sales that require a loyalty card. Visit the store's website for complete details.

Price matching can make a big difference by allowing you to get the cheapest grocery prices in one stop instead of using extra time and fuel shopping at multiple stores. The best bargains are usually on the front and back covers of the ads, making it easy for bargain shoppers to scour the sales circulars for good deals. Remember to bring the ads to the store so you know the exact item to price match.