Learning to Grocery Shop with a Senior Citizen Can Save You Money

I thought that I knew everything that I needed to know about grocery shopping. That was until I was asked to take one person shopping, a person who can't drive anymore. I learned a lot.

First my friend told me that he didn't want to go until about an hour after lunch. He told me that we would go to three different stores. I laughed and told him that he could get what he needed by just going to one store. Still, because I had volunteered, I would do what he asked.

Why one hour after lunch I asked? " For two three reasons," he said. First you won't be hungry. Hunger affects your common sense buying habits he told me. If you shop before lunch, you do two things. You buy things that you don't need and second, you will start thinking about lunch at McDonald's or some other fast food restaurant. The third thing is that not as many people shop after lunch. You don't have to contend with the crowds in the store. He then told me this would be a big advantage when we visit one of the other stores.

I thought to myself. It is just as well for me to buy some things, too. So I gathered up some coupons, grabbed my list, and went to pick him up. When we arrived at the store, we each got our own cart and started to shop. He carried a small list, a calculator, and no coupons of any type. When we went down the cereal isle, I quickly grabbed my favorite box of cereal and promptly displayed my 50 cent off coupon. He laughed and picked up a box of oatmeal. "Did you ever look at the contents on that box and how many servings you get?" he asked. He got more servings in his box than I did with my large box. To make matters worst, his was $1.69 cheaper.

Coupons do give you so money off. However, the item(s) are marked up so high, that there really isn't any savings. "Where did you get your coupons?", he asked me. I told him that I got them out of the newspaper. Some coupons are so suggestive that they put a thought in your head about a certain meal to buy and at a cheaper price. As long as they sell that item, that is all that matters to them.

The colorful cereal boxes with free toys are to attract children. Did you ever notice that they are at the eye level of children? He suggested buying generic food whenever you can. You get the same thing at a cheaper cost. If you don't like it, then get something different next time you shop. He then told me that when you buy produce always look for bruises and blemishes before you buy. Many times the worst is put at the back or underneath. Produce that isn't wrapped is your best buy. They are also fresher. Sometimes you can bargain with the clerk if they look bad enough. The same is true with meat. Always check the date on the meat you purchase. He told me that prices on meat at a Deli are higher than packaged meat. It looks attractive enough but, is high to pay for those that cut it and package it for you. The same is true with cheese. Some exotic cheese's are very expensive to make, that is why it is marked high. Cheese will hold it's value longer than meat as well.

After the main grocery store, we stopped at a dollar store. There we bought Spaghetti and sauce, tuna, shampoo, toiletries, detergents, and all paper products. The tuna was 40 cents a can cheaper. Paper products were between 75 cents and dollar in savings. Shampoo went for $1 a bottle. Mouthwash went for $1.75 a bottle. Toothpaste $1 and that for top brand names. We even bought some off brand names canned good vegetables. Coffee was even $2 less than the grocery store and it was for the same brand.

Our final stop was the Farmer's Market. Since it was after 3 pm, there were some fantastic deals on fresh fruit and vegetables. I asked for three pounds of banana's and got 5 pounds for the same price. The reason. It was getting near the end of the day and they didn't want to waste items. Many things that they couldn't sell would go to waste or spoil. Since the market closed at 5 pm, they had to move things quickly or take a loss.

His last bit of advice was to cook your own food whenever you can. Always set a limit on your budget and don't deviate from it. Keep a record of what you spend each time out and compare it to last months list. Use a calculator to make no mistakes. Never be afraid to take something back if it is bad. Many times you will get your money back or a better deal. You can save more money that way. Some of the ideas he gave me I already knew about, however, it was good to be reminded. In the past couple of months, the cost of food as jumped. The time to stay frugal is here. I guess Senior Citizens can still teach us a lot.