How to Beat Price Increases at the Supermarket
Inflationary pressures like supply shortages, truck and driver shortages and an overall sluggish return to the way things were before the pandemic have driven up prices across almost all sectors, including grocery stores.
See: Supermarket Chain Owner Warns of Spike in Grocery Costs Through October
Find: 16 Ways to Save Money on Food Now That Prices Are Rising
Here are some tips for saving on groceries while you wait for prices to cool off.
Save With Supermarket and Coupon Apps
Traditional couponing might not yield you the same amount of savings as it once did. Most grocery stores now have their own apps that download the most recent — and largest — coupons directly to your phone.
There are also proprietary apps that do the couponing for you. Ibotta, for example, can earn you cash back on a variety of different stores, including chains like Kroger, Food Lion, Walmart and Target. You can also use it at Walgreens and Amazon.com for non-grocery purchases. The app scans offers for you from the stores you want to shop, and you can link your own supermarket’s loyalty card to the app. When you buy a product with a cash-back offer, the cash will just show up in your linked PayPal or Venmo account.
Another app, SnipSnap, allows you to search online for coupons and download them individually to your phone, eliminating the need for a stack of coupons.
See: Never Miss Another Deal — 11 Best Coupon Apps
Find: 10 Coupon Hacks to Make the Most of Your Savings
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk can save you money on nonperishable products you always need to have on hand. Keeping a rolling inventory for these constant, easy-to-store items will ensure you always get them at a discount.
Mind the Cycle
Supermarkets typically rotate sale items from week to week, cycling through products within a particular category about every six to eight weeks, according to several popular shopping blogs. One week Tostitos might be on sale, for example, and the next week Lay’s, and then through other brands and back to Tostitos. Keep track of your store’s sales cycle so you know when to restock your favorites at the lowest possible price.
One big tip and rule of thumb for grocery shopping — don’t shop on Sundays, which have some of the heaviest foot traffic. Save shopping for mid-week — perhaps the day your store’s weekly sales begin — when fewer people are in the stores.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How to Beat Price Increases at the Supermarket
