**********************************************************************************
July 16, 2019
Beware of the Bulk!
**My thoughts on buying items in bulk and shopping at wholesale clubs such as BJ's, Sam's and Costco. **
Everyone knows the saying “bigger is better”, and often when it comes to shopping, getting more product for less money is always seen as a good deal. This leads me to the question “Is buying in bulk always the best choice?” In my opinion, the answer to this question is “it depends”. It depends on your living situation, your household size, the products you are buying and where you are buying it from.
There are several wholesale stores that claim to offer the “get more, pay less” option, but I have found in my experience that this is not always the case. In my case, I am a household of 1 (just me!) so therefore buying many perishable items in bulk would end up costing me more money in the long run due to waste. If an item has a long shelf life (such as some canned goods) then bulk could be beneficial, but otherwise buying as needed or catching a good stock up sale at the grocery store would better meet my needs. This is something everyone should consider before stocking up at the large wholesale stores. Questions such as “Will my household really use these products before they expire?” or “do I really need 60 rolls of toilet paper at a time?” (For a family with kids, the answers could be a legit yes!)
Another thing I’ve noticed is that sometimes you can catch better deals in a standard grocery store or other stores that carry groceries such as Target and Wal-mart. Once, I considered buying a bulk pack of Cottonelle wipes from BJ’s (a wholesale store if you’re not familiar with it), and decided to wait. I had to swing by Giant for a couple of regular grocery items and I found the same bulk package of Cottonelle wipes in Giant for a lower price than they were in BJ’s. This situation is actually what inspired this particular post. I started to wonder how many other items I had purchased in bulk thinking I was getting a good deal, that may not have been as good of a deal as it seemed.
Often times, grocery stores have “stock up and save” sales where you get discounts for buying a certain number of items or you may even get additional items free. This is an especially popular type of sale during holiday seasons and the start/end of certain seasons (i.e. back to school time). In my area, Food Lion, Giant and Safeway tend to have the buy X get X amount free on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes you can even get more items free than you are required to buy (i.e. Buy 2 get 3 free). Pair these specials with a little couponing and you’ll end up saving more than at a wholesale store!
It’s understandable that the wholesale stores will always have a place in the shopping world because, if nothing else, they offer the convenience of purchasing a majority of your needs in bulk. For a busy parent, or someone who just hates shopping in general, this is an easy way to affordably stock up and limit trips to the store. These stores are also starting to offer more online ordering options, which means you can get your bulk needs delivered to your door or simply do a drive by and have your order loaded in your car without having to enter the store. The only drawback I’ve experienced with the online side of bulk shopping is the shipping fees. If you only need a couple of items and aren’t spending a large amount, you will usually be hit with relatively high shipping fees. Even Amazon’s Prime Now service requires a monthly fee to participate in the service (although it is a 1 time flat fee per month).
Whether you’re a deal hunting couponer or someone who cringes at the thought of going to a store, there’s a shopping environment to meet your needs. So in thinking about the original question, “Is buying in bulk always the best choice?”, the answer truly is “it depends”.
July 10, 2018
In my previous post More Ways to Save, I mentioned using apps on your phone as another method to save money when your shopping. Below are a few apps that I frequently use in order to save money or earn rewards for shopping. All of these apps are FREE to use and can be downloaded from your smartphone app store.
Ibotta - This is one of my favorite apps to use while shopping! Ibotta offers rebates for buying specific items at certain stores. Ibotta also offers referral bonuses (usually $5 for every friend you get to sign up and redeem one of the offers). Adding friends builds your “team” and can help you earn bonuses faster.
To use:
Ebates - This is another cash back app. Ebates offers you a rebate of a set percentage of your total purchase. You can use it for in-store and online shopping, however, the rebates tend to be higher for online purchases. Ebates will send you a check in the mail for your rebate amount when you are ready to cash out. Ebates also offers a sign-up bonus (currently $10) for new users and referral bonuses.
Cartwheel - This app is available within the Target app. At one time it was a separate app, but the two have now combined. This app is exclusively for Target and offers discounts on specific items. Offers are arranged by categories to make them easy to sift through. To select an offer, tap the plus sign. The offer will then appear with a green checkmark to let you know it has been added to you list. It also has some manufacturer coupons and will usually have any weekly store coupon offers. At checkout, the cashier will scan your barcode and the discounts will be applied to your purchase total. Many of the discounts can be combined with manufacturer coupons as well as the 5% Target card discount.
***********************************************************************************
Not quite ready to join the coupon clipping clan? No worries, there are other ways to save that may be easier for those who don’t have the time or patience for clipping coupons or want to take baby steps into the couponing world. For those who are already coupon committed, this list contains more ways to save which can usually be combined with paper coupons!
This is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to save. Most grocery stores have store cards that you can sign up for in order to get discounted or advertised sale prices. The sign up process is simple, free and can usually be done in store or via the store’s website. You can link your phone number to your card which can be helpful if you forgot your card or don’t like having a wallet or purse full of cards.
Many stores have started using digital or e-coupons that customers can link to their store cards for additional savings. In some cases, the digital coupon and the paper manufacturer coupon can be combined (check the stores coupon policies to be sure).
There are a ton of FREE apps available to download on your cell phone that allow you to save money, earn money or be rewarded in some way from your purchases. Many retail and grocery stores also have apps which allow you to add digital coupons to your loyalty card and access a digital copy of your store card for easy checkout. One of my favorite apps is Ibotta, which allows you to earn money back based on the purchase of specific items. A more detailed post on money saving apps is coming soon!
Timing can be everything when shopping for specific items. Certain items will be on sale or at a lower price during specific times of year. For example, Target usually has special offers on household/cleaning supplies during the spring. During the summer months “cookout condiments” such as ketchup, mustard, salad dressings, etc. and meats will be on specials frequently. Take advantage of seasonal sales to stock up on non-perishable or long shelf-life items. Remember that meats can be frozen to use at a later date.
When stores compete, you win! Many major retail stores like Target and Wal-mart will adjust their prices on an item to match their competitor. This is especially true for larger electronic purchases such as gaming systems, computers, and tvs. Just be sure to have a copy of the sales paper that shows the competitor’s price and that the items are the same brand/model. Grocery stores will usually accept coupons from their competitor (i.e. a $10 off $50 purchase coupon).
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Often times, grocery stores have “stock up and save” sales where you get discounts for buying a certain number of items or you may even get additional items free. This is an especially popular type of sale during holiday seasons and the start/end of certain seasons (i.e. back to school time). In my area, Food Lion, Giant and Safeway tend to have the buy X get X amount free on a pretty regular basis. Sometimes you can even get more items free than you are required to buy (i.e. Buy 2 get 3 free). Pair these specials with a little couponing and you’ll end up saving more than at a wholesale store!
It’s understandable that the wholesale stores will always have a place in the shopping world because, if nothing else, they offer the convenience of purchasing a majority of your needs in bulk. For a busy parent, or someone who just hates shopping in general, this is an easy way to affordably stock up and limit trips to the store. These stores are also starting to offer more online ordering options, which means you can get your bulk needs delivered to your door or simply do a drive by and have your order loaded in your car without having to enter the store. The only drawback I’ve experienced with the online side of bulk shopping is the shipping fees. If you only need a couple of items and aren’t spending a large amount, you will usually be hit with relatively high shipping fees. Even Amazon’s Prime Now service requires a monthly fee to participate in the service (although it is a 1 time flat fee per month).
July 10, 2018
Money Making Apps
In my previous post More Ways to Save, I mentioned using apps on your phone as another method to save money when your shopping. Below are a few apps that I frequently use in order to save money or earn rewards for shopping. All of these apps are FREE to use and can be downloaded from your smartphone app store.
Ibotta - This is one of my favorite apps to use while shopping! Ibotta offers rebates for buying specific items at certain stores. Ibotta also offers referral bonuses (usually $5 for every friend you get to sign up and redeem one of the offers). Adding friends builds your “team” and can help you earn bonuses faster.
To use:
- Select a store or online retailer (many common grocery and retail stores are included) and then select the offers you will be redeeming.
- Upload your receipt (with Wal-mart you scan the QR code) to the app and it identifies the deals you used. Usually within minutes your Ibotta account will be credited with your rebate amounts.
- A minimum of $20 is required to cash out and select an e-gift card from a retailer or transfer the money to your Paypal or Venmo accounts.
- You can combine your ibotta rebates with other coupon offers so it’s a great way to double up on savings!
- Ibotta usually offers additional bonuses for redeeming a certain amount of rebates in a time frame or buying a certain number of items from a brand
Ebates - This is another cash back app. Ebates offers you a rebate of a set percentage of your total purchase. You can use it for in-store and online shopping, however, the rebates tend to be higher for online purchases. Ebates will send you a check in the mail for your rebate amount when you are ready to cash out. Ebates also offers a sign-up bonus (currently $10) for new users and referral bonuses.
Cartwheel - This app is available within the Target app. At one time it was a separate app, but the two have now combined. This app is exclusively for Target and offers discounts on specific items. Offers are arranged by categories to make them easy to sift through. To select an offer, tap the plus sign. The offer will then appear with a green checkmark to let you know it has been added to you list. It also has some manufacturer coupons and will usually have any weekly store coupon offers. At checkout, the cashier will scan your barcode and the discounts will be applied to your purchase total. Many of the discounts can be combined with manufacturer coupons as well as the 5% Target card discount.
 |
| Target Cartwheel App |
***********************************************************************************
July 2, 2018
More Ways to Save
1. Sign-up for a customer loyalty card
 |
| Harris Teeter grocery store customer loyalty card |
2. Go digital!
 |
| Food Lion digital coupons |
3. Add apps
4. Timing
5. Use store competition to your advantage
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Tips for Successful Couponing
1. Plan Ahead
- Make a list with the items you plan to purchase, their prices and the coupons you will be using with them (this is especially helpful when budgeting)
- Use a Ziploc bag or create a special section in your coupon file for the day’s trip – this will make your coupons easy to access while shopping and at checkout
- Make sure you have any store rewards cards with you
2. Know your Store’s Coupon Policies
- Stores vary in how many coupons can be used in a transaction, especially during special sales (i.e. Harris Teeter’s super double coupon days) and also how many “like” coupons can be used per transaction
- Some stores double coupon values up to a certain amount and others only take the coupon at face value
- Some stores allowing “stacking” of coupons (i.e. using a digital coupon and a paper coupon)
3. Know when sales start and end
- The start and end dates for sales/promotions vary by store (i.e. Food Lion’s sales run from Wednesday until Tuesday of the following week, while Safeway runs from Friday- Thursday of the following week)
- This is helpful when planning trips for multiple stores
4. Research all available sources of coupons & discounts available
- Some stores have digital coupons that can be added to your reward card or applied to your purchase in combination with your paper coupons (i.e. Cartwheel app for Target)
5. Watch the Screen
- Pay attention to the register screen at checkout to make sure items are ringing up at their advertised price, digital coupons are being applied and that paper coupons are scanning correctly
6. Be PATIENT!!
- Couponing requires time and energy, but as you become more familiar with the process, things will become more seamless
- Even the most prepared couponer will experience a hiccup every now and again (prices not aligning, items out of stock, register crashes, etc.) You will live to coupon another day! ☺
No comments:
Post a Comment