Save on Groceries by Shopping on the Right Day

When do you normally do your grocery shopping? Friday, because it is payday? Saturday, so you don't have to take all the kids? There are lots of reasons to pick what day we go shopping. Have you ever considered what days could save you money?

How can a different day save you money? The stores know that most people shop on the weekends, and they stock accordingly. What happens to items, like meat, that didn't get sold? They get marked down as the sell by date approaches, usually around the middle of the week.

Meat at my local stores is marked down 30%. The meat is perfectly fine to use soon or stick in the freezer for later. I rarely buy meat that isn't marked down. I will buy what is marked down, stock up the freezer and plan my meals accordingly.

Meat is by far the largest area that you can save money on groceries by changing your shopping day. Other departments to look for mark downs midweek: bakery, dairy, and produce. I usually don't shop the store bakery, but when items are marked down 40%, I do. A large loaf of French bread is $0.75. I may be able to make it for that, but for $0.75, it is worth the time savings to me. The day old French bread also makes great pizzas.

There are less dairy items marked down, but you can sometimes find them. Mostly, I see the higher end (organic and the like) dairy marked down. You can freeze milk, but other dairy can be trickier to store. Before you buy, just make sure you will be able to use it. It isn't a bargain if it ends up in the trash.

Produce also doesn't not get marked down as frequently. Bananas sometimes are marked down. Great if you want to freeze some for baking later. Also, the cut fruit, like watermelon and mixed fruit, will get mark downs.

We also save big on bread by shopping the right day. Our local bread thrift store runs manager specials on Wednesdays. Selected types of bread are $0.25 a loaf. I can't make it for that. We typically stock our freezer every other week.

What day is the best day to save money? That depends. I find Wednesdays here usually are good, but I have also found deals on Tuesday and Thursday. There is usually a larger selection in the morning.

Keep your eyes open for the mark downs. There aren't big signs for these, like a sale. Look for stickers (often yellow) on the packaging. Once you know what you are looking for, it is easy to walk down the meat row and pick out the marked down items. My kids are trained to look for the mark down stickers, and often point them out to me.

To find what works best for you, experiment a little. You probably could even ask someone in the meat department when meat typically gets marked down. For a few weeks, try shopping on different days and at different times. Some weeks there are more mark downs than others so don't get discouraged if you don't find much the first time.

Shopping on the right days can save you money. I encourage you to try it and let us know what you find.

For more frugal tips visit Frugal Fridays.