Went grocery shopping to day for a family of four. Basically, the whole process started last night, well before we even got in the car. It begins like most traditional family, we make a list of what we need so we're able to keep the visit organized and avoid buying crap. However, my wife and I go well beyond just the list as well.
We take advantage of every discount option and coupon available as well. And it adds up. First, we start with the given grocery store flyer. Sales happen for a variety of reasons, from the store trying to move inventory to marketing pushing produce on given holidays and similar. With this weekend being Labor Day in the U.S., it's another big haul if one's paying attention, especially right after the beginning of the month payroll. So, with those sales identified, we load them up on our phone app for the store. Second, we cull through all our other coupon apps as well. I use 2 big ones that pay well, Fetch and Ibotta. I used to use Coupon Pig but they take forever to pay out. Checkout 51 doesn't have much in coupons anymore, and Rakuten doesn't do hardly anything for groceries now, which is our main consumption cost driver. I also make a point to use a credit card I pay off that gives me a small percentage back on every purchase. It's not much, 1-3% but it adds up over a year. Right now I'm already owed $320+ for 2023.
Once at the store, just because we have coupon, that doesn't mean we buy. There is a huge game going on with products, brand vs. store generic, and fake coupons versus real discounts. First, the store generic brand versus brand name is a big issue. It's a constant fight with the store trying to stay a smidgin' below the brand price. However, what they can't predict is when the brand decides to drop a coupon. So you have to do your math and have your phone calculator handy. Bulk versus individual item adds up too. Bulk buys drop the price on an item by as much as 30% but you need the shelf space at home and you need to be honest with yourself that you will consume the food. Otherwise you lose money on waste as it ages out in your fridge or pantry. Member pricing gives you a big bonus over straight retail, so I have no idea why anyone would sign up as a loyalty member at a store aside from not wanting to be tracked in food-buying. It's literally leaving money on the table.
Fake coupons are a real irritation. This is where the manufacturer gives you a big coupon, enticing you to buy, but the shelf price the coupon applies to has been bumped up, so you're not getting a sale at all. I had this with meat today, a beef discount for $2-5. But the meat prices were all raised for the holiday buying, so it went unused. If you just buy because you have the coupon alone, you can easily be ripped off.
With the food figured out, we go through the store in a specific pattern, grouping together the food types carefully so we're not overbuying. It's really easy to do, and the marketing folks know it with placement and flashing adds that make you think you're saving money with a 2 of 3 price etc. But when you go down the aisle, it turns out to be cheaper with a 4 for 5 deal hidden in the main shelf.
Finally, it's time to pay. We make a point of avoiding buying anything near the cashiers. It's almost always over-priced and designed to get people to buy on impulse. Total paid for the haul ends up being:
Retail: $644.15
Less member savings: 168.72
Less store coupons: 25.52
Net pay at store: $449.91
Less app coupons: 30.75
Net paid for food: $419.16 (35% savings off retail)
Could we have done better? Yes. There are high discount warehouse stores which we could have bought the same at, but they location is high risk and you have to ask yourself if it's worth your vehicle or your life to get a bit more in food savings.
Now, while the above seems like a good result, the fact is, it's still some 30% more than I was paying before 2023 inflation started spiking. I'm already being challenged to avoid paying more than I need to, and it's a sizable bite out of my income. How people who are far more stretched manage is beyond me. It really comes down to literally eating very, very basic diets and highly-processed cheaper food with far less nutritional merit, as well as eating less altogether.
Someone should take a lesson from the history book. Societies where people are scrapping for food do not fare well. And if you think it's simply a matter for ancient times, think again. 2008 had a rice scare that had serious ramifications to stability in Asia, for example, and it was felt in the U.S. too as people suddenly panicked and started raiding the warehouse stores for rice bags as well. Food instability can easily occur today, regardless of modern technology. In fact, we're mostly guilty of being complacent in the face of it until inflation reminds us how food out of reach can create problems fast.
Inflation is never a good thing, and it's a sign of a sick economy and government leadership in economic policy. Everyone is quick to point the finger at the group they hate, but the reality is capitalism running amok without restraint. It's same attitude that turns into price-gouging during disasters. I don't have a perfect answer myself, but I do know that the instability is rooted in a deeper problem disconnecting economies from the average person and their ability to pay for a living. Combine it with a souring labor market and falling wages, and you have a nasty recipe for a lot of angry, frustrated people looking to vent.
