Last Sunday I was scanning the weekly ads hunting for grocery coupons that I could use on our family's weekly grocery shopping trip when a thought crossed my mind. When is couponing not a good deal? Could unsuspecting frugal shoppers get carried away with the current "Coupon Craze" and end up spending more money than they actually need to?
It seems like everyone these days are clipping grocery coupons and searching out printable coupons on the internet which can save you substantial money on your grocery bill each month. But I believe that clipping coupons isn't the only answer and, in a worst case scenario, could cause you to spend more money than you need to.
How many of you have actually stopped to consider the prices you are paying at your local grocery store? Are you loyal to a specific supermarket? Do you look down at stores like Wal-Mart or discount grocery stores with some contemptuous smirk? (Don't laugh… I read a forum post from one coupon mom that refused to step a foot inside a Wal-Mart store due to her political morality!) The message I am trying to get across is that it pays to shop around.
Kimberly, on her Addicted to Costco blog, recently did a great price comparison between three stores. HEB, Wal-Mart and Randall's (which is the same as Safeway). She picked 39 frequently purchased items and stuck to leading brands. Not surprising, the prices from each store differed extremely depending on the product with Costco having the best prices on 30 out of the 39 items and Randall's (Safeway) being the most expensive.
While I was surprised at the difference my wife wasn't at all. She says Safeway has always been the most expensive chain grocery store in our area and that only when you start using the Safeway rewards card coupled with manufacturer coupons do their prices start to come down to prices more in line with less expensive grocery stores.
So, what's my advice? Don't be loyal to just one grocery store. Do what Kimberly did and do a price comparison of the grocery stores in your neighborhood. Once you are armed with this data you will be better equipped to save money with or without coupons! You might find that the non-sale prices at your discount grocer are better than the sale prices with coupons at the chain grocery stores. Use your manufacturer coupons at your less expensive grocery stores instead of the more expensive grocers like Safeway. Also, ask the manager of your discount grocery store if they accept competitor's coupons. It never hurts to ask!