10 Things Not to Buy at the Grocery Store
According to the Food Marketing Institute, the average family goes to the supermarket 1.6 times each week and spends an average of $102.90 weekly.
Watching for sales and using coupons can make a dent in the weekly tab. But, say MarketWatch consumer editors, you’ll almost always pay a premium for some items at the grocery store. To help pare your weekly spend on food and related items, here’s a list of 10 things not to buy at the supermarket:
- Beer and wine – Alcoholic beverages almost always cost between 10- and 20 percent more at the grocery store than at warehouse club stores.
- Individually packaged snacks – If you regularly buy small bags of chips, crackers, and other lunchbox snacks, you can save 10 percent or more by buying them in quantity through Amazon. Better yet, buy larger, more economical packages and repackage them into sandwich bags.
- Cakes – Buy that next birthday cake at a warehouse store, where you’ll pay $18 or less for a half-sheet cake instead of that much or more for a quarter sheet at the grocery store.
- Kitchenware – It’s convenient to buy that frying pan or muffin tin while doing your weekly shopping, but you’ll pay an average of 30 percent more at the supermarket than you will at discount retailers or even at the local dollar store.
- Office and school supplies – They are much in evidence everywhere, especially at back-to-school time, but there are few bargains at the grocery store. Look for loss-leader prices at office, big-box, or drug stores.
- Personal hygiene products – Everything from shampoo and deodorant to razors and blow dryers will cost significantly less at the big box stores than at the supermarket.
- Batteries – For worthwhile savings, buy them at big-box or warehouse stores, or from Amazon. Or pay pennies on the dollar for off-brand batteries at the dollar store.
- Cleaning supplies – There are great savings everywhere if you buy generic brands, but you can save as much as 40 percent on soaps and cleaners by buying them at the dollar store or big-box retailer.
- Greeting cards, gift wrap, and balloons – Save up to 50 percent on these items at the dollar store.
- Spices – Never pay supermarket prices. Save big at the dollar store, which has a huge selection of commonly used spices.