Online Grocery Shopping

An in-depth look about how to save money on your next grocery bill by shopping online.

I hope you've all enjoyed grocery month. This is the last post for the month, and I think it should be about the future of grocery shopping: online shopping!

How many of you have tried online grocery shopping? Do you like it? I tried it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and I was impressed with the results. My husband can't have any gluten which means our typical grocery bill is higher than the average person's. We pay around $7-8 for a loaf of bread - not cheap. So we like to supplement our diet with less expensive starches like quinoa. I found some recipes I wanted to try out involving quinoa flakes, which are similar to quick-rolled oats. They taste great - the only downside is the cost. A 350 gram box cost me $6.99! I really liked them, but not at that cost, so I wanted to see if I could buy them cheaper elsewhere. And indeed I could, online. I went to Go Go Quinoa's website and bought 7 kg for $55 including shipping. That's a savings of over 50%!

My 7 kg of quinoa flakes!

I was really amazed by the savings I got, and how quick and easy the whole process was. This has made me want to do more research on online grocery shopping and see where I can use it again. Here is what I found out.

The Online Store

There are several online grocery stores that we as Canadians have access to. These are almost identical to a regular grocery store in that they have a wide range of products. You can get most of your groceries here. 

Grocery Gateway is probably the best known online grocery store in Ontario. I have never used them, but I had a roommate in university who used them and she loved it. I went onto their website and found out that as a new customer you can get $5 off your first order. They currently deliver to Toronto and surrounding areas only. You can enter your postal code on their website and see if they will deliver to you. There is a $45 minimum order and an $11.95 delivery fee. You get to choose your delivery time and they are in 90 minute slots. They also offer a freshness guarantee, so you don't have to worry about your food spoiling.

Grocery Checkout is another company I found in my research. They are very similar to Grocery Gateway, but not as popular. I looked through their website and found they carried most major brands and products found in any grocery store. For orders under $100 you pay a $7.95 delivery fee, and for orders over $100 that fee is only $5.95. You don't get to chose your delivery time, but the delivery windows are only 30 minutes, so you don't have to wait around as long. They have a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

If you live in Ottawa you can use Metro Glebe. They let you order your groceries online from Metro and deliver them to you. They only offer deliveries at certain times, so you'll have to wait around longer to get your groceries. I assume they charge for delivery, however I was not able to find a price anywhere on their website. In general this website was a lot harder to navigate and would be a problem with using this service.

There are tons of other sites and companies out there where you can order specialized products. Like I did with my quinoa flakes, I went to the web site of a company that sold quinoa products in physical stores. Think about things you buy a lot of and could do with buying in bulk. Look them up online and see if someone is offering those products at a discount. Examples of products might be cereal, protein shakes, rice, etc... Look up specific brands you buy (like I did with Go Go Quinoa, which is the same brand sold in-store), see if they have an online store you can use.

E-Order

If you don't think using an online store is for you, consider doing an e-order with a store you regularly shop at.

M&M's Meat Shops allows you to place an e-order through their website. Just go to the store and pick it up. This is great because it saves you time in the store, but you can examine the products you want in detail online before you purchase them.

Other Alternatives

If you don't want to order your groceries online, you can always call in to your grocery store and place your order over the phone and have them deliver it. Not every grocery store offers this service, but many do, so if this interests you, ask around. My Grannie used this when my Grandad was no longer able to drive her to the grocery store. She would call before 10:00 am on either Tuesday or Thursday and place her order. The groceries would be delivered either the same or next day. The cost for this was $8.00. While my Grannie generally preferred going to the grocery store, she realized that this was a reasonable alternative in her situation. She always got exactly what she wanted and sometimes the delivery person would even help her put the groceries away. You don't have to be elderly or disabled to use this service. If getting to the grocery store is difficult for you, consider delivery by your local grocer. Think of all the time and hassle you will save yourself.

Is It Worth It?

Do you ever think about how much it costs to go grocery shopping? If you have a car, you'll likely only be paying a couple of dollars in gas to get to and from the grocery store. However, gas costs are not your only costs. The government suggests that you be reimbursed at $0.53/kilometer to factor in vehicle costs. So if you have to drive 5 km to get to the grocery store and 5km to get home, you've already spent $5.30. Further, think back to my post on making things yourself. If your time is worth money, and it takes you 20 minutes total driving time, then delivery is almost certainly the more cost-effective solution. If you are pressed for time by work, keep in mind that it's probably effectively cheaper to have it delivered.

If you don't have a car and take a bus or taxi to grocery shop you'll be spending a lot more. If you take the bus to the grocery store and a taxi back, you'll be spending around $3.00 for the bus and $10.00-15.00 for the taxi. Combine the two and it is still cheaper than the most expensive delivery fee in this post of $11.95 (Grocery Gateway).

Aside from these initial costs you have to consider your time. Is grocery shopping frustrating or difficult? Do you hate doing it? Then why not consider getting someone else to do it for you? While it might seem expensive, once you add your transportation costs and labour I'm sure you'll find that ordering online is cheaper, not to mention a lot easier.

The Future

I personally think that online grocery shopping is going to continue to grow in popularity worldwide and especially here in Canada. Compared to the US we have a lot less options, but like many other things (Netflix for example), they are slowly making their way across the border. Amazon offers a great online grocery store, but only in the States. I would love to see more options here for us Canadian grocery shoppers. While shopping in a store can make sense for many people, there are lots of people out there who find it difficult. I don't have trouble grocery shopping, but I have trouble with paying too much, so that's why I looked to online stores instead. Whatever your reason, do your own research into online grocery shopping. This blog is a great starting point, but is not intended to be the final word on the subject. There are tons of great sites and deals out there to be had. I hope you find and use them.

Grocery Store Tax: What Is And Isn't Taxed?

An comprehensive look at how taxes are calculated at the grocery store.

Recently one of the grocery stores near me was having a 2-day sale where no tax was being charged on any item. This got me to thinking: how much would you actually save at this kind of sale? Only certain items are taxed in the grocery store, so the savings could be less than you think. In order to figure this out I needed to understand the very complicated Canadian system of taxation on food.

The government's document on this is 35 pages long, so I will give you a breakdown of the vital information in this post. However, I would recommend reading it for yourself here. 

What Is Zero-Rated (0% Tax)?

In short, an item is zero-rated when tax does not apply to that item. I've tried to create a list of what is zero-rated and in doing so I observed some general tendencies. For one thing, the staples of life are zero-rated, probably because we can't live without them. Also, generally anything where you have to do some of the preparation is zero-rated. Items that are healthier for you like fruits and veggies are also not taxed. However, some things like doughnuts (in packages of 6 or more) aren't taxed, despite not being good for you. Buying 6 or more doughnuts? No tax. I'm not convinced doughnuts get healthier in bulk, so this is a bit odd to be sure. See why this is complicated? Here is a concise list of Zero-Tax items:

• Fresh, frozen, canned, and vacuum sealed fruits and vegetables
• Breakfast cereals
• Most milk products
• Fresh meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Eggs
• Coffee beans
• Syrups, crystals and powders that are not fruit-flavoured
• Fruit juices and concentrate (if it is more than 25% juice by volume)
• Puddings and beverages that are for babies or are sold in muti packs of single servings prepackaged by the manufacturer
• Plain bottled water in manufacturers’ packages of two or more single serving bottles, or in a bottle that exceeds a single serving
• Baking ingredients (chocolate chips, icing, cocktail cherries, etc...)
• Unpopped popcorn kernels
• Ice cream not sold in single servings (eg. 2 L tub)
• Muffins, cakes, pies, pastries, doughnuts, brownies, etc... in packages of 6 or more single servings
• Bread products (unsweetened)
• Salads in cans, vacuum sealed or salad kits
• Frozen pizza
• Salt 
• Meal replacements and nutritional supplements
• Spices

What Is Taxed At 13%?

The stuff taxed at 13% is generally the food that is bad for you or already prepared. Which is not to say that food taxed at 13% is always less healthy some of the zero-tax items. A protein bar, for example, strikes me as being a decidedly healthier choice than a six-pack of doughnuts. However, in general, when you don't have to do any of the work in making the food, the government thinks you should pay the tax. Unless you want 6 doughnuts. Check out the list for yourself.

• Pills, tablets and capsules
• Alcoholic beverages (wines, spirits, liquor, beer, etc...)
• Carbonated beverages
• Fruit-flavoured powders or crystals
• Fruit juices and concentrate (if it is less than 25% juice by volume)
• Puddings and beverages (other than unflavoured milk)
• Plain bottled water, one serving (under 600 mL)
• Candies
• Nut bars (honey or nuts are main ingredients)
• Energy or protein bars
• Snack foods: chips, crisps, puffs, curls, or sticks
• Granola bars
• Snack mixtures (contain cereals, nuts, dried fruit, etc...)
• Ice lollies
• Ice cream, frozen yoghurt, sherbert, bars etc... sold in single servings
• Fruit bars, rolls or drops (even the 100% fruit)
• Muffins, cakes, pies, pastries, doughnuts, brownies, etc... in packages of less than 6 single servings
• Bread products (sweetened)
• Heated prepared food (if heated at time of purchase)
• Prepared salads
• Sandwiches
• Platters

Make The Switch And Save

Do you usually buy pre-made popcorn? Buy the unpopped kernels and you won't be taxed because they aren't considered popcorn at that point.

Do you buy ready-made salad? Buy a kit and make it yourself at home with little extra effort and save the 13%.

Do you buy platters of fruits and veggies? Those are considered prepared because you aren't doing the work. Not only are they expensive, you pay tax on them as well. So buy the fruit and cut it yourself. You'll save big.

Stop buying your muffins, doughnuts, ice cream and treats in individual servings. You generally don't pay tax on these kinds of bulk purchases.

A Few Oddities

Puddings and beverages are interesting, but confusing, from a tax perspective. Basically, if you're buying multi-packs of single servings (defined as under 600 mL in volume) you won't be taxed. However, if you buy large servings you will be. So do the math but you could save money and time by buying the convenient prepackaged containers of juice and puddings.

Snack foods are also somewhat confusing. Sometimes things are described as a cracker, other times a cracker/chip, or sometimes just a flat-out chip. A lot of the taxation is based on how its marketed, using phrases such as "Makes a great snack!" and "Craving something new". I myself was still very confused after reading and re-reading this section of the government's document. I came to the conclusion that chips are taxed, crackers are not. Snack foods are taxed regardless of if they are healthy or not. So if something is more like a chip then you can bet it will be taxed. However, if it more like a cracker you won't. The confusing part is this distinction is primarily based upon the marketing of a particular product. This is an example from the CRA's January 2007 GST/HST Memoranda Series:

Product A ingredients include enriched flour, vegetable oil shortening, and potato flakes. It is available in six varieties: original, ranch, barbecue, all dressed, salt and vinegar and zesty cheese. Product A is loosely bagged and sold in 200 gram packages in the cracker aisle of the supermarkets. It is also sold in small bags. Each piece is comparable to the size of a potato chip. Product A is described on its Internet site as “healthier than potato chips”. It is labelled as “part chip and part cracker”, “made with potato like a chip” and “maximum crunch”. It is also described on the label as “ wheat cracker snacks” and “oven baked with wheat like a cracker”. 

Based on the facts set out above, Product A is taxable.Product A is considered to be a “similar snack food” for purposes of paragraph 1(f) of Part III of Schedule VI based on its properties. One of its main ingredients consists of potato (flakes), an ingredient common to those snack foods enumerated in paragraph 1(f). In addition, it is available in flavours commonly associated with snack foods. Also, the appearance (small thin slice) and the texture (crunchy) are similar to those products enumerated in paragraph 1(f). Finally, Product A is labelled and marketed in a manner similar to products enumerated in paragraph 1(f). Although we consider placement of a product in store aisles as a relevant consideration, it alone is not considered a determinative factor.

Confusing right? 

My Thoughts

Overall I learned a lot about how tax works at the grocery store and I was surprised by how complicated the whole system is. I generally always try to buy things that aren't taxed because it's a great way to save money. But in the future I'm going to try even harder to do this. There is definitely an added benefit to trying not to pay tax - you'll eat healthier. Like I said before, generally it's the bad stuff like candy, chip and pop that are taxed. Good stuff, like bananas, apples and chicken, is usually tax free. So only buy the good stuff, save 13% on tax, and live longer. What's not to love about that?

Can You Make It For Less?

A study of the cost of preparing five different food items. The actual value of making things yourself is determined.

As our lives get busier we look for shortcuts to save us time anywhere we can. This is especially true at the grocery store where you can now buy almost anything ready-made, saving you the inconvenience of doing it yourself. But at what cost? 

This week I have chosen to look at five different items I normally buy at the grocery store. Instead of buying them I made them myself at home. I wanted to know if it is worthwhile to make them myself or to continue purchasing them at the grocery store. Here are the surprising results.

Pasta Sauce

My husband eats lots of pasta so I end up buying 2 to 3 jars of pasta sauce a week. This time I used a slow cooker to make enough sauce to last a week. For simplicity sake I used canned tomatoes, but in the future I am going to try and make pasta sauce again using fresh tomatoes. The recipe I used is my own creation.

• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of tomato paste
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

1. Mix ingredients together in slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Original Item Cost: $2.99 for 700 mL
Ingredients Cost: $5.17 for 2100 mL
Prep Time: 15 minutes

In order to measure the actual savings I am going to add the cost of the ingredients plus labour at minimum wage (currently $10.25). Part of the prep time is allocated for dishes. So to make one jar (700 mL) of my own pasta sauce it cost me $2.57. While this is cheaper than buying the store-bought kind, it's not as big a savings as I was expecting. However, since I buy 2-3 jars of sauce a week it could add up to almost $1.26 in savings a week overall.

Total Savings: $0.42 for one 700 mL jar


Granola Bars

I like to buy granola bars for work because they're a great snack. However, I don't like all the sugar in them, so making my own is great. I followed a recipe I got from All Recipes, except I cut back on the sugar and added a couple of extra toppings. Since Valentine's Day has passed I picked up some Toblerone for 50% off and used that in these granola bars. I also added almonds and coconut for extra flavouring. If you make this yourself you can obviously add whatever you want.

• 4 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 honey or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
• 1 Toblerone bar (optional)
• 1/2 cup sweeted coconut shavings (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, vanilla, butter, honey, and brown sugar. Stir in your additional ingredients, ie. chocolate, coconut, almonds, etc...
3. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake at 325F/ 165C for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes then cut into bars. They will be very soft at this point, but will harden. Let bars cool completely in pan before removing. 

Original item cost: $3.13 for 6 bars, 176 grams
Ingredients cost: $6.00 for 18 bars, 528 grams
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Including labour costs each one of my granola bars costs $0.44. This cost could either go up or down depending on what ingredients you include. Maple syrup, for example is more expensive than honey. I also included almonds, coconut, and toblerone. If you included just one extra topping instead of three, you could possibly save money.

Total Savings: $0.49 for 6 bars.

Salad Dressing

I like having lots of different types of salad dressings on hand because I like the variety. I found a recipe for a Raspberry Vinaigrette from AllRecipes.com that sounded yummy so I decided to try it out. I made a couple of slight adaptations, so here is the recipe I followed.

• 2/3 olive oil
• 2/3 cup raspberry balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients together. Shake well.

Original item cost: $2.29 for 475 mL
Ingredients cost: $2.25 for 475 mL
Prep Time: 5 minutes

When you add up the cost of the ingredients and the labour for making this dressing, you realize there is almost no difference between making your own and buying. I would therefore say that unless you really want to, buying salad dressing is the more cost effective and easy way to acquire it. If you also buy it on sale, you will save even more.

Total Savings: -$0.47

Wings

Wings are one of my guilty pleasures, I really love buying the Buffalo Blue Cheese ones from M&Ms Meat Shops. Making my own is a great opportunity to try a new flavour out though. Many of the recipes I found involved little more than adding a pre-made BBQ sauce to raw wings, but I wanted more of a challenge than that. So I found a recipe for Slow Cooker Sticky Wings from Tracey's Culinary Adventures that looked easy to do. I made a couple of slight adaptations to make it a bit hotter, so here is the recipe I followed.

• 1/4 brown sugar
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp cayenne chili powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 5 lbs chicken wings, split

1. Combine all the ingredients except the wings together in a bowl. Mix until combined.
2. Add chicken to slow cooker.
3. Cover chicken in sauce.
4. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.
5. Place wings on baking tray and bake at 350C for 30 minutes to make crispy. (I also added some tapioca starch to the sauce leftover in the slow cooker to thicken it up. I marinated that sauce on the wings)

Original item cost: $15.99 for 2 lbs 
Ingredients cost: $21.00 for 5 lbs 
Prep Time: 10 minutes

The actual cost per pound of wings including labour is $4.71. The cost savings appear to be quite good for wings. However, in calculating the original item cost I used an expensive brand, not the cheapest available. If I had used the cheapest available to compare then the difference between my homemade wings and the store-bought wings would diminish. The reason I used a more expensive brand is because that is the one I typically buy. So for me it can be more cost effective to make my own wings, but if I got cheaper wings or the more expensive brand on sale, that might not be the case.

Total Savings: $5.03 per 2 pounds.

French Fries

My hubby and I love having fries on hand for late-night snack cravings. Making your own fries is ridiculously easy. It's so easy you hardly need a recipe but here is what I did.

• 2 lbs potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp salt

1. Wash potatoes. Peel if desired.
2. Cut potatoes into 1/4 inch thick strips. They should look like french fries. You can cut them thinner or thicken depending on what you like.
3. Cover with canola oil and salt.
4. Cook for 30 minutes at 400C or until done.

Original item cost: $3.27 for 900 grams
Ingredients cost: $1.00 for 900 grams
Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cost with labour for fries is $2.06. However, the potatoes could have been purchased cheaper as you know from my Farmers' Market post. This would have brought to cost down even more.

Total Savings: $1.21 for one 900 gram bag.

Overall Savings

When you look at the sum total of all the costs including ingredients and labour you realize that it's not that much cheaper to make these 5 items yourself. While 4 of the 5 items were cheaper, the savings were minimal. When calculating the original item cost, I used name brand products. If I were to chose to store brand products the cost of the item would obviously be less. 

If your time is also worth more than the minimum wage I have calculated for labour costs, then the savings go down even more. To me this was very surprising. I went into this experiment thinking I was mastering a new way to save tons of money. However, if you're willing to work for "free" because your job is to save money, then you will save more money. Just to show that, here is a table comparing the costs of the items I made with labour and without:

ITEM	ORIGINAL ITEM COST	COST WITHOUT LABOUR	COST WITH LABOUR
Pasta Sauce	$2.99/ 700 mL	$1.72/ 700 mL	$2.57/ 700 mL
Granola Bars	$3.13/ 176 g	$2.00/ 176 g	$2.64/ 176 g
Salad Dressing	$2.29/ 475 mL	$2.25/ 475 mL	$2.76/ 475 mL
Wings	$15.99/ 2 lb	$8.40/ 2 lb	$9.42/ 2 lb
French Fries	$3.27/ 900 g	$1.00/ 900 g	$1.21/ 900 g

You can see that with the exception of salad dressing, the savings is more substantial if you exclude the labour costs. When considering whether to make your own food, it's important to ask yourself "How much is my time worth?". Then you can truly evaluate the real cost of making it.

There is, however, another benefit to making things yourself: You can control what goes into them, meaning you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you want. Eating healthier can hopefully prolong your life, and that is priceless.

Farmers' Market

An examination of the savings to be had by shopping at the local farmer's market instead of the grocery store.

Recently I made the decision to stop doing most of my weekly grocery shopping at the grocery store. Instead, I now do the majority of my shopping at my Farmers' Market. For me my local market is the Kitchener Market.

I've shopped at the Kitchener Market on and off for years, but I've never committed to doing the bulk of my shopping there until now. I was encouraged by some friends who do most of their shopping there to try it out. I did and I'm loving it - I can't imagine ever switching back! Let me tell you all the reasons why:

The Prices Are Better!

The vendors at the market don't have a lot of overhead since they are only operating a stall once or twice a week instead of a complete store. They also only accept cash, so they don't pay any fees to credit card companies. For these reasons they can offer you the same produce and meats you would get at the grocery store for less money. Some of the vendors at my market have stores as well and I've noticed they offer better deals at the market than at their own store. For example one fish vendor charges $3.99 for a 4-ounce marinated salmon filet at their store. At the market you can get those same filets 3 for $10.00 (a savings of $1.97).

Just for comparison sake I looked at what I normally buy and compared the market to grocery store prices when I was doing my shopping today. Here are the results:

ITEM	GROCERY STORE	MARKET
English Cucumber	$1.47 each	$0.75 each
Red Peppers	$2.97/lb or about $0.80-1.00 each	2/$1.00
Field Tomatoes	$1.27/lb	$0.29/lb
White Potatoes	$2.97 for a 5lb bag	$4.00 for a 5lb bag
Carrots	$1.67 for a 3lb bag	$2.00 for 3 lbs
Onions	$1.67 for a 3lb bag	$2.00 for 3 lbs
Celery	$1.97 each	$1.50 each
Bananas	$0.69/lb	$0.59/lb
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast	$6.05/lb	$4.99/lb
Large Eggs	$2.85	$2.75/dozen
Fresh Basil	$3.20 a bunch	$1.50 a bunch

Highlighted in blue is the cheaper item. While some of the items were cheaper at the grocery store, the majority were cheaper at the market. Though I buy in smaller quantities at the market (see my Food Waste post), were I to buy 10 lbs of potatoes I'd save even more money. The gentleman who sells me chicken at the Southern Pride Poultry stand told me that if I bought 5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast the price went down to $4.49/lb. Buy 10 lbs, the price goes down to $4.15/lb. It's amazing the deals you'll get if you buy in bulk. And remember, these are the everyday prices, you'll get them week after week.

Now the cost savings I get at my Kitchener Market are not the same you would get at every market. Some markets are more expensive because of their location and hours of operation. I would consider the St. Lawrence Market in Toronto and Covent Garden Market in London, Ontario to be great examples of this. These markets are centrally located in dense urban areas and are open 7 days a week. Real Farmers' Markets like the Kitchener Market happen once or twice a week, usually Thursday and Saturday.

If you want the best prices you need to go to the local market. This market might only operate one or two days a week, maybe even seasonally. There will also be little or no tourists; that is what you want. Farmers' Markets Ontario has a website where you can find a list of most markets in Ontario. Check it out and see if there is a market near you that you weren't aware of.

The Selection Is Better

Often the quality of the products available at the market is superior to that of the grocery store. It is frequently sold from the people who harvested it and therefore spends less time in transit, so it's fresher. There is also something great about being able to ask about a particular item and have someone extremely knowledgeable answer you. I often hear fellow shoppers asking "When was this picked", or "How do you cook this"? The vendors are always more than willing to help out.

One thing you have to be careful of is getting to the market early, otherwise you will miss out on the best stuff. Arrive late and there might be better prices as vendors try to sell everything, but it's not going to be their best.

It's Fun!

Grocery shopping can be considered a chore, but when you do it at the market I think it's an adventure. There are lots of things to see, smell and taste. I've turned grocery shopping from something I have to find time to do into something I can't wait to do. I sometimes have an exotic lunch or buy a pastry to make it feel special. And why not? You should enjoy life and this is great way to turn something you don't like doing into something fun.

Support Local

Support your local farmers and small businesses by buying their products. Supporting businesses that promote sustainable harvest practices is smart shopping. It's also nice to know your meats aren't being processed in large facilities where disease outbreaks are known to happen. 

Don't just take my word on the savings you'll experience. Check it out for yourself. Maybe you'll decide the market is the best thing in the world  (OK maybe that's a slight exaggeration) or perhaps you'll decide to stick to the tried and true grocery store. Either way it's great to explore your options and try something new.

Reading The Sales And Store Prices

An in-depth look at how to read the price labels at grocery stores to assess the actual cost of an item and determine the best deal.

Ever bought something because it was on sale and you thought you were getting a good deal? Did you actually check to see whether it was the best deal or did you just assume it was? Don't feel bad - we've all done it; stores want us to do it. But no longer! By learning how to read the price tags at grocery stores you can quickly learn how to find the best deal!

Read The Label

Above is a sample price tag at my grocery store. Have you ever noticed the writing below the the name of the product? Your grocery store should have this amazing feature of price per 100 mL. Here you can see it circled in pink. By comparing the price per 100 mL instead of total cost you can better compare product to product. 

Here is an example of where I found it helpful. I was looking to buy pineapple tidbits and had my choice of 3 different products.  Here are the price tags for all of them. Which do you think is the cheapest?

Product A
Store Brand - Regular Price

Product B
Name Brand - Regular Price

Product C
Name Brand - Sale Price

If you compare all 3 of these products you will realize that Product A (the store brand at regular price) is the most economical. Product C, the only one on sale, is actually the most expensive at 0.365 per 100 mL compared to 0.294 and 0.217 per 100 mL. Even though Products A and B are the same price, Product A has a greater volume than Product B, making it cheaper. So by reading the labels carefully I was able to know that Product A was the best price and was not be fooled by the "sale".

The Sale Label

Sale Label A

Sale Label B

Both of the above are pictures of sale labels at the same grocery store. Sale Label A was located in one of the aisles, while Sale Label B was located at the end of an aisle, in a prominent sale location. There is a lot to learn from these 2 labels.

First you'll notice that Sale Label B does not have the price per 100 mL, while Sale Label A does. When sale items are placed at the end of aisles or in low refrigerated units in the center of outer aisles (you know what I'm talking about), the price tag will not contain the price per 100 mL. This is something I have noticed in several different grocery stores, not just the one I took these pictures at. The reason for this is that you think it's a good deal because it's in such a prominent location, but you can't actually check there to make sure it is a good deal. Generally these items are also available in other areas of the store where the price per 100 mL is included, so buy it from there not the special sale area.

Sale Label B shows that the product is 2/$5.00 or $2.50 each. The 2/$5.00 means nothing, the price is $2.50. This label suggests to the customer that you should buy two of them to get the best deal. In reality, it almost never matters how many you buy because you nearly always receive the sale price for any number, so only get as many as you need.

Sale Label B also shows the product is 2/$8.88 (likely $4.44 each, even though this label doesn't show that), for a savings of $5.10. Wow save $5.10 off cheese, that's awesome! Wait. You're actually only saving $2.55 per bar of cheese. If you buy 2 bars you're savings $5.10 together. By lumping the savings together, you think you're saving a lot more money than actually are, making you more likely to buy it. Again, if you need 2 bars of cheese, buy both. If you don't only buy the one.

More To Come

I hope this has helped you out and that you'll be able to always find the best deal at the grocery store. This is just one of many posts that are coming out this month, so stay tuned for more exciting ways to save on groceries.