In a previous post we talked about three simple supermarket questions that are key to unlocking great savings at your local grocery store. But the savings don’t stop there. Below we discuss six more questions you should ask your store manager in order to tap into big savings.
When are Meat, Deli Items, and Bakery Items Discounted? Grocery stores have to sell their meat products by their sell-by dates. When meat approaches this date supermarkets usually apply steep discounts. For great savings, ask your grocery store manager or butcher when meat is discounted so you can be first in line for savings. You can freeze the meat shortly after you get home to enjoy a great supply of meat for future meals. Similarly, supermarkets discount deli specials and bakery products, often near the end of the day. Ask when these items are discounted as well.
Does Your Store Accept Expired Coupons? Some stores accept expired manufacturers’ coupons as a way to attract customers. You can use this to your advantage. Each product in the store has its own sales cycle. Every so often a product will hit its absolute rock bottom sales price. By waiting and combining an expired manufacturers’ coupon with an item on sale at its rock bottom price you can get a double discount and save big. Its generally better to ask your store manager about such policies as cashiers may not be completely aware of all of the store’s coupon policies.
Does Your Grocery Store Have a Scanner Accuracy Guarantee? Scanner mistakes occur more frequently than you might think. The problem is that each and every week hundreds of new sales prices must be programmed into the computers controlling the scanners. This is where mistakes happen. Watch carefully as your groceries are rung up because some stores will give you your item for free if it rings up higher than the sales price. Ask your store manager about such policies.
Does Your Store Price Match? Some stores match the sales prices found at competing grocery stores. All you have to do is bring in the competitor’s store coupon or sales flier to get the discounted price. This is important because it allows you to obtain all of the discounted prices in one place without having to travel from store to store.
Can You Load Coupons onto Your Store Loyalty Card? Many stores now allow you to load manufacturers’ coupons directly onto your supermarket loyalty cards. This helps eliminate many of the hassles of using coupons. No more cutting out coupons from the paper or having to remember to bring your coupons with you when you go shopping. Visit certain coupon websites, select your coupons, enter your loyalty card number and the discounts are loaded directly onto your card. The savings are applied in the store as you check out. Visit websites like Shortcuts.com to see if your supermarket allows manufacturers’ coupons to be loaded onto loyalty cards.
Does Your Store Accept Coupons Printed off the Internet? Many savvy consumers have been going online to find and print manufacturers’ coupons for their favorite grocery products. Unfortunately, faced with massive fraud, some supermarkets are no longer accepting manufacturers’ coupons printed from the internet. As internet coupons can be a great source of savings, simply ask your store manager whether or not they accept coupons printed off the internet. Be aware that the policy may be different for grocery stores within the same chain. A Safeway in one part of the city may accept printed internet coupons, while a Safeway in another part of town may not.
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