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Save Money By Changing Your Shopping Day

When do you normally do your grocery shopping? Friday, because it is payday? Saturday, because you don't work, or so you don't have to take all the kids? There are lots of reasons to pick what day we go shopping. Have you ever considered what days could save you money?

Why does a different day of the week save you money? Most people shop on the weekends. The stores know this, and they stock accordingly. What happens to fresh items, like meat, that didn't get sold? They get marked down as the sell by date approaches, usually around the middle of the week.

Meat can take a large percentage of your grocery budget, even with adjusting your menu to use less. Meat at my local stores is marked down 30% as the sell by date approaches. The meat is perfectly fine to use soon, or stick in the freezer for later. I almost never buy meat that isn't marked down. I buy what is marked down, stock up the freezer and plan my meals accordingly.

Other departments to look for mark downs midweek: bakery, dairy, and produce. I usually do my own baking, but when items are marked down 40% it is nice to be able to pick something pre-made up. On mark down, a large loaf of French bread is $0.75. I may be able to make it for that, but for $0.75, it is worth the time savings to me. The day old French bread makes great pizzas.

There are less dairy items marked down, but you can sometimes find them. Mostly, I see the higher end (organic and the like) dairy marked down. You can freeze milk just use a little out of the container first to give the milk room to expand when it freezes. Other dairy can be trickier to store. Before you buy, make sure you will be able to use it. It isn't a bargain if it ends up in the trash.

Produce also doesn't not get marked down as frequently. Most commonly I find bananas marked down. Great if you want to freeze some for baking later. Cut fruit, like watermelon and mixed fruit, will get marked down. Of course with those items, you'll want to be sure they will be eaten soon.

We also save big on bread by shopping the right day. Our local bread thrift store runs manager specials on Wednesdays. Selected types of bread are $0.33 a loaf. It is often the whole grain breads, that we prefer. I can't make bread for $0.33. We typically stock our freezer every other week.

Keep your eyes open for the mark downs. There aren't big signs for these, like a sale. Our bakery has a special cart for day old items. One store has a small section of the cooler for marked down meat, but often the marked down items are mixed in with the full priced items. Look for stickers (often yellow) on the packaging. Once you see how your store handles the marked down items, they are easy to pick out. My kids are trained to look for the mark down stickers, and often point them out to me.

What day is the best day to save money? That depends. I find Wednesdays here usually are good, but I have also found deals on Tuesday and Thursday. There is usually a larger selection in the morning. You may need to experiment to find your best day. For a few weeks, try shopping on different days and at different times. Some weeks there are more mark downs than others so don't get discouraged if you don't find much the first time. You could ask someone who works in the departments when items typically get marked down.

Groceries are one of the easiest places to trim your expenses.There are lots of ways to trim the grocery budget. Shopping on the right day is one place to start. I encourage you to try it and see.