A Guide to Savvy Shopping

During the holidays, your belt may be feeling tight, but not from too much of grandma’s famous apple pie. Time and money are of the essence during the holiday season. Between preparing for dinner parties, family get-togethers, and buying gifts, you may be feeling a little “tight.” Shop smart and you’ll save both time and money—two commodities you can never have too much of! By spending a little time planning and organizing, you can develop a system for grocery shopping that will pay off in the long run. Here’s how:

Do your “homework”

Create menus. Compile a list of dinner ideas for the entire week. Plan ahead, and get several meals for the price of one. For example, serve baked chicken on Sunday night, then toss leftover chicken in a pot with reduced sodium broth, ShopRite frozen vegetables, and a can of ShopRite beans for a delicious weeknight soup. For a new delicious and healthy meal idea each week, visit the health and wellness section of ShopRite.com for the Right for Tonight recipe.

Make a shopping list. You’ll already have part of your list if you’ve planned a series of dinner ideas. Check the ShopRite circular to see what’s on special this week, then base side dishes and other meals, like breakfast and lunch on what’s on sale and what’s in season (which is usually a good indicator of value).

Check for staples. Be sure that your pantry and refrigerator are stocked with the staples you’ll need each week. You’ll avoid last-minute trips to the store or buying doubles of products you already have.

Organize your list. Group items on your grocery list by aisle. Bring a pen and cross items off as you put them into your cart. You’ll save backtracking at the store, shaving minutes off shopping time. Plus, you’re less likely to forget to pick up a needed item.

Determine your own peak shopping time. This means avoiding shopping at peak hours such as Saturdays or right after work when stores are more likely to be extra busy.

Cybershop. Visit ShopRite.com to view the weekly circular, plan your shopping list, and get meal ideas. Plus, many ShopRite stores offer online shopping, and some even offer delivery.

Try ShopRite brands. ShopRite brand products are usually a great value for a delicious and high quality product.

Read store pricing labels. Don’t just look at the total cost of an item. The per unit measure is the most important indicator of value. When choosing between two comparable items, select the one with the lowest per unit cost, for example, the per-ounce cost.

Stock up when frequently used items go on sale. You’ll always need toilet paper, detergent, and other non-perishable staples. When these items go on sale, buy in bulk if you have the storage space.