My neighbor Deb showed me her $15 grocery trick and I felt kinda dumb

Honestly, I was complaining to my neighbor Deb last week about how my grocery bill keeps creeping up even though I buy the same stuff. She said she plans her dinners around what's on clearance at the meat counter, not what she craves. At first I thought that sounded depressing, but she showed me her system. She goes to the store Wednesday mornings, grabs whatever marked down chicken or beef they have, and builds her whole week from there. She spent $47 last week on food for two people, including a big pork shoulder that she slow cooked. I tried it this Monday and got 3 pounds of ground beef for $6.50. Has anyone else started shopping this way or do you stick to a set grocery list?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.gavin21d ago

Wait, you went on a Monday? Most stores do their markdowns on Wednesdays or Thursdays, not Mondays. You probably just got lucky with that ground beef. But yeah, I started doing this a few months back and it definitely helps.

jamesm3821d ago

Monday meat markdowns are a real gamble. I scored a 4.99 whole chicken at my local Stop & Shop once, but the next week everything was already picked over by 9am. The trick is knowing which day your specific store actually does their markdowns, not what the internet says. My store does markdowns on Sundays for some reason, so I just ask the meat department guy when I see him. Works every time.

reese12421d ago

Wait, but your store does markdowns on Sunday? That's weird. Most grocery chains have a standard "pull date" schedule where they rotate things, and Monday is usually the worst day to hit because they haven't restocked from the weekend yet. I think your meat guy is just hooking you up early or you're getting the stuff that didn't sell during the Sunday rush. I've been stalking the clearance section at my local Stop & Shop for years and they definitely do markdowns on Tuesday mornings for the stuff expiring Wednesday. It's like clockwork. But hey, if you found a dude who gives you the good stuff whenever you show up, that's a win no matter what.