I saved $91 today at the grocery store

[timmac]

Not me! Those suckers are L-O-N-G!

I also know that when I have a shopping trip where I've saved 70% or more, it's because I stocked up on high-priced freebies like razors and shampoo. If you were to look at those receipts, you would wonder how anyone could feed a family a decent meal with what I'd bought!

Usually, my couponing keeps me in the 50%-60% off range and that's only by using my $X OYNO coupons to pay for milk, meat and produce AND doing a lot of BOGOs for the meat.

This. Something that's easy to misunderstand with the "You saved $X" on the bottom of a receipt is that it doesn't necessarily translate to $X extra still in one's pocket. And when we talk about percentage savings, we have to ask ourselves, as compared to what?

In the example of BOGO on meats, often times the only stores that offer those deals are substantially higher prices than elsewhere, or sometimes even raise their "regular" price. (One in particular that used to exist near me did this a lot, they're no longer in business as it were.) For some recent numbers, the "cheap" store in town sells BLSL chicken breasts for typically 2.79/lb, with "sale" prices as low as 1.99/lb. The store that occasionally does BOGO on it has a typical price of 3.79/lb or higher. So, sure, a BOGO is theoretically 50% cheaper, but only if I regularly shopped there (which I don't).

Another poster suggested that a lot of these trips involve stocking up on things like razors, or the like, and that's another good point. It's awesome to do so, of course, but let's not confuse the "savings" on a given shopping trip with an overall reduced grocery expenditure.

 

[Marionnette]

This. Something that's easy to misunderstand with the "You saved $X" on the bottom of a receipt is that it doesn't necessarily translate to $X extra still in one's pocket. And when we talk about percentage savings, we have to ask ourselves, as compared to what?

In the example of BOGO on meats, often times the only stores that offer those deals are substantially higher prices than elsewhere, or sometimes even raise their "regular" price. (One in particular that used to exist near me did this a lot, they're no longer in business as it were.) For some recent numbers, the "cheap" store in town sells BLSL chicken breasts for typically 2.79/lb, with "sale" prices as low as 1.99/lb. The store that occasionally does BOGO on it has a typical price of 3.79/lb or higher. So, sure, a BOGO is theoretically 50% cheaper, but only if I regularly shopped there (which I don't).

Another poster suggested that a lot of these trips involve stocking up on things like razors, or the like, and that's another good point. It's awesome to do so, of course, but let's not confuse the "savings" on a given shopping trip with an overall reduced grocery expenditure.

Ain't that the truth!

For instance, here's what my errands brought in today:
Stop #1

4 lbs. Land O' Lakes Butter
8 20 oz. cans of Dole Pineapple
4 cans of Carnation Evaporated Milk
OOP = $10.88​

Stop #2

4 doz. eggs
2 women's razors (not disposables)
1 $5 store GC
OOP = $8.36
​

Stop #3

9 cans of men's shaving cream (there are 3 men in my house)
OOP= $7.03​

You can't even bake a cake with what I purchased, but they are all items which were on sale and had coupons to go with them. And they will all get used eventually. They also add to my total purchases at the respective stores, so in some cases I will either see something back in the form of a store coupon or free item.

Later this week, I'll do my actual grocery shopping. I'll pick up my "free" Easter ham at the grocery store and that alone will make my "savings" appear to be a lot higher that it would normally be. If I didn't have a freezer full of chicken, beef and pork which were bought on sale weeks earlier, it could be a real budget-buster of a week because there aren't any terrific sales on any of those this week.