I know several people that are into discount shopping and extreme couponing. They are experts are saving money and getting exactly what they want. However, I am not necessarily down to spending a lot of my free time trying to figure out how to get shampoo and the like for nearly nothing. I figured that I have a job (though as a grad student it doesn't pay much) and that my time can better be spent increasing my knowledge or working on my dissertation. So, instead of extreme couponing I price match.
Yes, I am one of those people that shop at Wal-Mart. Do I care about the stigma? Hell no. To be honest, my local Wal-Mart is not only closer than a traditional chain grocery store but it is also significantly cleaner than the King Soopers I would have to drive an extra mile in town traffic to get to. I never feel like I am going to contract an infectious disease from other shoppers and the food doesn't look like it is being kept in on E.Coli infected shelves. (Also, the parking lot at Wal-Mart is less dangerous, too.)So, hell yes to shopping at Wal-Mart...at least where I live.
I have a 45-minute food shopping strategy. I first outline weekly meal plan. I account for breakfasts, lunches, and dinner. Typically, I write down the most details for dinner since this is the primary meal that I will prepare and I have to account for how to cook for just two people. I then do a quick look into my pantry and refrigerator to see what items I have or will need to get soon. I compile a shopping list in the order in which I will travel around the store. I have a freakish mental map of Wal-Mart and can tell you where all my needed items are located. I start from front (the deli) and work my way back (dairy). As a final step, I go through local ads on-line to see what items I need may be cheaper elsewhere. I typically don't buy name brand anything else there is a good sale or coupons to make it even lower than generic. (Side Note: I found that Malt-O-Meal cereals will always be cheaper than name brand and store brand. The bonus is that I prefer Malt-O-Meal's Honey Nut Scooters to Honey-Nut Cheerios.) I mark all items on my shopping list that can be price matched. I include the store of price matching, sizes (e.g. ounces, each, lb.), and price. These is the necessary info in order to price match. You never have to have the ad in hand.
What I have found is that some cashiers will have to pull on the notebook of ads to confirm your price match. Others, and these are my favorite because it prevents dirty looks from people behind you, will take your word as long as you have it written out and indicate the store. Since I am regularly in Wal-Mart, I have a tendency to go to the cashiers that won't have to question my price match. I get why some will check. It's unfortunate that some people are willing to lie.
A Note on Coupons: Wal-Mart will allow you to use coupons on price matched items. Just last week I price matched two cans of shaving cream for a $1.50 each (Wal-Mart's price $2.50). I then used a manufacturer's coupon that allowed you to save a $1.50 on two cans of shaving cream. This meant that I not only saved $2 by price matching but an extra $1.50 by using the coupon.
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