Learn the Lesson of the Peanut Butter
I keep shouting this out… “Please don’t pay full price for your groceries, EVER!” And that includes , household items, toiletries, paper goods, etc… ever! I can buy the exact things you pay full price for, for half price or better. How?
“Grasshopper, learn the lesson of the peanut butter.” (Remember Kung Fu? SO cool!) Rather than get into long explanation, I copied a portion from my book (all I have to copy is an uncorrected proof, so go easy on me), “Shop Smart, Save More”, which is invaluable, the best book ever written on saving money on groceries. And I’m not the only one saying that. http://www.thegrocerygame.com/con_Shop_Smart_Save_More_Book.cfm
And I don’t feel bad saying that, because I had an incredible co-writer, Sheryl Berk (XOXOXO Sheryl!) and great publisher, Harper Collins, and went through the school of hard knocks for 8 years to learn what’s in that book!
Now, Grasshopper, listen carefully and take it to heart…
Chapter 4: Stockpiling
Shopping for stuff you need is a no-no. “Teri,” you say, “What are you talking about? Don’t you go out and buy OJ if your son finishes the ½ gallon in the fridge? Don’t you purchase pecorino romano cheese on a whim?” Nope. And you shouldn’t either. The whole idea of meal planning for a week of menus (or god forbid, for a daily menu) is so yesterday, not to mention the single biggest way to spend a whole lot of dough unnecessarily.
Instead, you’re going to buy more than you need when you don’t need it. It’s called “stockpiling,” and for me, it all started with a jar of peanut butter. It was my “Aha!” moment, the beginning of my Grocery Game strategies, and to this day, I smile whenever I see a jar of Jiffy on a shelf. I was about 13 years old, shopping at a supermarket in Orange California. I had my grocery list of things that we “needed” for our family. I thought I was already a smart shopper, looking for the best deals on the things that we were out of in the cupboards. I was going to stick to that list, as always, and find the best deals for each item, using a coupon whenever I could.
I was rushing down an aisle, heading for some bread, when I spotted a particular brand of peanut butter on sale. And it was a good sale! It was even the brand that we liked (although we were far from brand loyal by that time). I didn’t even have peanut butter on my list, because we weren’t out of it yet. But when I saw that sale, which was half off, I thought, “Too bad we don’t need peanut butter right now. That’s a great price.” Right then and there I had an epiphany. It’s sort of like when you are watching TV or listening to the radio, and an announcement comes on and declares, “We interrupt this program to bring you a special message!” I stopped and looked at that peanut butter high up on the shelf. As I think back on it now, I honestly think there was a ray of sunlight streaming through a window on that jar—as if the angels above were trying to tell me something. “To heck with it!” I said, grabbing the jar and throwing it in my cart. It went against every fiber of my being. I probably only had about $20 for that shopping trip. So I was paring down and trying to figure out what we could do without, rather than adding items to my list. I’m surprised I even considered it, I was so trained to get only the absolute must-haves for that week. But the price was so good, and I knew we would need it later (we all loved peanut butter)…somehow, I managed to break free. It felt good. It felt liberating. There was a new spring in my step. I was on to something, and I didn’t even know what it was. I had stepped into the world of “stockpiling.”
A lot of people email me and tell they can’t afford to stockpile. They explain that they are on a tight budget. There is nothing left in their bank account after they buy what they need. They tell me they simply can’t afford too build up their stockpile. This is a mindset that has to go. If you’re tight on your grocery budget, you can’t afford NOT to stockpile. Get stockpiling into your brain. It’s important to re-program old habits and old thoughts that are chipping away at your wallet. Stockpiling does not break the bank. By stockpiling with a strong savings strategy, you should come home with more groceries and still spend less. Stockpiling is a key strategy to winning The Grocery Game.
I understand the hesitation. At first, it might sound a little wasteful (okay, ridiculous) to buy three boxes of cereal when you only need one. Well, most of what I share with you will probably strike you that way initially. That’s because most of what I do to win The Grocery Game is the opposite of what you’ve been taught.
I’m not telling you to go out and buy 300 rolls of toiletpaper if you live in a 1-bedroom apartment. What I am telling you to do is buy more than one package of TP if you have a great coupon for it, and the timing is right (there is a categorical sales trend on paper goods, they’re offering double coupons, etc.). Carpe diem! Seize the day! Seize the sale. Don’t pass it by—like I almost did with that peanut butter—because you only came in to get a loaf of bread and some milk and it’s not on your list.
Stockpiling is not buying large packages or buying in bulk. In fact, stockpiling often means buying smaller packages rather than bigger ones (more about that later). Stockpiling is simply taking advantage of great sales with or without a coupon to buy what you need before you need it. Stockpiling is also NOT about being brand loyal. You only like your special brand of chips? Get over it. I can show you a bag for half that much or even better. Sure, once in a while, your brand of chips will be on sale, and you should go for it. But guess what? You just might find that another brand is just as good or better. And the bonus is this: Stockpiling frees up money in other areas. Once you stockpile in all areas of your groceries, the day will come when you are so far ahead in your savings, and your cupboards are so bursting, and your bank account is so much fatter, that you can afford to splurge and maybe grab that bag of your favorite brand of chips. Lots of Grocery Gamers are saving enough to go organic on their produce. The benefits of stockpiling are boundless.
Note: This is the end of the copy from the book. There is much more, and if you don’t understand “Categorical Sales Trends”, you don’t know what happens every 12 weeks in the supermarket, and why you have to stock up, or “invest” in your groceries, etc. Another subject for another day. Or get the book, or visit our message board.
