The Clever Grocery Trick I Wish I’d Heard About Sooner (I’m Saving $75 Every Single Month)
I can’t be the only one who is tired of the usual grocery budgeting tips out there. Fine, I won’t shop while I’m hungry (not). I’ll eat all my leftovers (please don’t make me). And sure, I’ll only shop on Wednesday evenings under a Harvest moon.
These — let’s be honest — less-than-helpful tips don’t exactly get me excited to go to the grocery store (one of my favorite “chores” ever, TBH).
Groceries are pretty expensive these days — research shows the prices have been climbing upwards of 18% over the last three years. While I can’t exactly control the price of eggs, I can choose what I buy and when and where I buy it. I think it’s time we all take a page out of Big Grocery’s playbook with a little-known concept I learned while researching grocery shrinkflation last year: loss leaders.
Trust me, you’re going to want to get very familiar with these beloved “losers.” I now plan my whole grocery trip (and weekly meals) around these discounts hiding in plain sight that, on average, save me about $75 each month — that’s a whole quarter of my grocery bill.
But First, What Are Loss Leaders?
This is a practice used at nearly every store — whether it sells food or not. Simply put, “loss leaders” are items that are priced below its market value. So a store actually loses money when you or I purchase that ridiculously cheap rotisserie chicken (looking at you, Costco), heavily discounted carton of milk, or bunch of bananas sold for pennies per pound.
This is not by accident! The cheap prices — aka loss in profits — will hopefully lead us into the stores and buy a few other items with higher markups. How many times have you gone to pick up a “just a loaf of bread” only to end up with an entire basket (or cart!) of items? I’ve been there many times.
How to Spot (and Plan) for Loss Leaders
Loss leaders might be industry speak, but they’re staring all of us shoppers right in the face — you just have to know where to look. I start with the weekly flyer at my grocery store. In it, I’ve noticed certain weekly deals alongside their “best friends.” Typically one of those is a loss leader paired with another, more highly priced item. Think: cheap cheese slices (to go with a pricier pound of cold cuts), discounted broth (to go with the premade boxed stuffing), or on-sale ice cream (next to the bakery apple pie).
You’ll find the same complementary pairings as you weave your way through the aisles, too. But while you might want hot dog buns to go with the on-sale hot dogs, staying aware is key. Maybe you don’t need that particular brand of hot dog buns on display, and can head to another store (or simply get a less expensive option there)? With a bit of awareness you can sidestep a loss leader’s more overpriced BFF.
A Few of My Favorite Loss Leaders to Buy
Now, I shop specifically for loss leaders and plan my meals around them, avoiding their more expensive companions in the process (as much as I can). For instance, an Aldi flyer I just picked up had a whole bunch of loss-leader meals in the making.
- Blueberries: For a common loss leader such as fresh blueberries, you might see it near a high-priced bestie such as Greek yogurt or a name-brand cereal. In that case, I’ll typically opt for another loss leader (like milk, a store-brand cereal, or oats to make my own granola at home).
- Pancake Mix: This is an easy one, because what is pancake mix without Grade A ($$$) maple syrup? In this case, I’d opt to top pancakes with a more affordable option like peanut butter or honey.
- Eggs: Generally speaking, eggs are one of the most common loss leaders of all, and are often positioned toward the back of stores (which forces you to pass whole aisles’ worth of temptation). I skip the delicious, yet pricey bacon and pair eggs with another loss leader, like thin-sliced steamed potatoes to make an amazing Spanish tortilla.
It hardly means I feel like I’m missing out on my favorite items — far from it. It really just feels like a slight pivot. I’ve also found I end up with more fresh foods in my cart (I’ve noticed perishable items are often loss leaders at grocery stores). A pre-bagged salad mix is one of my favorite loss leader meals that only gets better when added with another loss leader: a shredded rotisserie chicken.
Can I get a drumroll for maybe the most major loss leader of all time? It’s none other than …frozen turkeys at Thanksgiving. I went ahead and paired my bird last year with a very cost-effective side of loss-leading fresh green beans (okay, and maybe my not-quite-loss-leading favorite Stove Top boxed stuffing, too).
Got a brilliant grocery budget tip to share? Tell us about it in the comments below.