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Don’t you love when you are planning to buy something anyway and you end up getting something extra such as an extra discount, gift with purchase, or more included in your order? If you are already planning to buy something, getting an additional gift or discount feels like you are getting more for your money.
While I would not advise going out and buying something just because of the gift with purchase you will receive, it’s a great deal when you can get save some money or get something else that is useful just for making the purchase.
Companies and retail stores know this, which is why you see so many offers for gifts with purchase or buy more, save more, especially around the holiday seasons when people are ready to spend some money on gifts.
Get more value
Getting more for the money you are already spending is an excellent way to manage your budget better.
The tips below will definitely help you maximize the items you are already buying and save you some cold hard cash.
Grocery hack 1: Get the biggest item for your money
If you are shopping for produce that is priced per item, this is an excellent opportunity to get the most value for your money. You will be paying the same price regardless of the size or weight of the item you are buying so try to find the best value for your hard-earned dollars.
For example, if you’re buying heads of lettuce that are priced per head, dig through the stack and find the largest heads of lettuce with the freshest looking leaves that you can. You are paying the same price per head so it only makes sense to spend the extra thirty seconds to get the best lettuce for the price.
Just make sure to put everything back together the way you found it.
Related: How to manage your money the right way
This also works well for bagged produce such as a bag of apples or potatoes. You may be surprised by the difference in weight and count from bag to bag. There is usually a scale in most grocery store produce sections so weigh the bags to find the one that gives you the most product for your money.
I like to count the number of items in each bag since I like to get the biggest number of apples, potatoes, onions, etc. per bag. When I cook, I usually use one onion or a certain number of potatoes so having more (even if slightly smaller) fruits or veggies in each bag helps me get more out of each bag.
Related posts:
- 7 Easy Ways to Find Coupons for Organic Foods
- 6 Painless Ways To Save Money
- Money Habits That Will Change Your Life
Grocery hack 2: Repurpose leftovers into broth
On busy nights, I love getting a rotisserie chicken so I can feed my family a quick and healthy meal without much additional effort on my part. I like to add a veggie such as frozen broccoli and a starch such as sweet potatoes and call it dinner.
The leftover meat can be repurposed pretty easily into other meals such as chicken noodle soup or quesadillas. However, the other great thing about a whole chicken is that you can use the bones to make chicken broth.
I like to keep a bag of odds and ends from veggies in the freezer that I can add to the slow cooker along with the chicken bones and some water and just set it and forget it. Once the broth is done (after about 8 hours on low), I like to freeze it so I can use it in soups and stews later.
It’s a great way to get more value for your money out of each chicken that you buy and the chicken broth tastes much better than the cans or cartons you buy.
Grocery hack 3: Look for extra big packages
Keep your eyes open for packages or bottles that say that they now include say 20% more ketchup or 35% more crackers.
Sometimes those are not at the front of the display but more toward the back so it’s always a good idea to look behind the front line of products to see if there are any added-value products in the back.
Related: How to save money on your groceries without using coupons
Those bigger packages are the same price as what you are already planning to buy with one great bonus – getting more value for your money. If you also find those bigger packages on sale and it’s something you use on a regular basis, it would make sense to stock up and get an even greater savings long-term.
Grocery hack 4: Look for extra upgrades with purchase
While some products do not offer a larger size for the same price, they may offer a free gift with purchase (often wrapped together or attached to the item) for something else that you may need or want to try. For example, if you are buying sunscreen, you may find some bottles have a smaller bottle of aloe vera attached to the sunscreen for free.
Companies do this so you can try their other products and you get to score a travel-sized version you can take on your next vacation absolutely free. I’ve also seen some offers of a full-sized product for free such as a free conditioner with the purchase of a shampoo so keep your eyes open for those deals and stock up!
Getting a whole other full-size product for the price of something you were already planning to buy is an excellent deal provided it does not cost more than the single product.
These are just some of the tips and tricks I use to make sure that I get the most value out of each grocery dollar that I spent. Watching the grocery store sales, cooking, planning meals to match what’s on sale and using coupons for an additional discount are some other ways you can stay on budget and save money.
What are some of your favorite ways to get extra value when shopping? I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions.
Resources that I love:
If you’re looking to save money on your shopping, then I highly recommend checking out these ideas!
Amazon Prime – With free unlimited two-day shipping and no minimum purchase required, Amazon Prime is the perfect solution for your holiday shopping. You get a FREE 30-day trial membership for signing up through my link. I absolutely love my Amazon Prime membership!
Click here for a FREE TRIAL of Amazon Prime through my link!
Ebates – Get cash back for any purchases that you are already making online. Just go through the Ebates cash back portal and you will get a percentage back of your total order price. You can also use coupons on top of going through Ebates for even more savings. Read my review of Ebates here. You get $10 FREE cash back after you make a $25 purchase for signing up through my link.
Click here to sign up for Ebates through my link and get $10 for FREE after spending $25!
Ibotta – Get cash back for purchases, including groceries, clothing and more! Download the app on your phone, check it before heading to the store so you can add any rebates that interest you, then shop as usual. When you get home, just scan your receipt and enjoy the cash back. It’s such an easy way to get some extra cash!
These are such handy tips! Thanks for a great post!
Thank you! I’m so glad you found them helpful 🙂
good ideas!
Thank you! 🙂