Supercenters
Supercenters. We all know them as the "cheapest" places to buy everything. Most people, before they start couponing seriously, feel like buying everything at a supercenter is the best way to save money. I used to feel like that. However, this is not true- not at all! I want to take a few minutes to debunk some myths about grocery shopping at supercenters as a way to save money.
1. They have lower prices
Not necessarily. On some things, yes. Sometimes. The biggest difference is that, while they have "everyday low prices", they don't often have sales. If something drops in price, it is either on its way out or is only dropped by pennies. Grocery stores, on the other hand, put EVERYTHING on sale at some point, usually in cycles. At some point in that cycle the item will reach its lowest price, often 50% off or more. You will never find items at supercenters on SALE for 50% off of their normal cost (possibly on clearance, but we are specifically dealing with grocery purchases here). At Fab Steals and Deals, we often talk about saving 50-80% on groceries. The majority of those savings come from store sales, NOT coupons. If you wait to buy an item until it is 50% off or more, that is when you will save the most money. This will almost never happen at supercenters. While one would argue that it is still cheaper because grocery stores' prices are already significantly higher, I would have to say that this is really not true. While grocery stores are a bit higher, their sale prices are much lower that the prices at a supercenter. MUCH. For example:
Walmart's Everyday Low Price on Kellogg's Fruit Loops- $2.94
Publix's Everyday Price on Kellogg's Fruit Loops- $3.99
Publix's BOGO Price on Kellogg's Fruit Loops: $1.99
That is 95 cents difference, BEFORE coupons.
2. They are more convenient.
Well, it is hard to argue with the logic of a store that encompasses groceries, apparel, electronics, toys, and everything else you might need. Unless, of course, you are truly trying to save money. :) While supercenters can be great for convenience's sake, they can really hurt your budget for several reasons.
-All of the extra "stuff" means just that... extra stuff. Instead of running in for a couple of items, you are tempted to look at other things (that cute dress, a dvd, a toy for your whiny 3-year-old) that seriously hurt your budget. How many of us have walked out of Walmart, having only gone in for milk and bread, and come out having spent $30 on other STUFF we didn't know we needed 'til we got there? My husband and I used to joke that we couldn't even walk past Walmart without dropping $25. With that convenience comes temptation- and with temptation comes a blown budget!
-Because we are fooled into thinking that the "everyday low prices" are indeed the lowest prices, we buy more and spend more. One of the most important things to remember about dedicated couponing is buying things when they are at a rock-bottom price, NOT an "everyday low price". If we start grabbing all of these items at Walmart because we are already there, we are pouring money out of our wallets on items that would have been so much cheaper at a grocery store on a sale. Check out my Couponing Basics to learn about dedicated couponing, and you will understand why.
Here are a few other reasons to shop at grocery stores rather than Walmart.
1. The coupon policies
- I will be the first to admit that, before I started couponing, I HATED Publix. I couldn't BELIEVE people poured their hard-earned money down the drain buying items that were so much more expensive there than anywhere else. Ridiculous. I was an avid Walmart shopper- even though I hated Walmart just as much, but for different reasons (their lousy customer service; the fact that I always bought more there than I was planning on, despite the fact that they never seemed to have what I went in there for; their not-so-clean stores...). When Target opened, I switched allegiances, still on a quest for low-priced items. Then I started couponing- and my eyes were opened. Big time. Publix is now my favorite place to shop. Seriously.
-Many grocery stores double coupons, especially in the area in which I live. I know that this is not true for many of you- bear with me. Walmart does not double, period.
-Publix and some other stores (not many, but some) accept competitor coupons. Supercenters price-match, but they are super picky. They won't accept competitor coupons.
-Many grocery stores have their own store coupons that stack with manufacturer coupons. Two coupons on one item= major savings. Walmart does not have any store coupons (Target does have the advantage here!). No stacking + no doubling= waste of time, money and coupons.
-The employees of supercenters are the worst when it comes to knowing and adhering to corporate coupon policies. If I ever have coupon problems, it is in a supercenter. No kidding.
2. As I said before, the sales.
-Grocery stores will, at some point, put everything on sale. Usually these things will hit their rock-bottom (or lowest) price once every 4-6 weeks. Some items hit that lowest point more often (like cereal). If you ever catch grocery items on sale at a supercenter for 50% off or more, please let me know. I'll alert the media. ;) Seriously though- since supercenters already have such "low" prices, they don't do the big sales. I am happy with gimmicky sales, honestly- if you know the policies, you will know how to work them to your budget's advantage.
- Even for stores that don't double, store sales are where the majority of the savings hide. You will still come out ahead over supercenters. If you are shopping at a store that doesn't put items at a rock-bottom price, you will never score the huge savings.
-When you combine the rock-bottom prices with your coupons, you will come out so far ahead that you will amaze yourself. Let's carry on our example- this is a real-life example from a trip I took to Walmart.
Walmart: Fruit Loops $2.94
use a $1/2 coupon= makes it $4.88 for two boxes.
Publix: Fruit Loops $3.99, BOGO @ $1.99
use $1/2 manufacturer coupon= makes it $2.99 for 2 boxes of cereal
use $1/2 competitor coupon (Target)= makes it $1.99 for 2 boxes of cereal.
That's $1 a box. You get TWO boxes of cereal for LESS than the "everyday low price" of one box at Walmart. Combining coupons and sales, that is 66% less than Walmart. And that is just on cereal.
1. They have lower prices
Not necessarily. On some things, yes. Sometimes. The biggest difference is that, while they have "everyday low prices", they don't often have sales. If something drops in price, it is either on its way out or is only dropped by pennies. Grocery stores, on the other hand, put EVERYTHING on sale at some point, usually in cycles. At some point in that cycle the item will reach its lowest price, often 50% off or more. You will never find items at supercenters on SALE for 50% off of their normal cost (possibly on clearance, but we are specifically dealing with grocery purchases here). At Fab Steals and Deals, we often talk about saving 50-80% on groceries. The majority of those savings come from store sales, NOT coupons. If you wait to buy an item until it is 50% off or more, that is when you will save the most money. This will almost never happen at supercenters. While one would argue that it is still cheaper because grocery stores' prices are already significantly higher, I would have to say that this is really not true. While grocery stores are a bit higher, their sale prices are much lower that the prices at a supercenter. MUCH. For example:
Walmart's Everyday Low Price on Kellogg's Fruit Loops- $2.94
Publix's Everyday Price on Kellogg's Fruit Loops- $3.99
Publix's BOGO Price on Kellogg's Fruit Loops: $1.99
That is 95 cents difference, BEFORE coupons.
2. They are more convenient.
Well, it is hard to argue with the logic of a store that encompasses groceries, apparel, electronics, toys, and everything else you might need. Unless, of course, you are truly trying to save money. :) While supercenters can be great for convenience's sake, they can really hurt your budget for several reasons.
-All of the extra "stuff" means just that... extra stuff. Instead of running in for a couple of items, you are tempted to look at other things (that cute dress, a dvd, a toy for your whiny 3-year-old) that seriously hurt your budget. How many of us have walked out of Walmart, having only gone in for milk and bread, and come out having spent $30 on other STUFF we didn't know we needed 'til we got there? My husband and I used to joke that we couldn't even walk past Walmart without dropping $25. With that convenience comes temptation- and with temptation comes a blown budget!
-Because we are fooled into thinking that the "everyday low prices" are indeed the lowest prices, we buy more and spend more. One of the most important things to remember about dedicated couponing is buying things when they are at a rock-bottom price, NOT an "everyday low price". If we start grabbing all of these items at Walmart because we are already there, we are pouring money out of our wallets on items that would have been so much cheaper at a grocery store on a sale. Check out my Couponing Basics to learn about dedicated couponing, and you will understand why.
Here are a few other reasons to shop at grocery stores rather than Walmart.
1. The coupon policies
- I will be the first to admit that, before I started couponing, I HATED Publix. I couldn't BELIEVE people poured their hard-earned money down the drain buying items that were so much more expensive there than anywhere else. Ridiculous. I was an avid Walmart shopper- even though I hated Walmart just as much, but for different reasons (their lousy customer service; the fact that I always bought more there than I was planning on, despite the fact that they never seemed to have what I went in there for; their not-so-clean stores...). When Target opened, I switched allegiances, still on a quest for low-priced items. Then I started couponing- and my eyes were opened. Big time. Publix is now my favorite place to shop. Seriously.
-Many grocery stores double coupons, especially in the area in which I live. I know that this is not true for many of you- bear with me. Walmart does not double, period.
-Publix and some other stores (not many, but some) accept competitor coupons. Supercenters price-match, but they are super picky. They won't accept competitor coupons.
-Many grocery stores have their own store coupons that stack with manufacturer coupons. Two coupons on one item= major savings. Walmart does not have any store coupons (Target does have the advantage here!). No stacking + no doubling= waste of time, money and coupons.
-The employees of supercenters are the worst when it comes to knowing and adhering to corporate coupon policies. If I ever have coupon problems, it is in a supercenter. No kidding.
2. As I said before, the sales.
-Grocery stores will, at some point, put everything on sale. Usually these things will hit their rock-bottom (or lowest) price once every 4-6 weeks. Some items hit that lowest point more often (like cereal). If you ever catch grocery items on sale at a supercenter for 50% off or more, please let me know. I'll alert the media. ;) Seriously though- since supercenters already have such "low" prices, they don't do the big sales. I am happy with gimmicky sales, honestly- if you know the policies, you will know how to work them to your budget's advantage.
- Even for stores that don't double, store sales are where the majority of the savings hide. You will still come out ahead over supercenters. If you are shopping at a store that doesn't put items at a rock-bottom price, you will never score the huge savings.
-When you combine the rock-bottom prices with your coupons, you will come out so far ahead that you will amaze yourself. Let's carry on our example- this is a real-life example from a trip I took to Walmart.
Walmart: Fruit Loops $2.94
use a $1/2 coupon= makes it $4.88 for two boxes.
Publix: Fruit Loops $3.99, BOGO @ $1.99
use $1/2 manufacturer coupon= makes it $2.99 for 2 boxes of cereal
use $1/2 competitor coupon (Target)= makes it $1.99 for 2 boxes of cereal.
That's $1 a box. You get TWO boxes of cereal for LESS than the "everyday low price" of one box at Walmart. Combining coupons and sales, that is 66% less than Walmart. And that is just on cereal.
When to Shop at Supercenters
Yes, there is a time to shop at supercenters. :) I am not knocking them completely. Here is when I shop at supercenters:
1. To get an All You magazine (if you don't have a subscription). Yes, that is my #1 reason. Yes, REALLY. ;) They are only sold at Walmart, and they are definitely worth the trip- they often have $70+ worth of coupons. Just make sure to have "tunnel vision" and get only the magazine!
2. If you sincerely NEED an item that is not currently on sale at the grocery stores you frequent. If you stockpile correctly, that should not happen often- but it does happen. Prices will often (but not always, FYI) be cheaper at supercenters than the original price at a grocery store. Be sure to take a list, and ONLY get the items on your list- avoid temptation!!
3. Non-grocery items are perfectly good reasons to shop at supercenters. Personally, I get all of my personal care items at drugstores now (for free, I might add), but if you don't feel like doing the "drugstore game", supercenter prices are often cheaper on these items. Keep an eye out on grocery stores, though- sometimes they have terrific sales, even on these items, that put supercenters to shame. I have gotten tons of free deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste at grocery stores.
4. Target is great about sales and giftcard offers, so those are great promotions to hit. Take advantage of them. Earning giftcards for items helps you in the long run, because it lowers your OOP expense in the future- and if you use them just on other giftcard-earning items, you will never have to pay for those! That's pretty fun. :)
5. Holidays! Supercenters are great places for holiday shopping because they match prices and try to outdo each other with sales. Keep an eye out for the lowest prices on your gift wishlists.
The bottom line: While supercenters do have their place, and can save you money in some areas, don't do the majority of your grocery shopping there. You are just flushing money down the toilet. Learn how to use coupons and sales correctly, and track the sales at grocery stores, to make sure that you are saving 50-80% or more- and that gives you plenty of extra money to spend on the more fun, non-grocery "everyday low price" items at supercenters. :)
1. To get an All You magazine (if you don't have a subscription). Yes, that is my #1 reason. Yes, REALLY. ;) They are only sold at Walmart, and they are definitely worth the trip- they often have $70+ worth of coupons. Just make sure to have "tunnel vision" and get only the magazine!
2. If you sincerely NEED an item that is not currently on sale at the grocery stores you frequent. If you stockpile correctly, that should not happen often- but it does happen. Prices will often (but not always, FYI) be cheaper at supercenters than the original price at a grocery store. Be sure to take a list, and ONLY get the items on your list- avoid temptation!!
3. Non-grocery items are perfectly good reasons to shop at supercenters. Personally, I get all of my personal care items at drugstores now (for free, I might add), but if you don't feel like doing the "drugstore game", supercenter prices are often cheaper on these items. Keep an eye out on grocery stores, though- sometimes they have terrific sales, even on these items, that put supercenters to shame. I have gotten tons of free deodorant, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste at grocery stores.
4. Target is great about sales and giftcard offers, so those are great promotions to hit. Take advantage of them. Earning giftcards for items helps you in the long run, because it lowers your OOP expense in the future- and if you use them just on other giftcard-earning items, you will never have to pay for those! That's pretty fun. :)
5. Holidays! Supercenters are great places for holiday shopping because they match prices and try to outdo each other with sales. Keep an eye out for the lowest prices on your gift wishlists.
The bottom line: While supercenters do have their place, and can save you money in some areas, don't do the majority of your grocery shopping there. You are just flushing money down the toilet. Learn how to use coupons and sales correctly, and track the sales at grocery stores, to make sure that you are saving 50-80% or more- and that gives you plenty of extra money to spend on the more fun, non-grocery "everyday low price" items at supercenters. :)
Need More Reasons?
Jenny at Southern Savers (one of my favorite sites), did an awesome experiment. She took all of the items on a grocery store ad, added up the prices, and then went to Walmart and added up the same "everyday low prices" for the same items. Go check out her results- you will truly be amazed!
