Smart and Savvy Shopping!

Groceries Are Only The Beginning!

To enhance your food shopping skills, get acquainted with the grocery store—the services it offers, the personnel and major sections—then put the food shopping basics in action.

Additional Services• Banking• Express checkout counters• Convenient shopping hours• Bulletin board for use by customers• Recipes and product information services• Advice on quantity to buy and preparation techniques from meat

department• Samples of new food products• Equipment rentals• Stores within the store including deli, bakery, pharmacy, Caribou, etc.• Unit pricing on all or some items packaged in nonstandard sizes• Open dating on perishable items• Groceries and other necessities in one place

Basic Family NeedsSound food buying practices begin with personal and family needs. While every

family is different, the same basic needs must be considered. Family Size & Makeup Food

Preferences Time & Skills

Basic Family Needs

Life Style Money

Basic Family NeedsFood Preferences – What foods do all of the family members enjoy? Family Size and Makeup – How large is the family? How old are the

kids? Time and Skills – How much time does each family member have to

devote to meal preparation? Who is skilled at what? Money – What is the family income? How much is the family willing to

spend each week or month for food? Life Style – What is the family’s mode of living? Does the family

entertain guests frequently?

Meal Planning

Plan menus, keeping in mind the following factors:

• Family Needs• Good Nutrition• Variety and Appetite Appeal• Wise Use of Leftovers

How, Where, and When To Shop• Buy the quantity you need, otherwise you may waste food

and money. Large sizes usually give more value per ounce of food than smaller containers.

• Where you shop affects the value you receive for the money spent. Prices vary among different stores, so you must evaluate the pro’s and con’s and different stores.

• When you shop will depend on your schedule of activities and amount of free time. Shopping when stores are well stocked, less busy, and offering good buys is recommended.

Unit Pricing

Unit pricing is the price per unit(i.e. ounce, pound, etc.)

Unit price = total price divided by the number of units

• Unit pricing is often figured and listed on the store shelf

• Unit pricing is a way to compare brands and also different size containers of the same brand

• Larger containers (even if cheaper per unit) may not always best buy if the product isn’t going to be used before the expiration date

Convenience FoodsConvenience foods are food products which are already

prepared or semi-prepared

• Generally, the more the food is processed/prepared the higher the cost

• Convenience foods save time, but are more expensive. Sometimes it’s worth it depending on how much time you have!

• If you’re on a limited budget, reducing the amountof convenience foods you buy can save money

• Most contain food additives (not natural), and are generally higher in fat and sodium

Name Brands vs. Store Brands

Store brands are foods without national brand names (also known as generic)

• Store brands are usually less expensive and are often of the same quality

• Store brands are often manufactured by a national company, just without the name on the package

• Check unit pricing of brands to compare (coupons may make names brand products cheaper)

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