It ’s no closed book that grocery stores make money by marking up the item they sell — but the amount of mark - up depart a short ton from merchandise to product . “ detail that are extremely perishable , and so might get thrown away before they ’re bought , tend to get a higher mark - up , ” say Andrea Woroch , a consumer savings expert .
coupon are one room to battle eminent prices , if you ’re careful(check out the gratuitous appCoupon Sherpafor an sluttish direction to digitally clip and organize coupons ) . But for some items , a voucher probably wo n’t cut it . Woroch recommends shopper skip over these item entirely at the grocery computer storage .
1. NAME-BRAND CEREAL
If you compare the element list of generic and name - brand version of the same cereal , you ’ll plausibly find the same ingredient — in the exact same order . Make the switch to the loud box , and you’re able to hold open 50 percentage or more , according to Woroch . “ And most stores volunteer a money - back warranty on their own brands , so if you do sample a difference you’re able to get a repayment , ” she say .
2. SPICES
Mark - up on market - store spices is nearly 100 percent , and they seldom go on sale , says Woroch . Instead of getting gouged on cinnamon and cloves , buy them at the drugstore or natural food shop , where they tend to be punk . A jarful of bay leaves , for instance , might cost north of $ 3.50 at the foodstuff store but less than 50 cents for the same amount from the bulk bin at a lifelike foods storage . “ If you do n’t mind assign them in your own container , you could keep open big ! ”
3. PREPACKAGED PRODUCE
You probably already know that all of those packages of cube squash , diced mushrooms , and sliced watermelon be more than buying the whole garden truck . But did you know that the mark - up is typically 40 percent or more ? " For a task that takes less than five instant , you ’re paying a big difference , ” say Woroch .
4. PREPPED MEATS
Like prepackaged produce , the convenience of buying pre - formed hamburger patty or assembled steak kebabs is live on to cost you — anywhere from 60 to 300 percent ( ! ) more than buy the meat in its whole strain . But there ’s a ( cheaper ) middle ground between purchase a elephantine hunk of meat and the pricey prepped variant : Ask your butcher to grind or dice a cutting for you , to make your piece of work at plate faster .
5. BATTERIES
These are a classical impulse buy , which is why they often line the check - out lanes at supermarkets , where you ’re less likely to take the clip and comparison shop class . But you’re able to preserve 50 percent or more by buying them at a grownup - corner store , like Target or Walmart , or stock up at a storage warehouse store , like Costco . Batteries do n’t have a shelf biography , so buying in bulk should n’t give you pause .
6. SMALL SNACKS
Single - service portions of flake and pretzel typically run 30 percent more per troy ounce than a big purse of the same product , according to Woroch . If you like the grab - and - go gadget of the little sizes , she suggests buy the bigger bag and then doling it into minuscule bags as soon as you ’re home , so your larder is stocked with DIY snack - size container .
7. PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS
Drugstores typically extend good deals — and more frequent sales — than grocery stores , when it do to personal forethought products , says Woroch . That intend tossing deodorant or shampoo into your grocery cart could cost you an unneeded 30 per centum more .
