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Don’t go to the grocery store again without reading this.
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When you go grocery shopping, you understandably want to keep costs down as much as possible so you don’t end up with a huge credit card bill that’s hard to pay.
In many cases, buying generic products is one way to help you reduce your food spending. Generics tend to be cheaper than their name-brand counterparts and they’re often, but not always, similar.
Sometimes, though, you may prefer to buy the name brand. The good news is, finance expert Dave Ramsey has a tip that you can follow that could actually result in the name-brand costing less than the generic alternative. If you’re interested in buying a branded product for less, it’s possible this advice could help make that happen.
Here’s how Ramsey says you can save on name-brand items
If you want to be able to purchase brand names instead of generics, and still spend less money to do it, Ramsey said there’s one habit you will have to adopt: couponing.
“Most coupons are for name-brand items,” Ramsey explained. “If you have a good coupon (or several that you can stack!), it can drastically lower the price — sometimes even lower than the store brand. So don’t automatically assume generic will be the least expensive option every time.”
Ramsey suggests taking the time to compare prices, while also checking sales flyers and the manufacturer coupons that are available, in order to find the best deal. If you can get a brand-name item for less than the store-brand alternative, it’s typically a win-win and worth the effort.
How to implement Ramsey’s advice
While some of Ramsey’s advice is questionable and may not be worth following, his suggestion to use coupons to save on name-brand products is spot-on. Coupons can dramatically reduce the price — especially if you are able to combine offers. In fact, sometimes it’s even possible to purchase name-brand items for free or for mere pennies if you use coupons wisely.
The key, though, is figuring out how to actually make coupons work for you. And there are a few ways to make that happen:
Understand the sources of coupons: Many coupons come in inserts in the Sunday paper, so you’d theoretically have to purchase a paper to get them. However, you can buy Sunday paper coupons preclipped online, if you don’t feel like going to the hassle or expense of buying a paper and cutting coupons out of it. You may also be able to get coupons on online sites, including from different product manufacturers, or by contacting the manufacturer directly to review its product or ask for deals.Look into stacking coupons: In many cases, it’s possible to use multiple coupons at once such as a store or manufacturer coupon. These are situations when you can really get a good deal because you are reaping savings from multiple sources.Plan your shopping strategically: If a name-brand item is cheap with a coupon, buy enough during the time the coupon is valid to last you through the next time the item is on sale. That way, you can avoid having to pay full price or having to buy a generic alternative.
With these tips, hopefully you can fill your pantry with the name-brand food and other household staples you love without busting your grocery budget.
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