Grocery Shopping and Price Matching

I am all for finding a great deal. I used to run around from store to store to buy all the great sale items, and “couponing”. This was time consuming and a hassle. Then I realized how simple it is to price match at Walmart. As long as you know the rules and a few tricks, it is really easy. And you can apply your coupons to the prices you match.

Plus, I've often found that, when at Walmart to price match, what is a “killer deal” at a regular grocery store is still higher in price than the regular price for the same item in Walmart's brand.
So I can choose to save money and price match for the name brand, or save on the Walmart brand...which ever works for what I want. Either way, price matching saves a ton of time, hassle, and money.

Now, you should know that I hate to stall up the line and bother the cashiers...so that is why I follow a simple plan (explained below) that I have yet to slow down the line, bother a cashier or fellow shopper!

Here is what I do:
First while at home, I look at the adds, and plan what meals I will make for the week with a consideration of what is on sale.

Then I look for which items are on a good deal that I will need. These are staple items and non perishables like, canned food, freezable meats, condiments, flour, etc. Or items I know we constantly go through like: cereal, granola bars, bread, ziplocks, foil, etc. All of these items I buy when on the best deals so that when I need them I don't have to go out and pay full price or even an “okay” sale price when I need it.

Second, I look on coupon and deal websites like pinchingyourpennies, hip2save, or sistersavings and see if there are any additional deals or if they have a coupon I can print for something I need.

As I find each item I list it by category: produce, meat, dairy, etc. So that it makes a faster more organized shopping trip (less back tracking in the store).

Now to make the price matching fast and easy...

1. When there is an item I want to match, I write it on my list with the brand, and the name of the store that it is on sale, with their advertised price.

            Example: Yoplait Yogurt (Alb. 2/$1) So I know it is on sale at Albertson's 2 for $1.00

This way, I can quickly tell the cashier what the price is and where, without the hassle of going through the adds or forgetting.

*If I have a coupon I also write that next to the item on my list, so that I don't forget to use it and can compare the “couponed” price with the store brand...to make sure it is a better buy.

2. ALWAYS choose a young teenage cashier!!! They are easy going and fast about price matching. The older cashiers want to look at every add and they get frustrated faster. This is a simple trick a friend passed to me and it totally works!

By doing these steps my shopping trip is smooth and easy.


A few Walmart "rules" to know
Walmart price matches:
- Any competitors sale price, except Buy One Get One Free, or a % off of a price.
-If a competitor's "Store Brand" is on sale they match it to Walmart's store brand, Great Value.
-When matching prices check size and quantity.  (For example: the ounces of the package need to match.)
-When matching prices check the varities specified (usually Walmart isn't picky about the variety when it says "select varities" only when it says "excluding" a certain variety)
-They accept manufacture's coupons