How to Save on Groceries: Inspired by a Save Mart Customer

I was helping a customer bag her groceries when I noticed her total savings from the receipt. Exceeding 50%, the total savings was a hefty amount that caught my nosy eye. I complimented her on the feat, but she shrugged it off. “Oh, I just buy the sale items from the weekly ad, and that’s what we eat for the week,” she proclaimed. Her methods were simple. If it ain’t on sale, they ain’t eatin’ it — ‘nuff said. It’s all about saving money.

It wasn’t until today, September 18th, 2024, when the newest weekly ad for Save Mart #089 would hit the shelves. Right there at the entrance, the freshly printed, store-specific newspaper, full of the latest offers and deals. My walk inside the store was brief, and I walked outside with one copy. I knew what had to be done. I needed to see how much an average family of four could save if they purchased ONLY THE ITEMS ON SALE by utilizing everything Save Mart has to offer this week, including digital coupons and in-store offers.

The ad shows pricing valid September 18 - 24, 2024, however, Page 1 shows September 4 - 10, and it is believed to be a simple oversight seeing that the other pages seem correct.

Here is the link to the weekly ad that I used for this list.

The Challenge: $200 Budget for a Family of Four

Okay, so here’s the setup. We’ve got a family of four, which includes two school-aged kids (translation: lots of lunchbox drama) and two adults who need real food. We’re talking breakfast, lunch, dinner, and of course, snacks. All of this has to last a week without anyone dying of boredom from eating the same thing every night. Oh, and did I mention we only have $200? Yeah, fun times.

Breakfast: Let’s Keep It Light (Because… Effort)

Let’s face it, breakfast is just a formality at this point. Nobody’s pulling out a full spread on a Monday morning. So, I kept it light:

• Eggs – We all know eggs are the breakfast MVP. Grab a dozen Pete & Gerry’s Pasture Raised Eggs for $6.99, or go with the larger 18-pack of store brand eggs. Whatever deals are on eggs, get them.

• Cereal or Fruit – Some cereal or yogurt with fruit like organic Fuji apples ($3.99 for 2 lbs) or the BOGO on carrots.

Other breakfast items keep the total around $20-$30 for healthy, light meals to start the day.

Lunch: Sandwiches, Snacks, and Survival

Kids’ lunches: sandwiches, some fruit, maybe a snack. Adults’ lunches: basically the same thing, but pretend it’s more exciting.

• Lunch Meat & Cheese – Two Land O’Frost Premium Lunch Meat ($6.99) and Sunnyside Farms Cheese ($3.49). Get some bread (let’s guess $4) because sandwiches are life.

• Snacks – Chips (Tim’s Hawaiian Chips for $3.49 when you buy 2) and maybe Yoplait yogurt (89¢ each, 5 for $4.45) to make it seem like you tried.

I managed to estimate lunch for the whole family at around $35. Sandwiches for everyone, every day. Exciting, right?

Dinner: Meat + Veg = A Formula for Success

Now dinner is where it gets interesting. And by “interesting,” I mean it’s where you pretend you’re a chef with your carefully selected Save Mart protein.

• Chicken, Beef, or Seafood – Ground beef at $2.99/lb (you’ll need around 4 lbs for the week), boneless chicken breast ($5.99/lb for 4 lbs), and maybe some salmon or shrimp for a ‘fancy’ night (salmon $7.99/lb, shrimp $11.99/lb).

• Veggies – Potatoes ($1.79/lb), bell peppers (4 for $5), organic onions ($3.99), tomatoes, lettuce, and any random veggies that scream “I’m healthy!”

Dinner total comes out to about $80. Enough for a solid week of meals without anyone asking “are we having this again?”

Snacks: Because Kids Will Ask Every 5 Minutes

Snacks are basically just survival mechanisms for parents. Keep ‘em quiet with chips, yogurt, and fruit:

• Tim’s Chips, Tostitos, or Cheetos for $2.99, and some fruit that overlaps with breakfast and lunch. $25 should cover you, but we know you’re going to cave-in and spend more.

Final Total?

Drumroll, please… You’re looking at $160 for the week. Yes, I did the math, and I probably got too excited about it. That’s 84 meals across 7 days for 4 people. Even after all that, you’ve got room left in your $200 budget, so if you want to grab more shrimp or, I don’t know, a 5-gallon jar of pickles, go for it.

Cost Per Meal: I Can’t Believe I Care

After breaking down the $160 for the week, you’re looking at $1.90 per meal. Yes, a family of four can survive and even thrive on $1.90 per meal. You can thank Save Mart for their somewhat boring deals and my spreadsheet skills for making this sound exciting.

BUT WAIT! PROTEIN.

Many of you require more protein in your diets – primarily chicken and fish – for good health and muscle growth. I’m not a scientist, but I do recognize families that take healthy lifestyles seriously. Some want more protein for active children, and for themselves. Save Mart #089 has a deal on meats called the Butcher Box, and it includes a variety of steaks, chicken, and ground beef for $25 (as of today 9/18). It’s a great deal, without a doubt.

Here’s what happens when we double up on high-protein foods:

Doubling the Protein Sources

Now, with the protein portions doubled, your dinner total looks like this:

• Ground Beef (8 lbs): $24

• Boneless Chicken Breast (8 lbs): $48

• Seafood (Salmon/Shrimp): $36

• Eggs (2 dozen): $13.98

• Extras (Queso Fresco/Chorizo): $6.38

That gives us a total protein-heavy dinner budget of around $128.36. Way more protein, but still manageable.

The New Grand Total

Let’s revisit the other meals and add the new dinner cost:

• Breakfast: Still about $20

• Lunch: Still about $35

• Dinner (now with double protein): $128.36

• Snacks: $25

Grand Total: $208.36

What Does This Mean for the Cost Per Meal?

Let’s run the numbers again:

• Total meals for the week (including snacks): 84 meals

• New total spend: $208.36

$208.36 ÷ 84 meals =

~$2.48 per meal

Final Thoughts (Now Even Meatier)

So, even after doubling the protein, you’re still looking at a cost per meal of under $2.50. Not bad for a week’s worth of muscle-building, protein-heavy meals, right? And you’re barely over the $200 budget, even with all that protein. Go ahead and throw in a few more packs of chicken or, you know, another bag of Tostitos for snack night. The problem is that the weekly ad expires on September 24, 2024 so you better hurry up.

Note: The pricing is based on maximizing the usage of the digital coupons, three-day sales, and in-store offers. No guarantees as to your own particular outcome. Prices may vary. Void where prohibited. Oh, and I did not account for condiments like mayonnaise.