CONSUMER ALERTS

Bag those big grocery bills

With ever-rising food prices making headlines, any suggestions for ways to cost costs at the supermarket are welcome. The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) has a free online publication that offers several easy tips for doing just that the next time you head to the store.

      The first piece of advice is to make a list and then follow it, so that you avoid making impulsive purchases. While you’re still at home, look through the newspaper, the store’s circular or your local pennysaver to find advertised specials on items you need. Also look for coupons for the best bargains. Those from the store itself offer the “hottest” deals, advises DCA, although you’re limited to the quantity you can buy, while manufacturer’s “cents off” coupons for brand-name products must be presented to the cashier to receive the discount. Make sure those you clip have not expired.

      Once you’re at the market, be sure to purchase only as much as you and your family need of perishable items, such as milk, eggs and produce, to prevent waste until your next shopping trip. Consult the stickers attached to the shelves beneath every stocked product to learn the unit price, which indicates the price per ounce, pound or pint. With this information, you can compare the costs of different brands and package sizes of an item and determine which is the best value for your dollar. You might want to bring along a pocket calculator to figure out the mathematics.

      Also keep an eye out for in-store reduced-price specials on products you want. These are often marked with a shelf sign or colored “unit price” tag. Remember, too, that store brands are a good money-saving choice because they are comparable to name brands in quality, ingredients, and taste, but are priced lower.

      With today’s scanner technology, a lot of shoppers assume their purchases are always totaled accurately, but mistakes can still happen. Fortunately, you can track the products and the amounts being charged on the cashier’s screen as the items are being scanned, and flag any errors. Or you can check your receipt against your items after you have paid, and if you note any discrepancies, contact store management immediately.

      Post-purchase, you can use mail-in certificates to receive money back for buying products that offer rebates from the manufacturer. Follow the instructions on the package to request your rebate. If an item that was on sale is out of stock, ask for a rain check so you can return on another day and buy the item at the sale price. A store’s rain check policy should be posted.

      For more information on cutting costs when you buy groceries, read the full publication on the DCA’s website at http://nyc.gov/html/dca/downloads/pdf/Supermarket.pdf.