Are you really getting a good deal at your local supermarket? You might want to think again. There are some things grocery stores don't want you to know. But we are working for you revealing those secrets.
Filling up the cart to feed your family is a weekly routine for many of us. But the next time you're at the grocery store, pay attention, you could be wasting money without even knowing it.
Product sizes are shrinking, but prices are not. Denise Laumann, also known as the coupon lady, is the ultimate bargain shopper. But she says consumers are getting less for their money.
Manufacturers are downsizing products, but prices are staying the same. Laumann says, "We've lost 2 cups of our ice cream. coffee used to be a pound. Now it's anywhere from 11 to 13 ounces. Skippy peanut butter, they've put a big dimple on the bottom."
And watch out for the convenience factor. You could be paying for something as simple as an easy out cap. Laumann points to a Hellmann’s Mayonnaise jar saying, “For this convenience cap, we can lose 6 ounces of mayo by just buying the kind that will come out easier instead of just using a spoon to scoop it out."
And going green could cost you too. No dyes in your fabric softener means you'll be getting less. Laumann says, “It seems like whenever they take something out or they make it healthier or smell better you're getting less."
And who doesn't want a bargain. Supermarkets know everyone likes to save. But sometimes, shopping for those sales could eat up more of your cash. Many grocery stores will strategically place bargains at the front door or at the end of the aisle to get you to spend more.
But at Wegmans, the store manager says the end of the aisle savings are all about convenience and making sure the product is easily accessible to consumers. Wendy Webster with Wegmans says, "On our end-caps you will find value added items on purpose so we can stock more for you because the shelf might not hold enough."
And before you take time to look for coupons, make sure your supermarket will accept them. Some stores will not honor online coupons because of increasing coupon fraud.
And those loyalty cards, they're not always a good thing. Supermarkets will use them to track consumer habits and cater to big spenders. Laumann says, “They're watching our patterns and what we're buying."
But Webster says, "We don't share any of our data. We don't sell our data. It's just for us to know geez people are really buying salmon this year, people are buying boneless breast of chicken."
And when you're looking for fresh fruits and vegetables, just because it says locally grown doesn't mean it's always coming from the farm down the street. Laumann says, "If you're living in the Baltimore area, it may not be coming from a farm that's in Bel Air or Kingsville. It may be the Eastern Shore, it may be North Carolina, it may be South Carolina."
You can't always take nutrition labeling at face value either. According to a recent government report, the FDA hasn't randomly tested products for accuracy on nutrition facts since the 1990s.
Things to keep in mind the next time you're shopping for groceries... So you don't feel cheated when it's time to checkout.
