Grocery Shopping 101: Grocery Ads & Deals to Meals!

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Okay, so I realize I may be weird because I LOVE looking through grocery ads (well, possibly it’s my love of food storage that makes me weird….anyway…again…that is for a different post).  I know going through ads can be VERY confusing and hard to do.  So, I made a quick tutorial video with some great tips and a GREAT solution for having someone else do all the work for you! (Just to give you a hint, if you haven’t checked out Deals to Meals-you should! For about a dollar a week they compare all the prices-even Costco, Sams Club, and Wal-mart!  They also tell which are the best stock up items and how long those items will store for.  If you don’t want to come up with your own menus, they also develop menus around what is on sale. I’m telling you it doesn’t get better than this!…

The Grocery Ads Quick Tips

This can sometimes be the hardest part with so many ads to go through and so little time-so let me break it down for you…

  1. If you’re short on time only look at the front and last page of each ad-this is where they place the BEST sale items (so if you’re wondering if it’s a good price-most likely, these prices are the best they have to offer). A lot of times the middle pages are full of regular priced items that they are hoping you’ll think are on sale since it’s listed in their ad.
  2. Keep an ongoing list in your kitchen of what you need to buy-this will make it easy for you to know the MUST items on your list with out having to jog your memory which will save you on those last minute trips to the store because you forgot something.
  3. After you know what is on sale make your menu around those items-so if broccoli is on sale, it may be the perfect time to make Beef and Broccoli or Chicken Divan, if ground beef is on sale it may just be the perfect time to have Sloppy Joes…you get the idea. This will not only help you decide what to make that week but will also save you money.
  4. Categorize your list-organize it by what you are getting at each store and then group the items together (i.e. all the frozen foods together, etc.)
  5. Look for coupons– You don’t have to do this but if you are into couponing there are a lot of online resources to help you (www.couponmom.com, www.coupontom.com or www.theobsessiveshopper.net) I usually do a quick run through to see if there are any online coupons I can print.
  6. Use Deals to Meals-Let someone else do the hard work for you!  See what the best prices are around town (even compared to Wal-mart, Costco, and Sams Club) and get menu plans around what is on sale for about a dollar a week!

Did you miss yesterday’s tip on how to save money on MEAT? CLICK HERE

Keep checking back for MORE tips! Or you can sign up for EMAIL updates to never miss a post! Simply enter your email address in the upper right hand corner of my blog!


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145 Comments

  1. Would love to give it a try. Thanks.

  2. I love Deals to Meals- I’d recommend it more if it came to Hawaii stores!

  3. I want to win!

    robyniharris (at) hotmail (dot) com

  4. I am always looking for ways to save money on dinner and new, simple dinners to make for my family!

  5. Yes I will love to give it a try!
    Hope I can be the winner!!!!

    Gaby santana

  6. I would love this

  7. I would love to win this for one of my daughters!
    Thanks so much for the giveaway

    libneas[at]aol[dot]com

  8. You are so amazing! Because of you cookbook I have started making a lot more meals from scratch.

  9. Ooooo…I would love a chance to win this 6 month membership. Thanks for offering it. I just got your book and really, really like it. I am hoping that I can get your ebook, next….

    bertschbunch (at) q (dot ) com

  10. Oh, that membership would be wonderful! I have the hardest time gathering and synthesizing information on deals… when I end up with a deal, it’s usually dumb luck, LOL!

    Thanks for constantly providing such awesome info, and for hosting such a great giveaway! 🙂

  11. I would love to win! I have wanted to try this out 🙂

  12. oh please pick me!! I am really enjoying these tips amd read them to a coworker. We are learning so much. To have the best deals for meals would be great!!

  13. Oooh I would Love love love love to win this!!! I desperately need to get my shopping in a better system and I have been eyeing this system. It sounds fantastic!

  14. Oooh I would Love love love love to win this!!! I desperately need to get my shopping in a better system and I have been eyeing this system. It sounds fantastic!

  15. Oh how exciting!!! This would be such a Huge help…. i just called & told my friend about it & she’s super excited too!!!

    Heather Jacobson 🙂

  16. It sounds like a great service! It is time consuming to go through the ads and coupons. How wonderful to have someone do that for you! Will definitely be trying the free 2 weeks and keeping my fingers crossed for your freebie!

  17. I would LOVE to win the free membership. I’ve thought about joining but not sure if it would pay me to. There are only two of us.

    Thanks for the opportunity

  18. I would love to win the contest. I am a big fan of food storage and any tips possible can help me out.

  19. Thanks for the give away! That would be great!

  20. I love this site! It’s going to make the pain of shopping much easier!!!

  21. This is my favorite site! I check it daily, because it inspires me to keep trying with my food storage. Thank you so much for all your info! You are so kind to spend so much of your time to help people like me.
    And thank you for the give away!

  22. This is my favorite site! I check it daily, because it inspires me to keep trying with my food storage. Thank you so much for all your info! You are so kind to spend so much of your time to help people like me.
    And thank you for the give away!

  23. I’d love to try it, thanks for the giveaway.

  24. I would love to learn the best deals in town and where to get them. Crystal, thanks for all your info on this site. I have learned a lot.

  25. I too love to peruse the store ads , recreational reading as you put it. I’d love to win the give away 🙂 Thanks for all you do, it really helps.

  26. Well thank goodness I am not the only one who waits for the mail to come on Tuesdays just for the ads. I mean the other week the mail man forgot to give me the ads and boy was I ranting and raving mad!

  27. Well thank goodness I am not the only one who waits for the mail to come on Tuesdays just for the ads. I mean the other week the mail man forgot to give me the ads and boy was I ranting and raving mad!

  28. I have been looking for a way to compare sale prices with Sam’s and Wal-mart too since I shop both places quite often. I would love to have access to this. ~Jessica

  29. I would love to win the 6 month membership! I love when my menu is planned for me!

  30. I would love to win the 6 month membership! I love when my menu is planned for me!

  31. I would love to win the 6 month membership! I love when my menu is planned for me!

  32. I would love, love, love to try this service out. Thanks!

  33. Thanks for the Great Advice and Tips. I know that dinner time runs smoother for me when I have a menu in place. I have used Deals to Meals for a while then things got tight and I thought I could live without it and cancelled my membership but. . . I didn’t last 2 weeks I signed back up it helped me save money and time. I would love to win a 6 month free membership. -Kara

  34. I would love to win this. I too love to look through the grocery ads, and I love grocery shopping.

  35. I have thought about trying Deals for Meals for awhile now. Thanks for your video. I need to sign up for it. I think it will really help me. It would be nice to win a free membership though.

  36. Sure, why not. I’d love to check it out.

  37. She posts the most amazing recipes…enter me please!

  38. How cool is THAT!?! I don’t think I have heard of deals-to-meals but what a great idea. Would love to check it out!

  39. Great website. I’m so excited to come back and look around more when my kids are napping later. Yippee, i love giveaways!

  40. I would love to win this!

  41. I would love to win this!

  42. I’d love to try out Deals to Meals. I checked it out after seeing it on another blog. Such a good idea, but I also love searching for new recipes. What I don’t love it the searching the ads. I’m just not that good at it. I shop ads for meat and cereal. Baby steps I guess right?

  43. I’d love to win. Thanks for your site. I found you last year, just as my husband became unemployed. You have helped me mix our powdered milk, make nice soft bread (by sticking it in bags while still warm), and some yummy recipes. Thanks, Crystal!

  44. I LOVE your blogs!!! They are so full useful and beginner friendly information!! I feel so blessed to be getting my start to food storage with you and your sister sites!! 🙂 Can’t wait to try out Deals to Meals!!

  45. pick me! pick me! 🙂 I really like the front and back pages of the grocery adds too, most of the time those are the parts of the ads with real food and not all the processed stuff

  46. you know, I did write ad with one D, I don’t know why it changed

  47. I am new to your site & have spent hours here now! I love it thanks for the hard work and help!

  48. Please enter me for the Deals-To-Meals prize!

  49. Sounds awesome! I am always wondering if I’m paying more or less at Costco!

  50. I would love to give it a try! Sounds pretty neat!

  51. Loving all the tips and Deals to Meals looks fabulous!!! Thanks for all the info!

  52. I would love to give Deals to Meals a try! Thanks for all the tips!

  53. I am just beginning to learn about food storage and absolutely love your site! I would love a chance to use Deals to Meals, it would help me make the most of my college-student budget!

  54. Crystal,
    Thanks for another great post ! I love all your ideas. Please put me in for the 6 month membeships.
    Mary from Sunny California

  55. Love all your tips thanks so much for all you do- Please enter me into the giveaway-

  56. I love your website. Please enter me in your giveaway. Thanks

  57. I love your website.

  58. I love your website.

  59. I’d love to win a 6 month membership!

  60. I’d love to win a 6 month membership!

  61. I would love to win the 6 month membership!

  62. I would love to win the 6 month membership!

  63. I am so in for the six month membership. I love these tips because I wasn’t raised eating food, just junk, and I need all the help I can get. Thank you for putting these out.

  64. I would live to win!! I love meals to deals!!

  65. Hi! I am new to all of this but still VERY excited to get going! Love your site!

  66. I would love to try Deals to Meals. I have heard about it before and I think it is a great idea.

  67. PICK ME PICK ME… I am still trying to master all this goodness Janae

  68. Deals to Meals sounds like a great site. I would love to try it out.

  69. I have seen this site and other like but wasn’t sure it was really such a great deal. Sounds like I was wrong, needing to repent and look into them more. Thanks for the info! It’s so hard where we live, (Texas) we miss the great deals, only having one grocery store to choose from. They know they have no competition and I am tired of paying high prices unless I buy their generic brand.
    Thank you for all your hard work educating us on the divine*ness of food storage.

  70. What a fabulous idea! I would love to try it. Thanks for all of your advice and help 🙂

  71. I would love to try Deals to Meals!

  72. I would love to win a six month membership! Thanks for the Tips!

  73. Wow, how awesome is this giveaway?!? I’d love to win.

  74. Sounds amazing to have someone do all the hard work for you. That’s my kind of shopping!

  75. Is the winner chosen randomly or is it the one with the best comment? j/k I don’t have a comment per se but would love to be put in the drawing. Love your information.

  76. I love your blog! So helpful! Keep it up please!!

  77. Would love to be put in the drawing! I’m super excited about this idea, but am really in a financial bind. This deal seems awesome and I’d love to have a go at it!

  78. Deals to Meals sounds like a wonderful service.
    Love your blog, in fact used Magic Mix in a chicken pot pie I made tonight (was surprised not to find a pot pie recipe on your blog) that came together very fast and my family loved

  79. What an awesome drawing, we love the deals to meals blog too!

  80. i am a little overwhelmed with all the information, but hoping i can sort through it all and get my food storage as organized as yours. ty so much for the info and taking the time to do this. bevy

  81. Deals To Meals sounds like an awesome resource, Thank You for sharing this with us!! 🙂

  82. I hope I win!!! yay!!!

  83. Love your blog and have recommended it to all of my family members.

  84. Awesome

  85. Hi there, I just wanted to let you and your readers know about something that is happening in the grocery stores here in Gilbert Az…I have noticed that for the past 6 months, the stores like Fry’s and Albertson’s are putting their food that is about to expire( within the next 6 months) as their BIG sale items. I asked a store manager about this and they told me that is how the stores get rid of their older merchandise. It doesn’t do any good to buy stuff for your year supply, even if it is for a great price, if it is going to expire in a few months. I wish I could say that this was a one time thing but is has been happening for some time now, especially on case lot sales here. Maybe they don’t do that in Utah, but I just wanted to let people know to be sure to check the dates on the sale items before they purchase. It is very frustrating when you are trying to stock up. Thanks for your website, it helps a great deal and I love all of the information you provide.

  86. Thanks for all the great tips! 🙂

  87. I’d love to enter the drawing for the Deals on Meals!

  88. Awesome site, just getting started, but making good progress. Thanks for all your help. Recommending this site to all my friends!

  89. I’ve been doing the grocery game, which I love, but really wish meals were planned to go along with sales. I’ve heard of this company before through Dave Ramsey’s website or radio show or something and always wanted to try it. Free trials and free giveaways are a great way to try something!

  90. I’ve always wanted to try Deals to Meals. I hope I get to for free!

  91. I’ve always wanted to try Deals to Meals. I hope I get to for free!

  92. I’ve always wanted to try Deals to Meals. I hope I get to for free!

  93. I’ve always wanted to try Deals to Meals. I hope I get to for free!

  94. I would love to start using her site. I love her blog.

  95. My wife and I are using this with great success.

  96. goodness, I can not even imagine what an icredible help this service would be

  97. Crystal, I love all the information you give everyone! It’s so helpful and using food storage has been a major part of my life for years! My food storage has helped out so I didn’t have to make a quick trip to the store. Meal planning is such a great way to use what’s on hand in the pantry/freezer. I also love your recipes! Thanks, Teri

  98. This is a good idea about letting others give you info, and then you decide if you like it.

  99. For our wedding my husband and I received several boxes of food storage starter kits containing beans, rice, wheat and oats. We are very excited to begin using them, but weren’t sure where to start. A friend recommended this blog and I have LOVED reading your Grocery Shopping 101 posts. I just checked out Deals to Meals and it sounds fantastic! Thanks for all your great information and tips! Please keep it coming and please enter me in the giveaway for the Deals to Meals membership!

  100. I love Deals to Meals and have been wanting to try it out!

  101. What a time saver! I would love to win this!

  102. Always great info! Thanks for all the work you do and for sharing it. We only have a couple of major grocery stores here- but Deals to Meals is still handy. I tried it when they had the free trial- good stuff!

  103. Just came across your site! Love the tips! I already do a lot of them but it is such an easy place to save in your budget (or overspend) that I am always appreciative of new ideas! I would love to win the Deals to Meals membership! I have 4 kids, 2 businesses, 2 dogs, and possibly a new job so I need all the help I can get!

  104. Thanks for all your great tips!!! Love your cookbook and I am using food storage everyday now thanks to you:) Keeps up the great and inspiring work!!

  105. I have been delving into your site for over two years now, and I’m still finding new things and learning wonderful tips from you. THANK YOU!! I never comment (I have 4 kids ages 5 and under who deserve my time, so comments rarely happen), but wanted to take a chance to win. We sure could use some help saving our pennies around here, and I’d love to win!

  106. Thank you for all of your great tips to make meal planning easier, and how to save more money at the grocery store. I love to read your blog and all of the great ideas and recipes you share.

  107. Love your tips on grocery shopping. I HATE grocery shopping so I usually send my husband. I think the key mught be menus.

  108. Thank you so much for all of your great insight into food storage. Now I just need to make it happen. I would love to try out deals to meals. I looked into it, but was hesitant to spend the money…maybe a free trial membership for a couple months would be just the thing to get me hooked.

  109. Making life easier for all of us…Thank You.

  110. Thanks for all the great information! I would love to win!

    hs1121 at gmail dot com

  111. Thanks for all you do. Hope I win!!!!!

  112. Sign me up.. Deals to Meals sounds like a pretty good idea!

  113. Deals to Meals does sound like a great idea! I’ve tried to do some comp shopping and it’s hard! Or more time then I wanted to spend. This sounds great! I hope I get one!

  114. You are amazing with all the ideas you come up with! I still say that you have taught me more than 36 years of Homemaking meetings!

  115. great tips!

  116. I tried Deals to Meals with the two weeks and wasn’t able to use it as effectively as I would have liked! But I LOVED the program! You guys are my inspiration in all that is possible!

  117. Deals to Meals sounds like a great idea!

  118. This is just TOO TOO wonderful!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog & look forward to LOVING Deals to Meals!!

  119. I’d love to try something else to help me save on our grocery budget! As a family of 8, we need all the help we can get! lol

  120. I love Deals to Meals!

  121. I have been wanting to pay our house off sooner. I realized saving money on food is a great way to find extra money in the budget. Deals to meals has some great food storage info. Love that sight.

  122. Awesome links! Thanks

  123. Thank you for all the great ideas on your site! I would love to try deals to meals. It sounds like a great way to get my grocery budget where it needs to be.

  124. Thank you for the tip series. 🙂

  125. oh my gosh winning 6 month free of deals to meals would be awesome pick me pick me

  126. Thanks for sharing all your great recipes and talents! Have fun on Monday. I am excited to see what you are sharing this time! You are always so poised, beautiful and relaxed! Have fun!

  127. This would be a needed blessing! thanks, Lorie

  128. This would be a needed blessing! thanks, Lorie

  129. I have to admit that I too like looking through the flyers to see what coupons I have that match sale items! And…thanks to you, I have a menu plan and have been able to stick to it! So…Thanks!!

  130. Love this site and Deals to Meals. I would love to win! 🙂

  131. I love that you talked about Deals to Meals! Absolutely love it.

  132. HELP are there any companies in the Southeast (ie. Florida, Alabama) like Deals to Meals?????

  133. Have been trying some of you idea’s and having great luck! Thank You.

  134. Have been trying some of you idea’s and having great luck! Thank You.

  135. Just found both of these sites, I would LOVE to make this part of our family of 6 everyday way of life! Thank you for this opportunity!

  136. I’m really going to make an effort to plan my menu with my coupons and sales.

  137. I love your sight, keep up the great ideas.
    Cindy M

  138. I love – love – love your site. I also looooove the Deals to Meals site. So glad you two are teaming up!

    Does anyone know if Walmart will accept the Deals to Meals printouts for price matching or if you need the actual advertisement?

    Keep up the great work!
    Kelli

  139. I would love a chance to try Deals to Meals. PICK ME!

  140. I’m excited to learn more from your site!

  141. The hardest part for me is meal planning from what’s on sale! Thank you for your posts!

  142. Thanks I am interested in being entered to win!!!

  143. This sounds like an awesome deal!!! I’m in!

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