Definition of CHERRY-PICK
intransitive verb
: to select the best or most desirable
One of the things I do in my spare time ( ha! ) is teach people how to coupon effectively over at weusecoupons.com, one of the largest couponing forums on the Internet. Saving money at the grocery store is easy if you just take the time to map out a plan for the stores where you plan to shop. If you live in a suburban area, more than likely you have 3-4 large grocery store chains competing for your business. If you receive the sale circulars in the mail ( or can pick them up the week before at the store ), you can take advantage of superior cherry picking to your benefit.The following is an article I wrote for weusecoupons about cherry picking deals at grocery stores. If you use this technique to shop for groceries
( whether Clean or Unclean... ) you can lower your grocery expenditures by at least 30% each month - simply by planning ahead and picking the best deals at each store.
Cherry picking is a skill most seasoned shoppers use to carefully maximize their savings while ensuring what they are buying are items that are recognized to be an excellent deal while avoiding those items at the store each week that are what I like to call “second or third tier deals.”
Most grocery stores publish a circular each week to announce the week’s sale items. On nearly every front page, there will be one or two items that are deeply discounted and will catch your attention immediately. That’s the item you spot and mutter to yourself “Wow, that’s a great price for X…” With a little self control and some strategy, you can maximize your grocery budget by zeroing in on these items.
These items are referred to by the grocery store industry as “loss leaders” – items that are priced just above or just below cost to lure shoppers into the store. The second part of the phrase – “leader” is where the industry hopes to make up the lost revenue – they are betting the average consumer will enter the store, buy the loss leader, and while they are in the store, pick up multiple full price items that will more than offset the minimal profit item in their basket.
The following is an excellent and relatively easy way to lower your overall cost of groceries. Gather together the 2 to 4 circulars for grocery stores in your area, or view them online.
- Take each circular and review to identify that store’s loss leaders for the week – the ½ price items, the items you instantly recognize as significantly below the regular cost, or those items that make for a great deal when the store coupon in the circular ( like Safeway ) matches up with a current, known manufacturer coupon.
- Make a list of these items, carefully noting the advertised price. Make a separate list for each store.
- If you have a running grocery list for the week (items perhaps listed on the fridge that you ran out of during the week or need to remind yourself to buy ) bring it over to the cherry pick list once you’ve completed identifying the loss leaders.
- Take the first item on your grocery list – for example, bananas. Look at the circulars before you, and see if they are on sale at one of the stores. If they are, note “bananas” on the cherry pick list for the store that has them on sale, again noting the price.
- Move to the next item on your running weekly list: English muffins. Are English muffins advertised as a sale item at store #1? No? Move to store #2. If you find it listed in one of the circulars, note it on that circular’s cherry pick list.
- Eventually you’ll have divided your running grocery list up amongst the stores before you.
So this week, my running grocery list for the week was bananas, cheese sticks, potato chips ( not for me!! ), apples, and English muffins. These are items I needed to replenish in my fridge or pantry. 2 large grocery store chains in the DC area where I live are Giant and Safeway.
Your list might look something like this:
Giant:
Cherry pick: Maxwell House Coffee, ½ price
Cherry Pick: Dawn dish detergent, ½ price
Cherry pick: chicken breasts, ½ price
Bananas: .29 / lb
Sargento cheese sticks, $2.50
Lay’s potato chips, $2
Safeway:
Cherry pick: 85% Ground beef , $1.99 / lb
Cherry pick: Eggs, $1.99 a dozen
Cherry pick: Tuna pouches, $1 each
Apples: .50 / lb
English muffins: Buy 2, get 2 free
Then note on your list which items on your list have a coupon:
Giant:
Cherry pick: Maxwell House Coffee, ½ price ( coupon )
Cherry Pick: Dawn dish detergent, ½ price ( coupon )
Cherry pick: chicken breasts, ½ price
Bananas: .29 / lb
Sargento cheese sticks, $2.50 ( coupon )
Lay’s potato chips, $2
Safeway:
Cherry pick: 85% Ground beef , $1.99 / lb
Cherry pick: Eggs, $1.99 a dozen ( coupon )
Cherry pick: Tuna pouches, $1 each ( coupon )
Apples: .50 / lb
English muffins: Buy 2, get 2 free ( coupon )
You are now fully prepared to go to each store. This part takes self discipline – the only things you can buy are what is on your list. The ONLY exception to this rule is when you stumble upon a clearance item or an unadvertised special. This is the ONLY time I will allow myself to deviate from my list.
Lowering your overall grocery bill is relatively easy if you take some time to plan what you are going to buy where - especially if you shop at more than one grocery store each week!