Courtesy of the author
- My husband loves a good deal and is always looking for ways we can save money.
- In 2025, he has saved us about $300 a month with his wild habits.
- He tracks the prices of items we regularly purchase at five stores and optimizes cash back from credit cards.
"Pears were on sale today, Mom! And we got your favorite protein bars!" my daughter exclaimed one morning after grocery shopping with her dad.
My husband is obsessed with grocery shopping deals, from watching prices across five different stores to finding the best credit cards with cash back on groceries. Sometimes I get annoyed at how much time and energy he spends grocery shopping, but then I look at the receipts and see how much he saves.
Over the past year, he's saved us over $300 a month on his wild (but sometimes fun) habits.
He follows prices and products at 5 stores
Joe's typical grocery route looks like this: Stops at Aldi for 12 containers of Greek yogurt, runs to Meijer (a Midwest chain) to get protein powder because it's buy one, get one half off, thenpulls into Costcofor protein bars and peanut butter.
He looks across ads, sales, and coupon programs to find the best prices on items our family regularly eats — and specialty items that are nice to have (but usually out of our budget).
Courtesy of the author
He also knows what products we all like better than other brands, likeAldi's string cheese and fish sticks, so he watches for when the price drops, then stocks up. We even bought a second fridge to store dairy products and drinks. We use the extra freezer space to stockpile bacon and ground beef when they go on sale.
By spending time comparing prices and products, Joe has developed an intimate knowledge of where to shop for certain items, saving us a significant amount of money every month.
He uses credit cards that offer cash back on groceries
In his spare time, Joe researches thebest credit cardsfor our family, including the ones that offer the most cash back on groceries.
His favorite is theAmerican Express Blue Cash Preferred Cardthat offers 6% back on supermarket purchases for the first $6,000 spent. He also uses theCiti Custom Cash Cardto get 5% back on our biggest spend category (which is always groceries). Plus, our local credit union card gives us 2% back at wholesale places like Costco.
Together, his credit cards earn us over $650 cash back every year on groceries alone.
He times purchases with sales and seasonal items
About once a month, a package of raspberries goes on sale for $0.99at Meijer. When that happens, Joe buys at least six, because he knows I love them. But if grapes are the sale fruit, that's what we have that week. We explain to the kids that we can't always get the item we want, because it's not on sale, and we can wait until it is.
Courtesy of the author
Joe has learned that sales often follow a cadence based on seasonality and the store (such as protein powder deals once a month). Right now, apples are a great price in Michigan, so we buy several bags at a time and store them in a cool place.
He signs up for each membership
Most grocery stores offer memberships or loyalty programs, often at no cost. It takes a few minutes to sign up, but it offers lower prices and exclusive deals.
He says that signing up only takes up a little time but always pays off.
He even paid more for us to have theCostco Executive Membership, because it gives us 2% back. He calculated that we would save about $20 a month, which would more than offset the extra $65 cost a year.
He stocks up on non-perishables
Sometimes I get frustrated when the pantry is overstocked with sale-priced olive oil, crackers, and diced tomatoes. But on the other hand, I often have what I need to make a soup or put out a spread for guests.
Plus, I know everything he buys is a good deal, which makes the overcrowding more tolerable.
He teaches the kids how to save and budget
My oldest two boys enjoy the challenge and game of shopping deals with Dad. Joe takes the kids along on his grocery goose chases, filling them in on what they'll need from each store and why. It's often a fun Thursday night or Saturday morning excursion.
Courtesy of the author
"Oh man, the Goldfish aren't on sale, we'll have to wait for next week," our 6-year-old said on a recent trip.
The kids are learning from dadhow to be smart with their money: waiting to buy something until it's on sale, being selective and patient, and knowing how tomake the most of their money.
For helping dad shop and save, they always get to pick out a treat that's just for them. The Pringles and popsicles make everyone happy — just the cherry on top of a very low receipt.
