Grocery shopping for your family on a budget? Kroger is a great option! Here’s how to shop at Kroger and save money with their sales and coupons.
Here on the blog we’ve talked about all sorts of ways to save money on groceries, but today I wanted to specifically talk about how I grocery shop and save money AT KROGER.
Several years ago I hardly ever shopped at Kroger. Aldi and Walmart were my main stores and since I knew that Kroger was generally more expensive I rarely if ever shopped there.
However, I started seeing Kroger grocery hauls that The Money Saving Mom was posting over on Instagram and I realized that I was missing out by not shopping the sales at Kroger.
Nowadays I shop at Kroger at least a couple times a month. I check their sales ad religiously every week and based on that week’s sales I’ll decide if I want to do a Kroger trip or just stick to Walmart (or Aldi).
I especially enjoy grocery shopping at Kroger (and sharing my hauls over on my YouTube channel) because there are always sales and coupons and I can get really great deals.
What You Need to Know to Save at Kroger
Kroger card and mobile app
In order to save at Kroger you’ll first off want to make sure you have a Kroger card by signing up for their free rewards membership. You’ll want to download the Kroger app as well. (You don’t absolutely need the app to save at Kroger but it is definitely convenient so I’d recommend downloading it if you can.)
One nice thing about the Kroger app is that you can scan the digital loyalty card on your phone when you check out in-store instead of needing to carry your actual Kroger card around with you.
Types of Kroger sales and coupons
Kroger’s ads run Wednesday through Tuesday and you can see a preview of their newest ad the day before it goes live. I think I usually get the paper ad in the mail but most of the time I just look at it on my phone or my laptop.
Kroger has several different types of sales and coupons.
1. Regular weekly sales
Kroger’s regular weekly sales – the ones that don’t require any coupons – are usually pretty prominent right at the beginning of their weekly ad. The only thing that you need to take advantage of those sales is to make sure that you’re using your Kroger card.
2. Weekly digital deals
Then there are also weekly digital deals. In order to get these deals you need to clip the digital coupon on your app or computer and you can use the coupon up to 5 times in a transaction.
3. BOGO deals
You’ll also see some BOGO deals – regular buy one get one deals as well as others like buy 2 get 3 free, etc.
4. Save $1 when you buy 5 or more
Another type of sale to watch out for is save $1 when you buy 5 or more. Usually there will be lots of products that qualify for a sale like this, so as long as you buy 5 things that qualify you’ll get the deal. Sometimes the sale varies and it’s buy 6 or more, or it’s just 50 cents off instead of a dollar, so just pay attention to the details there.
5. Other digital coupons
There are also some other digital coupons that you’ll want to watch for. Things like $5 off $50 for your next pickup or delivery, “Free Friday” coupons, coupons for fuel points (I always forget about these, oops!) or “best customer exclusive” coupons (for example, things like $1.25 off of ground beef, $0.65 off eggs, or $6 off a $30 meat purchase.)
The great thing about the customer exclusive coupons is that you can stack them with other coupons and sales for extra great deals. Stacking sales and coupons is how you will save the most money at Kroger!
6. Paper coupons
Lastly, we can’t forget paper coupons. You may get these in the mail or at checkout with your receipt. These usually can’t be stacked with digital coupons so just keep that in mind.
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How to Find Deals In-Store at Kroger
When I shop in-store at Kroger (as opposed to pickup or delivery) there are a few spots in the store that I always like to check for deals!
Discount bakery rack
This is always the first spot that I check for deals. Sometimes it’s just stuff like old donuts, but other times I’ve scored some great deals on bread or rolls that I just throw in the freezer until we’ll use them.
Discount produce
After the bakery rack I like to scan the produce shelves for discount stickers, especially on the bagged salads and things like that. Sometimes there will also be a section with bagged up produce that’s just past it’s peak and you can grab a bag of apples or peppers or whatever for a dollar a bag.
Discounted meat section
I always look at this section really quickly. Probably more than half the time it’s random stuff that I don’t want or slightly suspicious looking meat, but sometimes I’ve found some really great deals on meat that is just supposed to be used in the next couple of days.
Clearance section
This is the most random section but worth checking because sometimes you can find some treasures! I will often see things in the section like seasonal items, random snacks, canned goods, and coffee.
And finally, it’s good to just keep an eye out while you’re shopping for more of Kroger’s discount stickers. (They’ll usually be yellow stickers with the word “Reduced” on them in red.) Sometimes you might see the stickers on items in the refrigerated section like yogurt or other perishable things, but they can also be on other products that you might not expect.
I also think that if you shop in-store often enough you’ll start to figure out what days or times of the day seem to be the best for finding deals. (I definitely think that the best day to shop at Kroger is going to vary depending on your location.)
You may also be interested in: How to Make a Meal Plan and Grocery Shop
Saving on Groceries with Kroger grocery pickup and delivery
While I love finding deals at Kroger in-store, sometimes scheduling a grocery pickup is much more convenient. When that’s the case there are several things that I do to help me save money on groceries.
First off, you can’t beat free! I love that Kroger’s grocery pickup is free (there’s a charge for delivery) and if I’m not shopping in-store I’m generally making a pickup order. Kroger’s online prices are the same as their in-store prices too so that’s super nice.
If I’m placing an order online I’ll compare Kroger’s prices to Walmart’s via the two apps as I add things to my cart. I know that this probably sounds like a lot of extra work but it really only takes a minute to double check a few prices and make sure I’m actually getting a good deal.
For both grocery pickup and delivery I always like to check for special coupons because there will often be ones like $5 off an order of $50 or more, free delivery on T/W/Th, or other great coupons like that.
One nice thing about Kroger is that if an item that you ordered is unavailable they will substitute a comparable item and still charge you the same price even if the new item is more (unlike Walmart which charges you more!)
HOWEVER, if you have multiple unavailable items in your pickup or delivery order certain coupons may no longer apply. (For example, if you were using a coupon for $10 off an order of $75 or more but your order total falls below $75 because of the unavailable items then that coupon will no longer apply.) So that’s just something to be aware of.
If you prefer delivery, there is a delivery charge of $6.99 (at least where I live.) Keep in mind though that for Kroger delivery you do not need to tip (they do not accept them!) However, if you choose for your delivery to be through Instacart it would then be appropriate to tip your driver.
Finally, if you prefer for your groceries to be delivered on a regular basis you may want to consider a Kroger Boost membership as this will likely save you money in the long run.
Ok, I think that covers everything on the topic of grocery shopping on a budget at Kroger. Did I miss anything?? If so let me know in the comments – I’d love to hear your best tips for saving at Kroger!
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