Jul 8, 2008 5:00 pm US/Eastern
3 On Your Side: Smart Shopper Grocery Advice
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
Do you have sticker shock every time you head to the super market? Let's face it, the price of everything seems to be going up.
But there are ways to save. 3-On Your Side's Jim Donovan found that you can be a smarter shopper often by just changing your habits. By doing the prep work yourself and skipping fancier labels, you can definitely save some cash.
At a recent trip to Acme, ears of corn were priced 5 for $1.99. With the husks removed, they were priced at $2.99.
Drexel University's Jennifer Quinlan says opting for convenience will cost you.
"Almost inevitably, if they've done some work for you, there is going to be a price premium there that you end up paying for," says Quinlan.
The easiest way to see that first hand is by comparing the unit price. We found whole regular carrots had a unit price of $1.16 per unit pound. Pre-cut carrots were priced at $1.99 per unit pound and shredded carrots the unit price jumps to $3.50 a pound!
As the economy tightens, now is the perfect time to try store brands. After all, some times a raisin is simply a raisin.
"They are all dried grapes," says Quinlan, "nutritionally there is no difference."
But the prices? We found that Sunmaid raisins had a unit price of $4.78 a pound, Acme's brand was $3.54 and Disney raisins were priced at $4.89 per unit pound.
So according to Quinlan, "If you see a brand name versus a store brand next to it, with similar type of flavor, it is certainly worth trying at least once to see if you can notice the quality difference."
Also be sure to watch the snack packs! You can often get 30 to 40 percent more rice cakes or Cheez-It's, by buying larger boxes and dividing them up yourself.
"It doesn't take a lot of time and it can save money if you do go home and prepackage them yourself."
Something else to consider? When buying prepared veggies, consider when you'll use them.
They'll only stay fresh for a week or so, versus the unprepared carrots that you can keep for several weeks.
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