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July 22, 2021

When is the best time to buy groceries?

Grocery shopping is one of the best ways to practice saving skills. With a little effort, you can shave 10 to 15 per cent off your grocery bill, according to many frugal shoppers.

The best time to buy meat is on a weekday morning; specials are out because grocery stores are hoping to sell out earlier that day.

Stores are unlikely to sell something that will make you sick. The trick here is timing: Either use a piece of discounted chicken or salmon on the day of purchase, or rinse it in cold water, re-wrap and freeze immediately. When you're ready to cook it, cook it right from frozen, suggests Canadian Living.

When you do find the meat marked down, buy in bulk. Save what won’t be used right away and store it in the freezer – this will make it last longer, save you future trips to the market and ultimately add up to save you money.



If you’re shopping for prepared foods, head to the store toward the end of the day, however.

Items such as sushi and rotisserie chicken are discounted about an hour before closing. Bread and baked products are often cheaper in the late afternoon or evening; prices are cut so consumers will buy it before it gets thrown out.

When it comes to staples like sugar, salt, flour, bleach and many other items, for most people there is no discernible difference in quality — only in the price. If you can substitute generic or no name brands for brand names, you can begin to experience some real savings, some experts suggest.

Are you really organized when it comes to grocery shopping? Do you try to time your purchases?

By Gordon Powers, MSN Money

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Gordon PowersGordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...