“Supermarket Trends That Improve Your Shopping Experience” plus 1 more

Supermarket Trends That Improve Your Shopping Experience

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 04:00 AM PDT

Grocery shoppers are more demanding these days. Upscale chains like Whole Foods and Wild Oats Markets have conditioned consumers to expect a more attractive, comfortable and over-all beneficial experience. At some Kroger King Sooper's locations in Colorado and Wyoming, produce displays are works of art, floral displays greet you at the door, and the store-brand products almost always undercut the prices of bigger names. [Also See: Grocery Shopping on a Budget]

According to a recent article by The Consumerist, some supermarkets are also pulling self-checkout lanes in response to shoppers' preference for checkout transactions managed by actual human beings. Since these changes are to your benefit, here are a few more trends to keep in mind.

1. Coupon Limitations

Some people just have to ruin it for everyone. Shelf clearing has become more common as extreme couponers dominate sales and, as a result, stores like Kroger are implementing strict policies limiting how many coupons a shopper can use at one time. That means we can all get a share of the savings.

2. Loyalty Coupons

All you need is a computer and loyalty card to access a wealth of coupons these days. More stores are offering online coupons you can download directly to your card and the savings is taken off your bill at checkout. The trick here is to record which coupons you've downloaded as there's no way to check once you're in the store. [Also See: 6 More Places to Find Coupons]

3. Downloadable Coupons

Don't want to try and remember which cards are on your loyalty card? Many stores now allow you to print out coupons directly from their websites and use them as you would any other coupon.

4. Home Grocery Delivery

If you want to entirely avoid the whole store experience, more companies are providing home delivery, including wine and beer. Those selling food through the mail often provide free shipping with a minimum purchase. Check out these "34 Companies Offering Grocery Home Delivery."

5. Baby Boomer Fonts

As the largest portion of their grocery audience age and have vision problems, stores are moving to larger fonts on signage, including the little price tabs under each product. In addition, CVS is dealing with "senior sight" by attaching magnifying lenses to shelving units. This is great, but beware of sneaky strategies that include duping you into buying pricier items placed at eye-level.

6. Healthier Food Selection

The demand for organic and health foods has steadily increased until supermarkets simply can't ignore it. Shoppers don't have to pay a premium anymore, either, as more health-food manufacturers offer coupons for their products.

7. Food Diversity

Supermarket shelves more frequently reflect the diversity of our population with entire sections devoted to ethnic foods of every stripe. Depending on the region, grocery stores offer everything from Middle East delicacies to Mexican food makings.

8. Catering to Dietary Limitations

There seems to be an explosion of lactose and gluten intolerance in the last few years. Perhaps this is a result of better diagnosing techniques, but supermarkets have taken notice by providing more products suited to these dietary limitations.

9. Accepting Apps

Paper and loyalty-card coupons are the easiest for stores to handle, but mobile coupons are appearing more and more at checkouts across the country. The popular CouponSherpa app allows shoppers to search for supermarkets in their area, then access coupons for their favorite grocery store — all while they shop.

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured on Good Morning America, NBC Today Show, MSNBC, New York Times Bucks Blog, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. To view recent interviews or for more savings tips visit AndreaWoroch.com

6 Sneaky Ways to Save Money on Laundry

Posted: 31 Oct 2011 04:00 AM PDT

We've all heard the classics tips for getting more for your buck in the laundry room. If you're looking for a few "out of the basket" tricks for stretching that buck a bit further, however, these are little-known, but very effective!

Mix a DIY Stain Solution

Sure, you could spend $6 or more for a stain stick or other goo to rub into your stained sweater, but why not just create an affordable homemade version? Many detergents are super-concentrated and work well as a stain fighter when applied directly to the clothing at full-strength.

You could also try filling a spray bottle with two parts water and one part rubbing alcohol. You may want to test on an inconspicuous part of your more delicate clothing, but this all-purpose stain fighter is cheap and works very well.

Use Just Enough

Overdoing it on the detergent doesn't make your clothes any cleaner, and can cost more than it should. Be sure to use the measuring cup that comes with the brand you are using and use even less than recommended for soft water.

Skip the Softener

Yes, it can make your towels snuggly and your stinky stuff sweeter, but liquid softener generally adds a sticky film to the inside of your washer that can cut the life of your appliance short. Opt for a sheet solution instead (or skip it altogether for added budget friendliness.)

Savor the Spin

Dryers work extra hard when clothes don't wring out fully. If you don't own an HE washer with a super-efficient spin cycle, put clothes through an extra time on "spin" to wring out extra water and cut your drying time down. You may also want to invest in an electric clothes spin dryer, a stand-alone unit that spins clothes at an impressive speed for line drying or shorter dryer times.

Snip Dryer Sheets

It's almost as effective to use one half of a brand name dryer sheet as it is to use a full one. Cut the cost of softness and static protection by cutting your sheets in two before you dry. (Generic sheets may not have the power of more expensive brands; use this trick at your own risk for cheap brands.)

Tuck in a Towel

Drying times can be reduced simply by throwing a completely dry (and color coordinating) bath towel in each new dryer load. The towel will help to absorb some of the water, cutting your time down quite a bit.

Do you have a trick for slashing laundry costs (such as line drying or one we mentioned above)? We'd love to hear about it!

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