FOOD INDUSTRY 10 Ways to Save on Holiday Food Shopping By Margot Gilman, Consumer Reports 1. Think big. 3. Move fast. 7. Compare unit prices. A bigger turkey doesn’t necessarily Stores generally make promotional Unit price shelf stickers under each cost more per pound than a smaller o昀昀ers while supplies last, so those lower product can help you compare the prices one from the same producer; that was prices may not be for long. However, of similar items. But if the store doesn’t our 昀椀nding in a recent random survey don’t buy more groceries just to get the have the stickers, download a unit price of turkey prices at major grocery chains freebie. Only purchase what you were calculator on your smartphone to do the around the U.S. However, a larger planning to in the 昀椀rst place. work for you. We found free ones for both turkey can yield more leftovers, saving iOS and Android. you the trouble of shopping again. 4. Keep it simple Skip pricey buys like seafood appe- 8. Use the produce scale. 2. Alternatively, think small tizers, sausage for stuffing, and Many veggies are sold by the pound. If you’d rather not be stuck with store-bought side dishes. Focus on the But if the produce you are buying comes leftovers, buy a smaller turkey, main dishes instead of lots of cheese prepackaged and sold for a set price, a roasting chicken, or a turkey and crackers, which can be expensive. weigh a few packages. You may 昀椀nd you breast, which will cost less than a 5. Check the circulars. can get more food for the same price. whole bird. It could look great sliced Planning well to minimize your trips to 9. Go with store brands. and garnished on a platter with the store can save you time, and money, traditional 吀栀anksgiving items. The cost of store-brand foods and and reduce your impulse purchases. beverages is at least 20 to 25 percent less Spending 15 minutes looking at grocery than name brands of the same product. ads can unlock savings for the next trip. (When CR members were surveyed 6. Get a store loyalty card. about the grocery stores and supermar- kets they liked best, three grocers earned Most grocery chains’ loyalty programs top marks for their brands: Costco and o昀昀er exclusive member deals. Some also Trader Joe’s, and Central Market, which let you build rewards toward gas purcha- is a subsidiary of H-E-B.) You can often ses at a昀케liated gas stations.. 昀椀nd store brands right next to compara- ble name-brand items. 10. Buy in bulk When 10 cans of your favorite soup go on sale for $10, it’s always wise to load up. And larger packages often have lower per-unit pricing. When you go this route, consider donating a portion to a local food pantry to avoid potential food waste. Visit ConsumerReports.org for more ways to save on holiday grocery shopping 4646 NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR/ D/ DECECEEMMBBEER 2R 200224 4 AABBAASSTOTO..CCOOMM