We’ve all got to eat. But the cost of doing that only seems to climb as prices of staples from coffee to milk to eggs go up, up, up.
The overall cost of buying groceries in Greater Boston jumped more than 30 percent since 2019, according to the most recent Globe grocery price tracker, and the outcry from consumers has prompted supermarket chains such as Stop & Shop and Shaw’s to cut prices.
Will that be enough to ease your check-out pain? Probably not.
So, the Globe turned to experts on saving money: New Englanders, whose Puritan forerunners basically invented thrift.
The strategies for trimming grocery bills varied, but what emerged from readers who responded to the Globe’s appeal for money-saving tips were five types of savvy shoppers.
The Optimizer
Optimizers are always on the lookout for the best prices and are willing to go wherever they must to find them. Anthony V. of North Attleboro, for example, shops at Market Basket for meat, produce, and groceries, but buys frozen items and treats at Trader Joe’s and household items such as cleaning supplies at Walmart.
Optimizers said they chase the lowest prices across two to four nearby grocers, but some are more determined. Zack D. of Jamaica Plain says he shops at 11 different stores, plus neighborhood bodegas, in search of the best deals.
Tips from Optimizers: Trader Joe’s is best for snacks and desserts (and bananas). Try BJ’s for gas, and Costco for bulk purchases. Stop & Shop, Shaw’s, or Star Market are great for rewards program deals or day-old bakery items on deep discount, and Market Basket or Aldi work for just about everything else.
The Couponer
Couponers scour weekly circulars for deals and pounce when a staple item goes on sale. Many are rewards program devotees.
Don Michaels, a retiree from Westborough, said he began setting aside his savings from shopping sales and clipping coupons to show his wife the practice was worthwhile. After just under a year, the total exceeded $800. He said he stays on top of deals through emails from grocery stores and advertisements that come in the mail.
“I just look at them in a spare moment,’’ he said. “It doesn’t take long to peruse them.’’
Couponers often morph into Optimizers when deals pop up in unexpected places. Michaels recently stocked up on Frosted Flakes along with his prescription at CVS after spotting an ad that listed the cereal at $2 less per box than any nearby grocery store.
Tips from Couponers: Pay special attention to deals on meat and fish that are typically expensive, and plan your meals for the week around those. But beware the Couponer’s Achilles’ heel: Buying something you wouldn’t otherwise buy — and probably won’t use — just because you found a great deal.
The Market Basket Loyalist
There are people who go to Market Basket, and then there are Market Basket People. Market Basket People swear by the New England chain’s low prices on most goods and frequent the stores with cult-like loyalty.
Though some may venture into Stop & Shop or Trader Joe’s on occasion, when asked for their best tips for saving money at the supermarket, “Market Basket’’ is really all there is to say.
Tips from Market Basket Loyalists:
“Buy almost everything at Market Basket.’’ — Jeremy F., Provincetown
“Market Basket private label.’’ — Todd B., Lexington
“Shop at Market Basket.’’ — Steve D., Stoneham
The Avenger
Some shoppers’ choices are influenced by personal vendettas or politics — or, in Lisa Hicks’s case, both.
Hicks is “prioritizing vengeance’’ against Stop & Shop for closing her go-to, walking-distance grocery store in Providence.
“I figured I could order from the people who have caused this problem, or from somebody else,’’ Hicks said. “And I am just petty enough to order from somebody else.’’
She initially tried Target, but after the company rolled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives earlier this year, she switched to Shaw’s delivery service instead. So watch yourself, Shaw’s.
Hicks said she’s willing to pay a bit more to do her shopping with a company that has not “recently rolled over and played dead on political things that they claimed matter to them.’’
“I’d rather spend my money at the place that I feel best about,’’ Hicks said, “which really means the one that I feel least bad about.’’
The Free Spirit
Not everyone fits into these categories. Many shoppers probably recognize a bit of each of these bargain-hunting types in themselves. And they probably have their own money-saving ideas. Like these:
“Don’t go and use Instacart to search for the cheapest prices! And save time!’’ – Tracey G., Holliston
“Compare the price per ounce in the different-size packages. The larger packages are not always the best bargain.’’ – Nancy T., Wakefield
“Buy coffee on sale only. Most dairy doesn’t go on sale, but butter does. ... Some stores frequently sell out of their well-discounted offerings, so you have to hit them early in the day.’’ – Frank L., West Roxbury
“I find buying perishables at River Valley Co-op saves me money because I can buy just what I need. If I want to make soup, I can buy a stalk of celery and use it all up instead of buying a bunch of celery and throwing most of it away. ... The ability to purchase in the quantities I need saves me money and leads to less food waste.’’ – Claudia P., Chicopee