WEBVTT - Saving Big at the Supermarket w/ Consumer Reports' Brian Vines #866 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.240 Welcome to How to Money. I'm Joel and I am Matt. 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:09.680 Today we're talking saving big at the supermarket with Brian Vines. 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:28.400 Yeah, Joel, food inflation is up one hundred percent over 0:00:28.440 --> 0:00:31.639 the past few years. Okay, okay, that's just that's my 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:35.560 family's personal spending at the grocery store. And actually maybe 0:00:35.560 --> 0:00:37.680 it has to do more with feeding a much of 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:38.320 growing kids. 0:00:38.400 --> 0:00:39.640 But prices are up. 0:00:40.120 --> 0:00:43.680 Prices have increased over twenty six percent from twenty nineteen 0:00:43.760 --> 0:00:47.120 to today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This 0:00:47.200 --> 0:00:50.120 is a pattern that most Americans hate seeing paying more 0:00:50.360 --> 0:00:52.600 for the same old stuff. But luckily we're joined by 0:00:52.760 --> 0:00:56.400 Brian Vines, who knows all about groceries and how that 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.040 impacts you as a consumer. He's the deputy editor of 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:02.120 Special Projects over at one of our absolute favorite publications, 0:01:02.320 --> 0:01:05.400 Consumer Reports, and we're going to talk about how you 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:05.880 can pay. 0:01:05.760 --> 0:01:08.399 Less at the grocery store. Brian Vines, thank you so 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:09.600 much for talking with us today. 0:01:09.680 --> 0:01:11.040 Thank you so much for having me. 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:13.800 I'm glad to hear that Consumer Reports has a place 0:01:13.880 --> 0:01:15.320 in your hearts and minds. 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:17.120 Like and subscribe please. 0:01:17.000 --> 0:01:19.760 It's absolutely It's right next to Matt's Bible on the 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:21.600 nice sid in case you're wondering. 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:23.720 So we're happy to be in such good company. 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:28.120 Our first question we ask everyone who comes on the show, Brian, 0:01:28.520 --> 0:01:29.920 is what do you like to supoorge on? Because Matt 0:01:29.920 --> 0:01:31.520 and I were drinking the craft beer right now. We 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:33.640 like to spend a lot of money on craft beer 0:01:33.640 --> 0:01:35.760 while we're also doing the smart thing. We're saving investing 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:38.039 for our future. So yeah, what's that sports for you? 0:01:39.040 --> 0:01:39.320 See? 0:01:39.360 --> 0:01:45.479 I slurge with some guides, but one thing is that 0:01:45.880 --> 0:01:50.120 I slurge on Cheetos and Jesus. The whole thing that 0:01:50.240 --> 0:01:55.200 is orange and crunches is likely going to make its 0:01:55.240 --> 0:01:57.080 way into my market basket. 0:01:57.280 --> 0:01:59.760 But I do like try to put one. 0:02:00.640 --> 0:02:04.600 I only buy them when they're on sale. Okay, that's 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:07.120 my splur because they're not the best things for. 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.200 Me and how I want to life right now. 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:15.640 So I temper like having that little sheet and splurge 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:18.560 at once. And you know PepsiCo and the prices they've 0:02:18.560 --> 0:02:22.000 been charging us for snacks and those carbonated drinks, it 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:23.200 feels like a splurge. 0:02:23.240 --> 0:02:25.079 It's it's so on brand tube, So Brian, I really 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:25.640 appreciate that. 0:02:25.720 --> 0:02:25.919 Yeah. 0:02:26.000 --> 0:02:27.639 Okay, so first I got a question out of the 0:02:27.639 --> 0:02:30.920 gate on groceries, picking up on this obsession of yours 0:02:30.919 --> 0:02:33.959 with Cheetos and cheese its is when it is on sale, 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:36.240 how much are you willing to stock up? And you 0:02:36.280 --> 0:02:37.839 live in New York City right where you probably don't 0:02:37.880 --> 0:02:40.640 have like ridiculous amounts of pantry space. So if cheese 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:42.240 its are on sale, let's say there, buy will get 0:02:42.280 --> 0:02:43.920 one free, and you're like, man, that's a good deal. 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:46.600 Are you buying like two? A? Are you buying like ten? 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:49.560 Oh? This is the eternal fight the devil question. 0:02:49.680 --> 0:02:53.440 When I'm standing in the aisle there, I again, it 0:02:53.520 --> 0:02:56.959 depends on how I'm feeling and how active I am 0:02:57.080 --> 0:02:59.560 at the time, and whether I want to get my 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:03.680 future yourself in debt to myself, both workout wise and 0:03:03.800 --> 0:03:04.360 money wise. 0:03:04.720 --> 0:03:06.440 But I'll say, if there's. 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:09.080 A buy one, get one, I'm not leaving without getting 0:03:09.160 --> 0:03:10.160 two deals. 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:11.760 Okay, so I'm going home. 0:03:11.639 --> 0:03:16.200 With four bags. Don't tell my husband jeese don't have 0:03:16.240 --> 0:03:17.799 a lot of room. We don't have a lot of room. 0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:20.800 I live in New York City, Like pantry space is 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:21.640 non existent. 0:03:21.680 --> 0:03:23.640 It comes out of premium. I've done this before. I 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:25.520 come home with too much of something, and my wife's like, 0:03:25.560 --> 0:03:27.680 it was on sale. You've got to stick that, like 0:03:27.760 --> 0:03:29.560 under your side of the bed or something, dude, And 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:31.120 so I knew well. 0:03:31.160 --> 0:03:35.040 And actually today it's National Financial Awareness Day, which is 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:37.240 I mean, of course, we want more and more folks 0:03:37.280 --> 0:03:39.600 to know me about the good word of personal finances 0:03:39.600 --> 0:03:41.840 out there. But I'm curious it's kind of related here. 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:44.760 But what led you to Consumer Reports, the great organization 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.400 that they are in the mission of helping folks to save. 0:03:47.400 --> 0:03:50.600 Well, The thing that primarily led me to Consumer Reports 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:54.400 is at the time when I join in October of 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:58.000 twenty twenty, we were in the thick of the pandemic 0:03:58.440 --> 0:04:03.560 as well as really grapling publicly collectively for the first 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:06.640 time in my generation, with what a lot of folks 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:09.960 have come to call the racial reckoning here in America. 0:04:10.640 --> 0:04:14.280 And I saw that Consumer Reports was making a sustained 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:18.840 effort to in their lane, look at and examine and 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:22.840 really interrogate some of the systems as well as the 0:04:22.880 --> 0:04:27.599 practices that were in place and prohibiting folks from access 0:04:27.680 --> 0:04:32.200 to a free, equitable, more just and safe marketplace. And 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:34.920 they were asking the questions and I thought, oh, this 0:04:34.960 --> 0:04:36.760 is something that I'd like to be a part of. 0:04:37.200 --> 0:04:38.360 So while I. 0:04:38.279 --> 0:04:41.000 Could talk to you all day about deals in grocery 0:04:41.000 --> 0:04:43.640 stores and pet insurance, because it is one of my 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:49.080 passions at Consumer Reports, I'm able to engage and indulge 0:04:49.160 --> 0:04:53.240 even sometimes in those pursuits, but also have a focus 0:04:53.440 --> 0:04:56.159 on some of the larger picture things that are really 0:04:56.360 --> 0:05:00.520 impacting communities that have been locked out for long time 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:01.320 from the market. 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:04.240 Yeah, that's cool. Thanks for sharing. And Consumer Reports has 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:06.760 done so much for so many decades now to help 0:05:06.880 --> 0:05:11.119 inform consumers so they can make smart decisions with their 0:05:11.160 --> 0:05:13.960 finances or big fans of what Consumer Reports has been 0:05:13.960 --> 0:05:17.599 doing for a long long time. All right, let's talk specifically. 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.400 Let's start. Let's get into food and inflation. Matt kind 0:05:20.440 --> 0:05:22.400 of joked about at the beginning that his food bill 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:24.760 maybe has gone up more than others because more kids, 0:05:24.760 --> 0:05:28.120 more mouse to feed and buying the organics. I guess right, Matt. 0:05:28.279 --> 0:05:31.280 But true, grocery prices have gone up for everybody roughly 0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:34.000 twenty six percent over the last four and a half years. 0:05:34.400 --> 0:05:38.160 But it's also kind of it makes so many headlines 0:05:38.560 --> 0:05:41.760 even though it's not meaningfully Food inflation has not meaningfully 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:45.960 been above head and shoulders above the average inflation rate. 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:48.640 So why do you think the grocery store prices get 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:50.240 so much coverage? 0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:54.400 By some measures, the price of groceries are the leading 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:59.719 economic indicator for a lot of folks, And you really 0:05:59.760 --> 0:06:02.520 feel it because it's a. 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:03.600 Very visceral experience. 0:06:03.960 --> 0:06:08.000 You're going and you're filling your basket, and you're looking 0:06:08.040 --> 0:06:10.640 at the things that you're used to buying, and you're 0:06:10.680 --> 0:06:13.800 looking at the prices that you're paying for them, and 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:18.080 there really aren't a lot of spaces that we're confronted 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:23.560 so just starkly by what our idea of what economizing 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:25.960 is and what we used to pay versus what our 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:29.400 current reality is. So even though those numbers might not 0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:33.919 be akin to looking at gas prices or insurance or 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:37.240 your mortgage or rent, it just feels like it because 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:40.800 it's such a basic thing. And you know, eggs are 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:43.200 a dollar fifty, and then when you see that they're 0:06:43.320 --> 0:06:46.600 two dollars and seventy, you're like, WHOA, what is going on? 0:06:46.800 --> 0:06:49.560 Because there are some things you just know and it 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:52.440 feels very much like you're being confronted with it when 0:06:52.440 --> 0:06:53.880 you're buying the same thing. 0:06:54.320 --> 0:06:55.480 But you're paying a lot more. 0:06:55.600 --> 0:06:57.120 There's a lot of things we can cut back on, 0:06:57.160 --> 0:06:59.320 foods not really one of the most of the time, 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:04.360 Ryan's number one tip is just to eat less. Number 0:07:05.200 --> 0:07:06.640 one meal of a day. Is that a three? 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:07.120 No? 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:08.640 I think what you said is so true, just the 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:11.080 pervasiveness of it. And you're talking about the price per 0:07:11.160 --> 0:07:13.200 gallon of gas, but when it comes to food, like, 0:07:13.240 --> 0:07:15.480 there's a like for you. I'm guessing I don't know, 0:07:15.520 --> 0:07:17.680 maybe I'm assuming here, but a lot of New Yorkers 0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:20.160 don't have a car, and so the price per gallon 0:07:20.200 --> 0:07:22.560 probably doesn't affect many Manhattanites. 0:07:22.600 --> 0:07:22.920 Is that what you? 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.880 I don't know, nearly as much as the price of 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:30.720 let's say, twelve eggs. So you you actually wrote an 0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:34.040 article over in Consumer Reports about obviously saving money at 0:07:34.040 --> 0:07:37.280 the supermarket, but you said that technology specifically is rapidly 0:07:37.400 --> 0:07:39.840 changing the food shopping experience. 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:41.600 And you know we're. 0:07:41.400 --> 0:07:44.480 Not just talking about you know, getting your groceries delivered. 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:48.960 So how has the in person experience change and how 0:07:49.000 --> 0:07:50.760 do you currently see it continue to change? 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:55.400 Well, technology is marching on, it's never quit and it 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:59.600 is touching every aspect of our lives and shopping and 0:07:59.640 --> 0:08:04.720 food is no different. We have, of course always known 0:08:04.800 --> 0:08:08.760 about these savor deals that come when you join a 0:08:08.800 --> 0:08:12.360 store loyalty program, but now you would be hard pressed 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:14.760 to find one of those stores that hasn't taken their 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:18.640 loyalty program away from the little rip and go sort 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:21.160 of coupons that you might have been used to to 0:08:21.240 --> 0:08:23.480 the realm of online and. 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:24.880 Smartphones as well. 0:08:25.440 --> 0:08:30.560 We've also seen the advent of this palm scanning technology 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:37.160 is pioneered by the folks over at the megabohemoth Amazon 0:08:37.559 --> 0:08:41.280 using this sort of network that scans your palm that 0:08:41.360 --> 0:08:45.280 you actually tie to a payment method, and that is 0:08:45.440 --> 0:08:50.320 making folks move through grocery stores even more quickly and 0:08:50.480 --> 0:08:54.040 has the ability to tailor deals that are specific to 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:57.560 your sort of shopping patterns as well, and that might 0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:02.000 represent the opportunity for you to manifest some savings there. 0:09:02.480 --> 0:09:06.640 There are also other things like technology at these warehouse 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:10.559 clubs that so many of us shop at now, particularly 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:14.360 those who are not Manhattan Ice or Brooklyn Nights like myself, 0:09:14.520 --> 0:09:17.440 who do have pantry space where you know, the days 0:09:17.480 --> 0:09:19.480 where you have to stop by that person at the 0:09:19.480 --> 0:09:21.600 door with a little highlighter where they're. 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:24.120 Scanning your card and checking off all the things that 0:09:24.160 --> 0:09:26.760 they couldn't possibly know are in your aisle. 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:30.520 So in your car, right, all of this performative security 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:35.080 is yeah, it's sort of but I've seen long lines there, 0:09:35.080 --> 0:09:37.959 but that is going the way of the Dodo powered 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:39.480 by AI, where they're. 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:41.640 Actually going to be scanning and allow you to just 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:47.000 walk through, so reducing the lag of your grocery store 0:09:47.040 --> 0:09:50.120 experience and the idea of just getting people in and 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:54.320 out more quickly and making the shopping experience more fun 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:55.000 and relevant. 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:57.720 But one of the most exciting advents. 0:09:57.240 --> 0:10:02.400 Is with these smart hearts that have the ability to 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:07.880 weigh your vegetables and other bulk items as well as 0:10:08.080 --> 0:10:10.920 show you any savings that you might be able to 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:14.200 get from the products and give you information on them 0:10:14.240 --> 0:10:16.959 as you just put them into your cart. And these 0:10:17.000 --> 0:10:22.240 are being piloted at a few different commercial supermarkets across 0:10:22.280 --> 0:10:25.520 the country. So smart carts seem to be a way 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:27.959 of the future, and once they get the price down 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:30.720 a little, I suspect we'll be able to see. 0:10:30.520 --> 0:10:31.520 A lot more of those. 0:10:31.640 --> 0:10:35.160 You have a complete shopping experience and are able to 0:10:35.559 --> 0:10:37.679 just move your way through the grocery store and not 0:10:37.760 --> 0:10:41.760 even have to interact with anyone. It charges and pays 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:44.959 and keeps the running sabulation the entire time that you're shopping. 0:10:45.280 --> 0:10:49.319 So those are some of the more forward looking innovations. 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.960 But yeah, tech has taken over our shopping as well, 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:54.640 and hopefully we'll be able to use that to have 0:10:54.760 --> 0:10:55.560 some savings. 0:10:55.800 --> 0:10:57.880 Yeah, yeah, okay, So I want to hone in on 0:10:57.880 --> 0:10:59.600 that just a little bit because I'm all for greater 0:10:59.679 --> 0:11:03.880 levels of convenience. I'm all for like smart technology, meaning 0:11:03.920 --> 0:11:05.520 that I get in and out of the grocery store 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:08.120 a little bit more quickly and I'm not waiting in 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:11.040 a line to check out or the self checkout, which 0:11:11.440 --> 0:11:14.000 can be the main of your existence. Depending on how 0:11:14.040 --> 0:11:17.240 it's run, maybe that becomes a much smoother process. But 0:11:17.440 --> 0:11:20.960 is it just about increasing convenience or are we seeing 0:11:21.000 --> 0:11:25.120 technology legitimately lead to lower prices for people, because that really, 0:11:25.120 --> 0:11:27.079 at the end of the day, people want to live 0:11:27.080 --> 0:11:28.760 in the jets and zero, but only if it's going 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:29.520 to save them money. 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:35.960 Absolutely, number one, it is about convenience because supermarkets know 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:38.360 that they're competing with all of the folks who are 0:11:38.400 --> 0:11:40.480 willing to ring your door bill and show up at 0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:42.160 any hour with what it is that. 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:45.559 You ordered, and once they get you in the store, 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:48.240 they get to use all of those mind tricks to 0:11:48.280 --> 0:11:50.560 get you to buy more than you bargain for. 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:51.200 Uh huh. 0:11:51.240 --> 0:11:54.520 So they want to drive traffic into the stores and 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:58.040 entice people in, and this technology is one piece of that. 0:11:58.360 --> 0:12:01.600 But also when folks do get to the store, they 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:05.040 want there to be deals that make you come back. 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.560 So it's a sort of too prong approach to getting 0:12:08.600 --> 0:12:09.720 people back in the storage. 0:12:09.800 --> 0:12:10.640 Number one will. 0:12:10.440 --> 0:12:13.440 Make it convenient and fast, and will also sweeten it 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:16.960 a little bit, and most of that sweetener comes now 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:19.960 in the form of these store. 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.880 Brands that are not the national name brands. It's sort 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:24.040 of like, if. 0:12:23.840 --> 0:12:29.960 You liked Dorrito's, you'll love Crispy Nazzo tortillas, and if 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:31.200 you don't love. 0:12:31.000 --> 0:12:32.920 Them, we'll give you your money back. 0:12:33.320 --> 0:12:36.600 So a lot of folks who are in the grocery 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:39.640 space are sort of doubling down on getting you in 0:12:39.720 --> 0:12:42.680 with convenience and then trying to get you to engage 0:12:42.720 --> 0:12:46.640 more with their store brands, which they get more money for. 0:12:47.080 --> 0:12:50.240 And like we touched on it earlier looking at PepsiCo 0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:54.040 with their snacks and drinks being even kicked out of 0:12:54.080 --> 0:12:57.480 some of those grocery store chains in Europe because they 0:12:57.480 --> 0:13:01.200 won't budge on their pricing. But still in America really 0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:03.600 sticking it to us when it comes to those foods. 0:13:04.080 --> 0:13:07.560 But folks are providing alternatives that they say are just 0:13:07.840 --> 0:13:12.600 as good, if not better, backed by satisfaction money back guarantees. 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:15.040 I expect to see cheese bits instead of cheese. It's 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:16.719 in your Patriot from here on out. 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:19.400 Brian, Listen, I'm not above trying out a new. 0:13:19.320 --> 0:13:20.199 Thing, are you not? 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:24.160 Okay, just avoid the Berman's dorrido equivalent at Aldi. We'll 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:25.720 get to I caught some flag for that. I'm sure 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:28.120 we'll talk about Aldi plenty later on in the episode. 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:31.400 But those things are terrible. But you're talking about convenience, 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:33.240 and it's a double edged sword though, because at the 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:36.200 same time you're making it more, you're making it easier 0:13:36.200 --> 0:13:37.840 for the retailer to kind of get their hooks in 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.800 you under the guys maybe of convenience because it's kind 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:42.240 of like, oh, this is going to be easy for you, 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:44.679 easy for you to spend money, but also, I mean 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:47.920 it makes me You mentioned the how different retailers are, 0:13:48.200 --> 0:13:50.880 how they're kind of switching up their samples that they 0:13:50.960 --> 0:13:53.040 are offering there in the store because and that's a 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:54.200 similar thing where it's kind of. 0:13:54.200 --> 0:13:56.319 Like, oh no, you get to try it before give 0:13:56.320 --> 0:13:56.920 a little sample. 0:13:57.320 --> 0:13:59.720 Folks set up there like at Costco's what I'm thinking of, 0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:03.439 But simultaneously, it's another way to get you to spend more. 0:14:03.800 --> 0:14:05.760 How do you kind of square that, How do you 0:14:06.000 --> 0:14:08.080 find balance when it comes to the samples that stores 0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:08.560 are offering. 0:14:08.840 --> 0:14:11.680 Well, one of those things is to you know, you're 0:14:11.720 --> 0:14:12.679 not ever meant. 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:15.360 To go to the grocery store hungry, but you can 0:14:15.440 --> 0:14:18.600 also think about the timing of when you do go. 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:23.640 I know, in my life there are no stores that 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:25.480 sample anything where I am. 0:14:25.840 --> 0:14:27.520 But when I'm home. 0:14:27.360 --> 0:14:30.440 Visiting my parents in Chicago and you're shopping in these 0:14:30.920 --> 0:14:35.080 places that have actual shopping carts and huge aisles and 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:39.680 even huger portions and like packs or you can buy things, 0:14:39.960 --> 0:14:43.560 there are a lot of samples there that can be tempting. 0:14:44.080 --> 0:14:48.920 But I think if you really know yourself, and if 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.360 you're one of those folks who are easily swayed, one 0:14:52.360 --> 0:14:54.280 of the extreme things you can do is just go 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:56.720 with the grocery buddy, someone who is going to keep 0:14:56.760 --> 0:14:57.440 you accountable. 0:14:57.480 --> 0:15:01.120 If it's accountability, yeah, you go, you know, magic a word. 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:04.720 If there is something that you really have no business 0:15:04.760 --> 0:15:06.880 getting but it was so delicious, just. 0:15:06.960 --> 0:15:09.680 Double back and get another sample. You don't need to 0:15:10.360 --> 0:15:11.880 always be the one. 0:15:11.920 --> 0:15:14.920 But one of the things that I love about your 0:15:15.080 --> 0:15:17.320 podcast and the way you all interact and. 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:20.240 Share with people is that you are here for doing 0:15:20.280 --> 0:15:20.720 the work. 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:24.120 And I think there are ways to try new things 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.920 and save money, but you got to be willing to, 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:30.320 you know, invest a little time. Yeah, find out who 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.440 sells the products. Ask the person there if they have 0:15:33.640 --> 0:15:36.960 a coupon. Beyond that, go to the website, go to 0:15:37.000 --> 0:15:40.400 their social media, engage with them. Say you know what, 0:15:40.480 --> 0:15:43.680 I saw this at the store and I was really intrigued. 0:15:43.720 --> 0:15:44.560 It was even. 0:15:44.480 --> 0:15:47.200 Good and I'd like to expose my family to it 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:49.560 or share it with friends. Do you have a coupon 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:51.880 that might make it easier for me to pick your 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:52.920 brand over the one. 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:54.040 That I usually go for. 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:58.960 And you'd be surprised how many people actually mail coupons. 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.800 Sign you up for digital thing, send you a buy one, 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:05.440 get one, send you just a free coupon period as 0:16:05.480 --> 0:16:07.800 a way of introduction and saying thanks for being in 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:10.360 touch with us. Nice and it's all for the price 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:12.920 of a you know, the three minutes that it takes 0:16:12.960 --> 0:16:15.760 you to send a little emails. Yeah, I saw something 0:16:15.840 --> 0:16:17.920 being sampled at the store today. I wondered if you 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:20.400 might be able to sweeten it a little bit. 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:22.360 Can you help me out with the coupons so I 0:16:22.360 --> 0:16:23.760 could try it? And they do. 0:16:24.280 --> 0:16:26.920 We we regularly talk about how asking for a discount 0:16:26.920 --> 0:16:30.880 is underrated and whether wellether and it's not always the 0:16:30.920 --> 0:16:32.800 person at the checkout counter probably can't be like, sure, 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:34.800 I'll take twenty percent off your bill right now. But 0:16:34.840 --> 0:16:36.480 those are the kind of ways in which if you 0:16:36.560 --> 0:16:39.320 ask the right people in the right avenues, you're probably 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:40.720 going to get some sort of savings. And I think 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.760 that's a great tip. You mentioned generic products, and I'm 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:45.960 curious or store brands, right, I guess we'll call them 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:48.760 store brands more than generic these days. How do you 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:51.200 have any data, like how much can folks save by 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:54.320 buying store brands? Because I think part of it's the 0:16:54.560 --> 0:16:57.800 it's the oh man, I remember having eating that product 0:16:57.800 --> 0:17:01.200 since I was a youth, or the advertising just kind 0:17:01.200 --> 0:17:03.280 of get you, and that's what you choose in the moment, 0:17:03.360 --> 0:17:06.240 just because you've seen commercials for Oreos instead of the 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:09.359 off brand, knockoff or whatever, and so that's just even 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.360 if it's two dollars to fifty cents more for the package, 0:17:12.640 --> 0:17:15.440 you just instinctively reach for the name brand. Why should 0:17:15.520 --> 0:17:17.240 we consider store brands and how much do we stand 0:17:17.280 --> 0:17:17.560 to save? 0:17:18.040 --> 0:17:21.680 So first off, you should absolutely consider store brands. 0:17:21.720 --> 0:17:26.959 And even if you might get burned by those aldibrand. 0:17:28.320 --> 0:17:30.240 Costs, it's still with a. 0:17:30.160 --> 0:17:33.040 Little experimentation, come on, you gotta give it a shot. 0:17:32.800 --> 0:17:34.960 Absolutely, and the kids will eat it, or you just 0:17:35.040 --> 0:17:36.360 invite the neighbors. 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:38.240 Over and like put them out there. It's not a 0:17:38.240 --> 0:17:38.720 big deal. 0:17:39.000 --> 0:17:44.120 But you can absolutely manifest those savings through what has 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:46.719 come to be known as private label. 0:17:47.119 --> 0:17:48.600 Like when I was it was. 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:52.879 The generic off brand, no name with the x's in 0:17:52.920 --> 0:17:58.080 the black and white boxes. But now those products that 0:17:58.240 --> 0:18:02.719 are private label can really save folks a lot of money. 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:06.160 And one of the things about store brands is that 0:18:06.280 --> 0:18:11.000 you can manifest twenty to twenty five percent savings by 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:14.560 choosing to give those a chance. When you're looking at 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:18.360 things in the food section and those savings go up 0:18:18.400 --> 0:18:22.600 even higher when you're looking at personal care like antipersperants 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:25.960 or mouthwash or dental floss. 0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:29.440 Or any of those things that fall into the personal 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:30.000 care line. 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:32.920 You can see savings of up to forty percent when 0:18:32.960 --> 0:18:35.000 you start to get into those products. 0:18:35.480 --> 0:18:38.320 And like we talked about before, there. 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.439 Are so many of them that come with those money 0:18:40.440 --> 0:18:43.920 back guarantees where they'll give you your money and in some 0:18:44.000 --> 0:18:48.479 instances from stores even replace it with something that is 0:18:48.520 --> 0:18:51.440 your usual brand. But again, this is one of those 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.040 followed through things. You might open it up and see, oh, 0:18:55.160 --> 0:18:57.879 this is horrible, and they're counting on you to just 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:00.119 dump it or put it into the kids lunches for 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:02.639 the rest of the week, never to be bought again. 0:19:03.160 --> 0:19:05.359 But if you take that extra step. 0:19:05.640 --> 0:19:08.480 I've been behind the line at someone at Whole Foods 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:11.879 who was returning something, someone who was at all the 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:15.320 even at Trader Joe's, and they're returning and say not 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:18.200 for me, and the process is so painless. 0:19:18.680 --> 0:19:21.760 Like I imagine, people build up in their minds that they're 0:19:21.800 --> 0:19:22.400 going to be in. 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:26.320 Front of some tribunal and be made to answer for 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:29.800 why these aren't as good as you expected, or what happened. 0:19:29.840 --> 0:19:31.400 We're going to weigh it and like kind of call 0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:33.240