A message from Kevin Moffitt, President & CEO, Pear Bureau Northwest

If you are like me, you may be closely watching the dollars you spend at the store and looking for more value pricing, using more coupons, reviewing store flyers and setting firm budgets. Maybe you are even shopping less frequently.

Since the August full moon recently ushered in the new pear harvest, I would like to offer some thoughts and tips on finding value in the produce department. Hopefully this column will give you some ideas, hints & tricks to save some money.

Coupons are one of the easiest ways to cut costs. The Sunday paper is still the most popular place to get coupons but website coupons have grown tremendously in past few years. It is easy to get coupons on-line simply by typing “free grocery coupons” into a search engine. Type the name of your favorite brands for coupons or go to the manufactures website. 

A retailer’s website can let you know what is on sale in store. Many store flyers offer coupons and there are often coupons in-store as well. One caveat regarding coupons and sale items; you need to ensure that you are not buying something you hadn’t planned to buy just because of the discount.

Once you have your coupons in hand, making a list and sticking to it can help you stay on budget. Our website has a handy shopping list download that you can print at home. http://www.usapears.com/fileData/docs/shopping_list.pdf

Many stores have frequent shopper cards which can save lots of cash. If you are concerned about privacy, ask about signing up for a card anonymously. Many retailers will let you register as a "shopper" with no or minimal personal information.

Consumers who are cutting back on snacks should consider switching to fruits and vegetables as they offer a good value, taste and nutrition. Consider buying smaller sized fruit or buying in bulk. If you buy a bag of pears for example, you can keep them in a bowl at room temperature until they are ripe. Too many to eat at once? Store extras in the fridge to slow further ripening. Click here for tips on selection and storage on over 150 produce items. 

More stores are offering meal solutions, gathering all of the ingredients you need to prepare a meal - on sale and in one place. This can save you time and money. Likewise, cross promotions can offer savings of complimentary items such as sandwich ingredients. Taking a brown bag lunch to work can save four to six dollars per day, possibly over $100 per month.

Many retailers offer online shopping and delivery. This can be a big time and money saver if you don’t want to drive to the store, especially if you combine orders with family or coworkers, cutting the delivery fee. Scheduling a store pick up is often cheaper as well. On-line shopping for groceries is like having a personal shopper selecting your produce, a nice luxury anytime.

Many people are eating and entertaining at home more often these days. If you need a hostess gift, consider making your own gift baskets. Our site offers some excellent step by step instructions on gift baskets as well as decorating with pears. http://www.usapears.com/lifestyle/decorating.asp

I hope these tips and strategies will help you save time and money, both of which seems to be very tight these days. If you have other tips, please share them here.

All the best, Kevin