SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — With Fourth of July festivities right around the corner, shoppers are looking for ways to save — and how you shop at your local grocery store can help with that.
Marie Salazar plans ahead when preparing for a big holiday to make sure she gets everything she needs while staying within her budget.
"We usually, you know, go with our family ... and what I do is I plan things ahead of time because I don't want to keep rushing coming here," Salazar said.
She says being intentional about spending is more important than ever.
"You really have to be wiser this time because it's really important to save because, you know, commodities right now are so expensive," Salazar said.
According to the National Retail Federation, 87% of consumers plan to celebrate the Fourth of July this year, and collectively they're expected to spend at least $9.4 billion on food. That breaks down to about $94 per person.
But experts say there are ways to save if you track deals and ads.
Rosita Szatkowska is a district manager for Vons, Albertsons, and Pavilions. She says the stores will be dropping various Fourth of July deals over the next few days, making it important to stay informed.
"Number one, grab our ads because we have deals in our ads. We also have our For You app — it's our digital app that you can download on your phone and you can also get personalized deals on this app," Szatkowska said.
Szatkowska also recommends price-checking and crunching the numbers to see what's more beneficial for your budget and time — making something from scratch or buying something ready-made from the store.
"If you think about it, you can get 28 pieces of chicken, which is $16," Szatkowska said.
She notes that making chicken yourself means additional costs beyond the meat itself.
"You can surely go to our meat department and grab chicken, then you've got to bread it ... if you have to buy the flour and the foil and the pans, it all adds up," Szatkowska said.
Walmart is also offering ways to save, showing customers how to feed eight people for just under $40. The key is to buy in bulk and choose store brands over national brands.
Salazar says she also uses holiday deals to stock up for future gatherings, buying in bulk and storing items in her freezer.
"Especially like the steak — why would I buy like $100 on a regular basis if I see it's going to come down on the Fourth of July? I can buy it for like $30 to $40 one tray," Salazar said.
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