My routine whenever I go to the store is to swing by the wine aisle just to check for sales. Frequently, you'll find an additional sale being offered on top of the regular buy 6 discount-- either a simple $2-3 coupon hanging off the neck of a bottle, or an additional buy 6 deal from a particular group of wineries offering you a discount on your total grocery purchase. As a result, I've picked up some halfway decent bottles of wine for under $6, and buying in bulk usually means I get a discount on gasoline too, discounting the bottles even more. Plus, buying 6 at a time encourages experimentation, and I've been pleasantly surprised by some random wines that I normally wouldn't even have considered. In my humble opinion, the buy 6, get 30% is not only worth it, it's the only way to buy wine at Kroger stores.
Have you taken advantage of the buy 6, get 30% off wine deal at Kroger stores? (You can find this deal in many Kroger affiliates like Ralph's as well, although in some states the discount is only 15-20%). If not, you should. They tend to mark up their prices compared to Trader Joe's, so it's the only way I'll buy wine there. There's no real downside to buying 6 bottles at once. Even if it takes you a month or more to go through all of them, you can add a little style to your kitchen by displaying them with a nice wine rack.
My routine whenever I go to the store is to swing by the wine aisle just to check for sales. Frequently, you'll find an additional sale being offered on top of the regular buy 6 discount-- either a simple $2-3 coupon hanging off the neck of a bottle, or an additional buy 6 deal from a particular group of wineries offering you a discount on your total grocery purchase. As a result, I've picked up some halfway decent bottles of wine for under $6, and buying in bulk usually means I get a discount on gasoline too, discounting the bottles even more. Plus, buying 6 at a time encourages experimentation, and I've been pleasantly surprised by some random wines that I normally wouldn't even have considered. In my humble opinion, the buy 6, get 30% is not only worth it, it's the only way to buy wine at Kroger stores. "I need to drink less alcohol." We've all heard, and probably used, that phrase. After all, drinking less is a great way to spend less money and improve your all-around health (let’s be honest—alcohol is not on anyone’s weight loss plan). But most people have a hard time changing a habit they enjoy. We're not talking about quitting cold turkey (if that's what you are looking for, click here). Life is meant to be lived, and all good things are here for our enjoyment. So even if the only six pack you have is chilling in your fridge, here’s five easy tips to help you drink less without even trying. 1. Start later: Cracking a cold one when you get home from work is a nice way to relax after a stressful day (if you commute, you might be reaching for something a little stronger). And there's nothing like a glass of wine while you cook to make you feel like a gourmet chef. But if your goal is to drink less alcohol, wait a little longer before your first glass. If one drink when you get home turns into two when you start dinner, and three before bed, move your schedule back. Pour the wine while you make dinner, instead of when you get home. Or save or beer for after your meal, instead of drinking it while you eat. If you wait until later to start, you’ll have less time to drink, so you'll drink less.
3. Spend more for less: Most of us are not willing to do shots of expensive alcohol unless someone else is buying. When you're home and drinking your own hard-earned money, two fingers of Jeremiah Weed often turn into a finger and a half of Jack, or a single finger of an 18 year old Glenmorangie. If you’re downing half a bottle of two buck chuck on a nightly basis because it’s cheap, find a nice $5 wine that you like and you’ll find that your drinking magically reduces to a glass a night (if a $5 bottle won’t do it, increase the price point until psychology kicks in. At some point, this will work… hopefully somewhere south of a dom perignon). 4. Drink with friends: You might need to ignore this one. If you and your roommates are putting away a 12 pack every night, you can skip this step. They are part of the problem, not the solution. But if you tend to drink alone, and you are drinking more than you would like on a regular basis, make it your goal to only drink with friends.
5. Keep an empty refrigerator: I learned this from a doctor I used to live with in Indianapolis. He would buy a huge case of Moosehead beer, but only chill one at a time. If you have a six pack in your fridge, you’ll be more tempted to drink it. If you only have one in there, you are well on your way towards building a habit of moderation and self-control. What tips have you found helpful for drinking less? |
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