The Ultimate Guide To Shopping At Safeway

Making the most of every trip to the grocery store is important. Not only do you want to save money whenever possible with rising costs, but you also want to make sure that you bring home the best quality items and ingredients. There are more than 900 Safeway grocery stores across 18 different states in the country. If you live in one of these states, Safeway may be one of the grocery stores closest to your home.

Regardless of whether you've been shopping at Safeway for years or have only just started shopping there, you'll want to know more about the store and what makes it unique from other grocery options out there. 

We've created a guide to help you learn about getting the best deals at Safeway, how their specials work, and other key information that will help you make the most of every shopping trip. Then you can grab your grocery list, get your weekly shopping trip taken care of, and start preparing delicious meals for your household to enjoy, all thanks to our handy grocery store hacks.

If you're going to shop at Safeway, even just for a few items, you want to make sure to sign up for Safeway for U, the store's loyalty program. As a member of the program, you will be able to get the weekly sales price for groceries, earn rewards, and more. Non-members will have to pay full price for the majority of items, so that should be enough of a reason to sign up. Signing up is free and easy, and it won't take up much of your time.

Beyond being able to purchase items for the sales prices advertised in the weekly ad, there are several other reasons to consider becoming a Safeway for U member. The first is that you'll earn points that you can redeem for free groceries or discounts at the pump. There are also special digital coupons offered by Safeway that are only available for rewards members, so you'll potentially be leaving money on the table if you don't sign up. Yet another reason to join the program is the personalized deals that you'll receive. Based on your spending patterns and the products you purchase, you may periodically receive personalized offers to help you save more on some of your favorite items.

Safeway for U members will receive a free birthday treat offer and the opportunity to try a special monthly product for free. You will also be able to receive discounted pet medications and pet products and find meal-planning inspiration to help get you through the week.

After joining the Safeway for U loyalty program, you'll want to make sure that you have downloaded the Safeway mobile app to your phone. The app will make it much easier to take advantage of all of the perks offered by the program and will help you maximize your in-store savings. With the app, you can save digital coupons to your account, keeping them organized and easy to use at the register. 

The app also makes it easy to create a shopping list as you browse through the weekly ads so you don't forget to pick up something that's on sale. It also makes it easier to place a DriveUp & Go or delivery order if you want to shop from the convenience of your seat, not your feet. If your prescriptions are filled by Safeway, you can even manage them through the app, request refills, or schedule vaccinations. The Safeway app is available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

If you go into Safeway for your weekly shopping trip without flipping through the weekly ad, you're making a big mistake. The weekly ad is your source to identify all the current specials and promotions to help maximize your savings. The day sales start can vary based on your location, but most run for one week. Pay attention and make sure you get into the store if there is something you want that is marked on sale. On the day before the official weekly ad is released, you can look for the Safeway weekly ad preview to get a sneak peek at some of the coming sales to help you better plan your shopping trip.

As you're flipping through the weekly ad, use the current sales to help you plan your menu for the week. Think about ways to incorporate the produce, meats, pasta, and other goods that are on sale into a delicious recipe to share with those that you love. Meal planning around the sales can help you save a lot of money. If there are frozen or dry ingredients and groceries with long shelf lives, you can also stock up on some of your favorites to reduce the cost of future meals too. You can view the Safeway weekly ad through the app or on the website.

In addition to the weekly ad, Safeway also has a Big Book of Savings that is released about once every month. The Big Book of Savings includes offers for nearly all departments in the store, so you'll want to give it a close look too. The sales advertised here run for several weeks and provide you with even more opportunities to cut your grocery bill in half.

Before you rush out the door to go to Safeway, make sure that you don't forget to grab your coupons or your cell phone with digital coupons. Using coupons is a simple task that can really impact your total at the grocery store. Safeway accepts unexpired manufacturer's coupons and coupons issued by their stores. 

If you plan on using coupons, don't forget to take them out and hand them to the cashier before checking out; the store's coupon policy states that coupons must be presented at the time of purchase. Some — but not all — Safeways double certain coupons. Because this policy can vary between stores, you'll want to check with the customer service department at your local Safeway to learn more about their specific policy.

Don't forget that Safeway also issues digital coupons through their website and the app. These can be loaded directly to your Safeway for U account. Once loaded, the digital coupons should automatically be applied to your purchase. This is yet another reason to make sure you don't forget to sign up for the Safeway for U loyalty program and download the store's app.

If you haven't been using a cash back app to help you save money at the grocery store, it is time to change that right now. Cash back apps offer precisely what they sound like — an opportunity to receive cash back for buying the things you need at the grocery store. There are several different types of apps out there, and each one works a bit differently than the rest.

Many apps require you to scroll through the list of offers, select those that you'll use, such as money back for purchasing specific products, and add them to your account. After you check out, you scan your receipt, and the items you purchased, and the cash back offer is added to your account. Other apps simply require you to scan your receipt. Some will look for specific items on the receipt, while others will simply give you cash back just for scanning it. Apps with this style are less work to use, but you're most likely to accumulate more in rewards with apps that have you select and purchase specific products. 

Either way, once you've accumulated rewards, you can redeem them. Depending on the app you're using, you may be able to request a transfer directly to your bank account or PayPal. Or, you may be able to choose from various gift card options. 

As we've talked about, Safeway for U members can earn points that can be redeemed for either free groceries or discounted gas. Every $1 you spend on groceries at Safeway earns you 1 point. You will also earn 2 points for each $1 you spend on gift cards. Every time your point balance reaches 100, you earn a reward. Once you have 1 reward, you can redeem it for 10 cents off each gallon of gas purchased at a participating Exxon or Mobil gas station. If you want to use your rewards to save more in-store, you can view the available offers for cash discounts or free items when you're signed into your account.

The gas and grocery rewards points that Safeway offers are an exciting way to maximize your savings. What you don't want to do is let them go to waste. As with most other special promotions, your rewards don't last forever. Rewards expire at the end of the month that follows the one where you earned them. This means that if you earned 3 rewards in April, you will have until the last day of May to use them. Similarly, any points less than 100 also expire at the end of each month. As an example, if you had 389 points in your account at the end of September, 300 of them would be converted to 3 rewards, but the extra 89 points would expire. For this reason, you should always check your balance at the end of the month to make sure you aren't missing out on the next reward by only a few dollars.

As you're flipping through the Safeway weekly ad, you may notice some Pick 5 or More and Save labels. When you see these, stop to take a closer look. When you purchase products under these special promotions, you'll be able to get them for a less expensive price if you purchase at least five different items. For example, you might see that cake mix is on sale for $1.25 per box. However, if it is part of a Pick 5 or More promotion, the price per box could come down to $1. Those extra savings will really add up. When you buy just five, you would end up saving an additional $1.25.

If the item is something you know you use all the time, you can even purchase more than five. The discounted price applies to any quantities over five, and you don't have to buy things in increments of five. So, you can save money if you purchase 6, 12, or 23 items. Imagine the savings if you really stock up. As a visual, for the example above about cake mix, you would be saving an additional $3.75 off the already lower sales price if you purchase 15 boxes.

If you recently moved or decided to switch grocery stores, you may have some gift cards lying around from the old store you used to shop at. Before you throw these out or consider driving a far distance to use them, take a step back. It is possible that you could be able to use your gift card at Safeway.

Safeway is a member of the Albertson family of stores. Gift cards from any of these stores can be used with other member stores. Other grocery stores that are a part of the Albertson family include Albertsons, Vons, Jewel, Acme, Carrs, Shaw's Pavilions, Randalls, Star Market, and Tom Thumb. Similarly, if you have a Safeway gift card in your wallet and are traveling, you could use it to purchase groceries from one of these other stores. There are more than 2,200 Albertson family stores spread out over the United States.

Getting groceries delivered to your door has lots of benefits. You don't have to dedicate time from your already busy schedule to walking around the grocery store; someone else will take care of selecting the items you order and bringing them directly to your door. Moreover, you can save money by avoiding impulse buys from grocery stores for things that you really don't need. On the other hand, grocery delivery costs extra, making it a luxury that many can't afford or decide isn't really worth it.

However, if you've never used Safeway's delivery services, you can try them out for free with your first order. Even if you don't plan on getting your groceries delivered in the future, you might as well take advantage of the option for free delivery and save it for a day when you know getting to the store is going to be tough. You'll only need to spend $30 to qualify for free delivery.

After trying Safeway's delivery services, you may decide that the convenience of having your groceries delivered is worth the cost. If you do want to continue using the delivery services, then you'll want to sign up for FreshPass. FreshPass customers receive unlimited free delivery on orders of at least $30 for a flat rate of either $99 per year or $12.99 per month. You can even sign up for a free trial on Safeway's website.

There are other perks associated with signing up for FreshPass. If you sign up for annual billing, you'll receive a $5 credit every month. This works out to a total of $60 in savings, which covers about 60% of the costs. FreshPass customers can save $20 on the first online order they place for $75 or more. Customers will also save 5% on O Organics, Open Nature, and Signature Pet Care brands. You can even earn a monthly perk at Starbucks.

Do you like the idea of someone else doing your grocery shopping for you but don't want to pay anything extra? If so, there is one more option to consider that doesn't involve you going into the grocery store yourself. Consider using the DriveUp & Go option through your Safeway app or online account to pick up your groceries curbside. Shop online whenever it is convenient for you, and choose a pickup time that matches your schedule and availability.

Once your order is confirmed, a professional shopper will gather all of the items you selected before you are scheduled to arrive. At the time of your pickup, pull into the DriveUp & Go marked spots and call the store. Someone will bring the groceries out to you and load them into your car; it's that simple. Another one of the benefits of ordering groceries for pickup is that there is no charge for DriveUp & Go orders, and you'll be paying in-store prices. You can add any digital coupons you have when you place your order as well, helping to maximize your savings.

Most grocery stores have their own brands. When you shop at Safeway, you'll find that there are several exclusive store brands to choose from, many of which are also available through other Albertson family grocery stores. One of these brands that you may want to look out for is O Organics. As you can probably guess, this is Safeway's line of organic produce, dairy products, and more. If you're looking to avoid pesticides and other contaminants, then you're likely to enjoy many of the O Organics products.

Lucerne is another of the store's most popular brands. It is your go-to brand for quality milk, cheese, and other dairy products that cost less than many other brands. If you're looking for deli meats or cheese, then you'll want to try Primo Taglio branded items. For the best prices on items to stock in your fridge or pantry, be on the lookout for Value Corner branded products. A few of Safeway's other exclusive brands to try include Open Nature, Signature Select, Signature Care, Waterfront Bistro, debi lilly design, ReadyMeals, and Soleil.

Have you ever been excited by a grocery sale only to get to the store and realize that one of the items you want is sold out? If this happens on a grocery trip to Safeway, you may still be able to purchase the items you want for the sales price. Head to the customer service department to request a raincheck. This will allow you to purchase the item you want at a later date for the current sales price.

You will want to make sure you use your raincheck within three months; they expire 90 days after being issued. In most cases, Safeway will issue a refund for up to six items. However, even if your raincheck is for multiple items, you'll need to purchase them all at the same time once they're back in stock because rainchecks can only be used for one transaction. Pay attention to the weekly ad because some items may not be eligible for a raincheck. These items will be marked with labels such as while supplies last or limited quantities.