Buying Ice Cream for Less

The Store vs. the Shoppe

Ice cream in the frozen section of the supermarket is a great bargain, especially when you compare supermarket prices to the prices of the local ice cream shoppes. Half-gallon containers or larger are usually the best deal when buying ice cream at the grocery store. Pint and quarts of ice cream are usually more expensive. When you don’t have any coupons, the larger sizes are usually your best bet.

Coupons

Don’t forget to use coupons whenever possible when you are buying ice cream. That is when it’s best to buy pints or quarts. I have purchased ice cream pints for under 50 cents when I had a .75 coupon, and took it to a grocery store that was running a double coupon special. If you have a coupon that says “any” that means you can use it on the smallest possible size -- pint-size included!

Look for Sales

Buy-one-get-one-free specials are another way to stock up your freezer when buying ice cream, and the savings are definitely sweet. Keep in mind that you can usually use two coupons in conjunction with a buy-one-get-one free sale because you are buying two products. As long as the coupon indicates you only have to buy one of the product, you can use two coupons. If the coupons says “Save $1.00 on 2” then you can only use one coupon.

Treating Yourself Frugally

If you do head out to an ice cream parlor, make sure you use coupons. You can still enjoy ice cream out while saving money at the same time.

Cold Stone Creamery is one ice cream shoppe that frequently has coupons available in the weekly coupons inserts that come with your weekend paper. They regularly include a buy-one-get-one free option, which is nearly a $5 savings.