Summer Homayed, known online as "Summer Homemade Meals," has grown her Instagram following to over 1 million and uses her platform to share budget-friendly shopping strategies.
Homayed has spent nearly a decade building a social media following by sharing recipes, her vibrant personality, and a passion for finding a good deal. Now, the influencer — known online as "Summer Homemade Meals" — is sharing grocery shopping tips to help followers stretch their dollars at the store.
See Kiara Hay's report in the video below
Homayed has grown her Instagram platform to over 1 million followers, in part by spotlighting prices and deals her audience might not find on their own.
"To do it and be someone from a different culture than the majority of the people who follow me is absolutely amazing," Homayed said.
One of her top tips: know when to buy in bulk.
"The reality is, this small bag is double the price of a bigger bag, so go big or go home," Homayed said.
Homayed also recommends researching the days and times your local grocery store typically begins marking down items. At Papaya, that day is Wednesday.
"They call it Wild Wednesday because everyone gets good deals on Wednesdays here," Homayed said.
At other store chains, manager specials and clearance items are often labeled before 10 a.m.
Shelf placement is another factor worth paying attention to. Items at eye level tend to carry a higher price tag.
"Another tip, if it's eye level, it's likely more expensive. So for the best deals, you have to get down low," Homayed said.
Homayed also helped me steer clear of pricey impulse buys while navigating the store.
"Oh, Kiara girl, you don't want to grab this stuff. This is the stuff you want but you know you don't need and it's expensive," Homayed said.
To recap, here are the key takeaways for smarter grocery shopping:
- Know which items are worth buying in bulk.
- Research what days and times stores mark down clearance and manager specials.
- Items lower on the shelf are typically less expensive than those at eye level.
If you have tips you think would help others save money, or if there is an area you would like me to explore, send an email to kiara.hay@wxyz.com.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
