How to cut costs when grocery shopping
Groceries are one of the biggest areas of expensive in many family's lives. This is a good thing, as we need to eat to live, and most find a great deal of enjoyment in food. However, in addition to that, it is a good thing because it means there is some room to work with to find money for your cash reserve.
To cut costs when grocery shopping do the following:
|
|
Make a list: impulse shopping leads to buying things when they are at their highest price, buying the wrong sizes, at the wrong times, etc. Make a list for when you shop, and use the ads and flyers to help you make it. Grapes are a great fruit to eat, but sometimes they cost $3.49 a pound, and other times they are $0.99 a pound. So, make your list according to what food is one sale, and by how much you actually need. If you need one cup of vanilla yogurt for a recipe you are making, and you see that the pint size is five cents and ounce, but the size you need is thirteen cents an ounce, only buy the pint size if you can use it all, as you will pay more, and if you waste it, there is no savings.
Make your list according to the layout of the store: The more time you spend in a store, the more you are going to buy. Most people spend more than they should simply because they forget something they need on one side of the store, and have to walk clear across the store to get it, two, three, or even more times. This means with each trip they are adding more to their cart. So, plan your list while mentally walking through the store, this way you pick things up as you pass them, and can be faster in the store.
Shop when you are not hungry: Impulse shopping really leads to overspending in this area, and while you may eat what you buy, you often would not miss it if you did not buy it. This is especially true of snack foods like cookies, chips, etc. So, to cut back the impulse purchases, shop on a full stomach.
Take advantage of coupons, sale, and special offers: It is not cheap to use a coupon, it is smart. Why pay more than you need to? If you see a sale on something you use on a regular basis, such as cereal, juice, etc. then stock up to save money. When a store has a promotion on something, such as buy one get one free, if you will use the item, take advantage of the promotion.
Studies show that people who follow the above tips save an average of 10-25% on their grocery bill. This is money they would have spent. So, if you spend $100 a week on groceries for your family of 4, and you can save 10-25%, that means that each month, you can add $40 to $100 to your cash reserve, and not feel any sort of loss, or change in lifestyle because of it.
