Are you tired of overspending at the grocery store? You probably start every grocery trip with good intentions: You have a list (in your mind of course, where it’s safe), you keep a running total as you shop (again, in your mind), and you buy everything with a sale sticker on it.
You even deprive yourself of a few of the items you really want, but to no avail. No matter how hard you try, your grocery bill goes beyond what you budget.
So how do you save money on groceries? I mean serious money, without living on a scorched-earth diet or dedicating large amounts of time to comparing prices and clipping paper coupons?
Well, there are a handful of things you can do that will save you money at the grocery store. Most of them are quick and easy, and all of them will help prevent you from spending too much on groceries.
So here they are, 10 quick and relatively simple things you can do to save money at the grocery store.
When you go to the grocery store without a grocery list, you’re practically opening the door for marketers to come and take your grocery budget hostage. You’ll inevitably be drawn to every sweet smell and every colorful banner, and you’ll also be a victim of your own creativity as you think of concoctions you could make. Stop the compulsion purchases by making a grocery list and sticking to it.
Before you make your grocery list, check the store’s weekly ad to see what’s on sale. This may seem like a basic tip, but most people don’t bother with this. You may see something in the ad that causes you to rearrange what’s on your list. If chicken is on sale, maybe you plan on making different recipes this week.
Some people also tend to think they can “wing it” once they’re in the store and simply go where the sale signs are. While that may be true, you’re still almost guaranteed to miss deals when you’re walking around the store in the heat of the moment.
No surprise here, as coupons are perhaps the most popular way to save money at the grocery store. But what some haven’t realized is, you no longer have to manually search through pages of paper ads to cut out coupons. Who has time for that?
With Dealspotr, you can quickly search for valid coupons for all your favorite brands and stores, so you never miss a deal AND you don’t have to dedicate ridiculous amounts of time to couponing.
You’ve probably heard people say “Don’t go to the grocery store hungry,” but studies have actually helped prove that hunger is a real factor when it comes to overspending on groceries. Whether you believe the science behind it, the bottom line is: Don’t shop when you’re hungry. The last thing you need is your stomach talking to your wallet in its time of need.
Have you ever looked at grocery store price tags closely? Most of them have a tiny little number in one of the corners that has the “per unit” price. This could say “$__ per ounce” or something similar, but basically, it’s giving you the price per the smallest possible unit so you can compare prices without having to break out a calculator. Many people overlook the unit prices, but they hold the key to some real savings. So no more on-the-fly mathematics. Start looking at unit prices.
We all know the pain of purchasing something at the grocery store, only to get home and find several identical products already in the pantry. If you have a big pantry, there’s no way you could possibly remember everything that’s in there, but developing a habit of raiding your own pantry for inventory on a regular basis can do wonders for your grocery list and your budget.
When produce is in-season, they don’t have to go through the processes that other produce must go through in order to preserve and transport them. That means it’s costing the grocery store less money, which in-turn costs you less money.
Each grocery store is different, but the goal is to figure out what days their weekly ad runs, then time your grocery trips around the day the new ad comes out
One of the best ways to save some serious money at the grocery store is to know which items to buy generic, or “store brand”. These items include water, milk, and cereal, among others. Check out our article on the topic so you know which items are best to buy generic.
A big part of saving money on groceries is knowing what not to buy at the grocery store. For example, certain items are often better being purchased on Amazon, at the dollar store, etc. Start by knowing which items are cheaper on Amazon, then know which ones are typically smart to purchase at the dollar store, then plan your grocery list accordingly.
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