6 Ways to Save on Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping contributes one of the biggest chunks of our monthly expenses. Often, a lot of money is wasted on grocery shopping too. A little bit of planning can actually help you save quite a bit which adds up in the long run, especially when you are using credit cards. Here are some ways to save on grocery shopping.
1. Always go with a list
This is what the most meticulous of planners do. Never head to the nearest grocery supermarket aimlessly, picking whatever comes to your mind. Allocate one or two hours a week, to prepare a list of groceries that you will have to pick. An easier way is to keep noting down items in your diary as and when you notice that the supplies need to be replenished. This way, you don’t pick anything that is not required for the moment. Buying groceries because you might need them sometime in the distant future is not ideal. It is good to avoid impulse purchases. If you plan perfectly, you can reduce the number of trips you make to the supermarket as well, saving on time as well as fuel costs. Use magnetic notebooks or post-it notes as much as possible to strategize. These help you remember stuff.
2. Check the sale
Different supermarkets have different sale periods. In some cases, a day of the week is allocated for big discounts by some supermarkets. Make use of these promotional offers. You need not compromise on your brands or the quality of your groceries to avail the discounts. All you need to do is check which of your favorite brands are actually available on the sale. This way, you will save time to, moving from one supermarket to another, looking for some of the brands. Newspapers usually carry ads of these sales in advance and even offer coupons in some cases. Avail ‘buy one, get one’ free offers, especially for commodities like toilet cleaners, napkins, room fresheners, and supplies that are required in high quantity.
3. Pick the best produce for the season
It is interesting to note that the prices of fruits and vegetables vary quite a bit from supermarket to supermarket. Moreover, you can save a lot by picking fresh produce in the season, instead of going for exotic varieties which are out of season and hence expensive. Local farmers’ markets also offer great deals, on the local produce, lowering your prices.
