10 Smart Tips To Remember While Going Grocery Shopping On A Budget
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Grocery shopping is one of those things which you either totally hate or wholeheartedly love. It is very normal to get confused when you walk into an aisle of a variety of food while trying to stay within budget. More often than not, when we walk into the supermarket or grocery store, we end up walking out with more things than we had originally planned to buy. You probably planned on buying two cans of milk and ended up buying some cheat snacks like crisps and soda. There are definitely some things that you should be careful about before buying, instead of regretting at home about the unnecessary things that blew your budget. So if you want to minimize the amount of waste you produce and save up on your money, here are ten smart tips to keep in mind after you set out to the supermarket and stack up on your groceries:
1. Count While You Shop
To have a more precise overview of your spending, make sure that you keep track of how much everything you put in your basket costs. This could mean using your phone’s calculator or even rounding up the prices to whole numbers. This will make it easier to add things together in your head and stop you from overspending.
2. List Down What You Need
We understand that making lists is not the most fun task, but it does work like a charm! Make sure you maintain an expense notepad for grocery shopping. Also, make sure you have an inventory of all the things that might be getting over. Take this sheet with you when you go shopping next so that you know not to buy extra items. If you are a perfectionist, divide the list into non-perishables and perishables.
3. Pay For Everything In Cash
A tip to save money is by following a budgeting method that requires you to take your monthly income out of your bank in cash and allocate it into separate envelopes according to your budgeting goals. This means you should have an envelope for fixed costs and an envelope for your variable expenses like shopping, clothes, eating outside, and buying groceries. By paying for your groceries in cash, it will be impossible to overspend.
4. Choose A Smaller Basket
One more way to save money is by choosing the smallest basket available at the supermarket. This will make your mind think that there’s less place and hence you will feel the need only to buy the essential things you need or that you’ve listed down. There will be no place for you to add extra things to your bag. If you only want to buy a few items, skip carrying the basket and carry the products in your own hand.
5. Don’t Go Shopping When You’re On An Empty Stomach
As weird as this may sound, it is actually very valid. If you go shopping on an empty stomach, you’ll be more likely to overspend and probably end up buying more junk food than you usually would. The solution to this is to make sure you get a good meal before going shopping. Even eating something as small as a banana or a bowl of cereal before you go shopping could save you from spending that extra cash.
6. Pick Tasting Samples If You Are Trying A New Product
It’s totally normal to want to try things out before you decide to invest in them — especially if it is an exotic fruit or something else that you have not tried before. If you buy something without trying it first, you might realize that it doesn’t work for your stomach later (like unprocessed cheese for those who are lactose intolerant). If you cannot try a tester at the supermarket, you could try buying the smallest quantity of the product possible. This will help stop you from spending too much at one time.
7. Follow The Storage Rules Of Each Product
Every single product that is available in the supermarket comes with ideal storage instructions. Some products need to be stored in cold and dry places, while others need to be placed in airtight containers. Follow these instructions to ensure that your products will last longer than they regularly would, hence saving some cash.
8. Purchase Things On Clubbed Offers
One of the most innovative ways to save money while grocery shopping is keeping an eye out for any deals that might be out there. Plenty of necessities like spices, flours, cereals, etc., come with clubbed offers and can last you a lot longer than buying them separately every month.
9. Get Money Tracking Apps On Your Phone
There are plenty of money-saving and tracking apps. This is a great boon for those who aren’t as organized to manage their household expenses. At the same time, some might require you to put down all your daily expenses and calculate the amount you’ve spent so they can give you an overall result. Other apps will scan your text messages when you swipe your card and help track expenses. If you’re not a fan of constantly writing things down, then it’s a good idea to use a phone app to do so.
10. Purchase Non-Perishable Items Online
Lastly, you can prevent a burn in your wallet by buying non-perishable products like coffee powder, dried fruits, canned food, etc online. There are many recurring offers and deals on e-commerce sites that can help you get a discount on your monthly groceries. We emphasized non-perishable because these are not freshly consumed and you can store them for as long as you want. Having said that, don’t forget to check the expiration date before purchasing.
There are many ways in which you can save money by being smart about your expenses. It is all about prior planning and the right tools to make sure you get your hands on the best stuff on a less budget. Plan your meals, use your free coupons and shortlist your items to become a pro grocery shopper and avoid confusion or dilemma. You can follow this plan for any kind of shopping in any case. If you follow the tips we’ve mentioned in this article, we guarantee you’ll be saving a whole lot more money than you would have imagined. Let us know which of the ten tips in this article was most helpful in the comment section below!
