How to prevent yourself from burning pockets on grocery

by Kushal Parsa Digital Marketer

Grocery shopping is something we can’t avoid, and the bills aren’t a pretty sight to see so why not glance over some ideas on how to save money while picking out our daily needs? Some adjustments to your shopping habits can reduce the amount you spend on groceries and stop your shopping bills going out of control. Unless we are independently wealthy or live off-the-grid and farm/hunt/gather for your meals, grocery shopping on a budget is a goal for us all. Here are 10 ways to help save money on groceries:

1) See what is on sale – The best way to tackle your pocket in any kind of shopping would be to look at discounts and then make the right decisions. Similarly, even in grocery, there are a few ways through which we can get to know the discounts offered by the supermarket we are going to purchase our items from. We can look at the flyers distributed in our nearby area, newspaper ads, text messages and emails to get updated on the schemes offered and buy our grocery calculating the best deal.

2) Make a grocery list and stick to it – Before stepping out of your house, make sure to scan through your house and refrigerator to cross-check what you need. Get a printout of the list and organize it by category and layout of the store, if possible. This way you won’t roam around in other departments and get tempted to buy things which you did not want to and will stick to the list.
3) Use a calculator – Get a calculator along with you to keep adding up what you’re putting in the basket.

4) Always compare prices - Write down the regular prices of the foods you buy often. This will help you figure out which stores have the best prices and if you are getting a good deal on sale items. Most supermarkets have websites and apps that allow shoppers to see their prices and special offers. Using these when preparing a shopping list can help you determine where you can save the most money when shopping.

5) Buy frozen or canned - When items are out of season or too expensive, we can buy frozen or canned vegetables and fruit which are just as nutritious. Rinse the canned vegetables under cold water first to wash away some of the sodium.
6) Shop when you are stomach full – When you’re not hungry, you won’t pick out stuff which you don’t need. When we are hungry, we tend to go along with our cravings and pick out items that we wouldn’t buy otherwise. This affects our health status as well as our pockets!

7) Join your store’s loyalty program – Signing up for a loyalty programs of a supermarket store is usually free and can end up help you save a lot by earning credits each time you shop. Sometimes the stores even offer special discounts for the members which can help you get additional benefits.
8) Look high and low shelves, not in the middle - The most expensive items are usually put on the shelves where you can easily see and reach them. Less expensive items may be on the higher or lower shelves so it’s better to make the efforts of bending your back or reaching top the shelf instead of losing your pockets
9) Stock up on the basics - Rice, pasta, low sodium canned fish, and dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas) all have a long shelf life. Stock up all of it when they are on sale or have a discount/scheme if your house allows to have space to store.
10) Buy generic brands - Supermarkets put the costly, name brand items at eye-level, which can tempt you to spend more money on high-cost items. But if you look at the top or bottom of the shelves, you will often find generic brands, like the store’s own brand, that are cheaper and often taste just as good. Next time you go shopping, opt for a generic brand to save money.