Whether you are new to grocery shopping or you’ve been shopping for a while, these tips and tricks will help you maximize your grocery budget. Times are hard. We need to make the most out of our budgets.
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Make a grocery shopping list
If you’re not shopping off a well thought-out list don’t even bother trying to improve on your shopping habits.
When I asked around my social circles what would be the number one tip when one is trying to improve on their grocery shopping trips, making lists came out right on top. Lists enable you to keep yourself accountable to only buy what is needed. There is no need to stroll down the candy aisle if it’s not on the list
Download handy printable lists and tickers here
Read more: Think you could keep up with Cher in a workout?
2. Keep a fridge grocery shopping list
This ties in with a shopping list. If you’re not that a kind of person, you better start being one very quickly. As the saying goes “Fail to plan, plan to fail” and I know that a physical list rather than a mental one will better your chances of success.
Physically keeping track of what’s in your fridge will allow you to avoid doubling up on ingredients and further waste space in your fridge
A magnetized list on which you can write down which items need to be replaced, works wonders. Speaking from experience, my fridge list also served as an indicator of my family’s eating habits. Let me make an example of the poor three containers of cream cheese that are busy rotting in my fridge. I keep on buying cream cheese because it sounds fancy and promises a great add-on to any meal, BUT WE NEVER EAT IT! If I only started keeping a fridge list earlier I would have been able to see what are the products we tend to eat most. By keeping track you’ll be able to only buy what you know will be eaten. That also ties in with trick number three.
3. Track your current spending
It comes naturally to assume that you are only buying what you’ll use, but that is sometimes not the case when we are bombarded by marketing. It’s important to know what you should be spending your money on but it’s even more important to know what you are currently spending your money on and that will serve as a great foundation for your future expenditures. You could even break these down into categories on something as simple as excel. I’m sure Rihanna also tracks her spending 😉
4. Shop at stores you know the layout of
This is something that is easily overlooked. I cannot be the only one who tends to visit new shops every second week whenever I have the time. The danger comes in when you are strolling around in a store past so many “fun-looking” products and your mind starts running away with all the fun meals you could whip up from these unnecessary, sometimes expensive ingredients. Of course food provides room for exploring. We’ll get to that in a bit.
5. Shop the top and bottom shelves first
This is a great tip that could save you money. Stores with many shelves tend to place the most expensive products at eye level (sneaky I know). Whenever you find yourself in a grocery store again, take a minute to compare the prices on the top and bottom with those at your eye level (assuming you’re an average length person). Be like Zac Efforn and shop smart.
6. Steer clear of impulse items by the tills.
For the love of all things right and fair in this world, look the other way and do not add sweets, chips or even utilities into your basket from the selves while you are standing in the queue. If it’s not on your list don’t buy it, kinda doesn’t get simpler than that. I know it’s a struggle. Just kick the temptation in the face and focus on your health as well!
7. Master the art of leftovers
This trick will protect your budget like never before. From personal experience I tend to make enough food for dinner to eat for lunch the following day. I invested in an air fryer and believe me when I tell you they tend to work better than a microwave to reheat leftovers. Air fryers will produce a non-soggy reheated meals, even freezer meals.
According to The Urban Housewife, when it comes to flavour and lifetime, storing leftovers in glass containers is also a better idea than plastic.
When you master the art of making leftovers taste good you’ll throw away old food less and shop less frequently.
8. Calculate while you shop
This is a nifty trick I learnt from my friends. No matter your age chances are you own a phone that has a built in calculator. Use it, while you are adding items to you shopping cart, to the calculations. This way you will avoid a surprise at the till and the embarrassment of putting the marshmallows back. Doing this will also encourage you to buy smarter and or cheaper. I mean seeing that number rise while strolling the aisle ain’t no fun.
9. Never do your grocery shopping while you are hungry or tired
According to a survey done people spend about 64 percent when they are hungry. While we are trying to stick to a budget the main factor remains eliminating temptation, shopping while you’re hungry is a horrible idea. The same can be said for when you’re tired. No one likes doing math when they’re tired. I tend to get very annoyed when I’m tired and that results in my judgment being clouded and I lack the ability to concentrate on the set out task.
