Money Matters, Simplified.
10 Pointers on Cutting Grocery Bills
Looking for ways to cut your household expenses? Making a few changes in your grocery shopping can make a big difference.
Tue, 07/21/2009 - 15:45 by Kimberly Reid
Plan your spending by making a list of items to be purchased and stick to this list Without a doubt, there's plenty of scope for cost-cutting in your grocery expenditure. To get you started on this, we've done some homework already.
Best Bargains
1. Drugstores: These are the best places to buy cheaper medication and personal care items
2. Superstores: Buy snacks and cereals here. Stores like Wal-Mart can accept competitor’s coupon and you can get products for the prices offered by competitors
3. Discount Grocers: Buy anything that is available here. Almost all the items are cheaper than anywhere else in the market; barring, of course, flea markets
4. Surplus Stores: Buy dry goods here. Stores like SharpShopper and Grocery Outlet reduce price by up to 70 percent on products nearing expiry
Here are 10 tips to help you cut on grocery bills:
1. Plan Your Purchases
It is difficult to cut costs when you really do not know how much you normally spend. Plan your spending by making a list of items to be purchased and stick to it.
Plan at least a week’s meal and go through the pantry to see what you need. This way you are less likely to indulge in impulse buying and will focus on items that you really need.
2. Make Better Food Choices
Remove snack food from your purchase list and focus on nutritious food items.
Avoid meat as the main course as it is expensive. Include beans in your diet as they lower cholesterol, provide proteins and other important nutrients.
3. Do Not Shop on Empty Stomach
It is a fact that going to grocery stores hungry can hike your bill by 15 percent. It is easy to be tempted by various goodies in the store and you might end up buying food stuff that you do not really need.
4. Gardening
Plant a vegetable garden and grow the basics. You may also indulge in edible landscaping.
This will not only cut expenses but will provide you fruits and veggies that taste better than the ones available at the grocery stores.
5. Avoid Convenience Food
Do not buy pre-prepared meals. No doubt it is tempting to pick pre-chopped onions, garlic and other vegetables, but remember more table-ready a product is, higher is its price.
If time is a factor, prepare meals that freeze well, so that in case you are in a hurry and cannot prepare food you can just take a meal out of the freezer and warm it up.
6. Buy Generic Products
Try going for alternatives. Store brand products are available that are as good as branded products. Some essentials, like sugar and flour, really do not change in quality from brand to brand.
Just give an item a try. You may be surprised to see quality items at the fraction of the price of branded products.
7. Take Advantage of Discounts
Update yourself on the sales available at local stores. While these discount grocery stores may not meet all your needs, you can be assured that you are not paying the heavy mark-up for the appealing merchandise.
Coupons are also great saving option, but keep in mind to use them for the items that you regularly buy.
8. Buy in Bulk Sparingly
Buying items in bulk is a good deal only in certain instances. Avoid bulk purchase of perishables. This may only cause wastage and you may end up spending more instead of saving in the long run.
9. Shop at the Same Store
When you are aware of the store’s layout, you know where you can find a particular item, thus you are less likely to buy an expensive product.
In contrast, if you visit a new store you tend to look more and eventually buy more as you notice products you have not seen and want to try.
10. Don't Shop with Kids
Shop alone if you like to spend less. If you take kids along, you'll end up spending more. Rather than dissuading kids from demanding random stuff, it's much better not to take them along in the first place.
This is more so if you have a particularly demanding kid who goes berserk at the sight of candies and chocolates.
Cutting costs on grocery bills does not mean restrictions on eating; it is just one of the ways to maximize utility and savings.
