Save Money on Groceries
Set a limit and have a budget when you do grocery shopping
I know that this is obvious, but I find it necessary to mention for those people who do set a limit only to move it upwards later on.
“The limit is $100. Ooh, I need that yogurt! Okay, it’s just $0.99 cents above the limit. So the limit is now $100.99”.
It is a downward spiral that will eventually lead to your bank accounts doom. One should always know the times when your self control is at its weakest.
Set the limit and actually decide to adhere to a maximum of 75% of that limit. Yes, that’s right, set a secondary limit which is lower than the original limit.
In the end only you can decide on how to save money on groceries. The best thing to do is to prepare your mind before you even enter the door.
Don’t go to the grocery store when you’re tired and hungry
I sometimes fall into this trap. I’m tired from work and I decide to drop by the grocery to pick up a few things. That’s the perfect recipe for wanton spending.
When we’re hungry and tired, our bodies and minds are at their weakest. We are more prone to temptation specially because an urgent need must be met – namely to satisfy our cravings.
First, you’ll see the nice and bright packaging with a picture of a scrumptious treat. You’ll then think about your experience with that treat and then proceed to make a quick and subliminal calculation with the following formula:
I’m Hungry + Ooh I love this Treat = I Need to Buy This
From there it goes down.
Originally, you planned to spend $100 for a weeks supply of food. You get the essentials, the toiletry and then those thoughts come into play. Pretty soon you’ll be digging into your bank account for more or worse – use your credit card.
Redefine what you need – save money on groceries
With unemployment figures at an all time high, many people are forced to rely on their money wits to keep their families afloat. Even if you still have your job, it would be prudent if you knew how to save a dollar or two when you go to the grocery.
While it may sound obvious to most people who are reading this, the definition of the word “need” seems to have been warped by marketing and mass media. What you need to do first of all is to redefine the word itself.
What qualifies as “needs”?
A quick and somewhat brazen answer is, “it keeps you alive”. Defining the things that you don’t need could also help, “You don’t need things which you can be alive without.” I know it’s hard to change your mindset after years and years of conditioning. It takes a certain strength and a certain personal control to be able to think beyond how you normally would.
The thing is, mass media has been a very powerful source of conditioning for our minds. We’ve been fed with ideas that we need rice crispies, power bars, cereals and countless other so called nutritional supplements that we actually think that we are going to be sick if we don’t buy them.
Don’t fall into that trap.
Do a little more research. You could find a lot of the nutrition that you need in the basics like bread, rice, fruits, vegetables and meats. I’ll say it again, you don’t need a specially formulated concoction to give you Vitamin E!
Save money each week when buying fresh bread
I save money each week when buying fresh bread. My kids do not like bread unless it is fresh but as you know fresh doesn’t last long. I now buy the freshest bread available, but freeze half the loaf right away, that way I can pull out a ‘fresh’ loaf without having to go to the grocery store.
Long term planning is very important to save money on groceries
Long term planning is very important to save money on grocery. First you should make a list of complete grocery needs and then divide that list into your weekly, monthly and half yearly grocery needs.
After that break that list into two kinds of purchases i.e. Bulk purchases and weekly purchases. Always try to save maximum money on bulk purchases such as oil, cream, biscuits, etc. Also you should take care of various offers available in the store. You should various permutation and combination to gain maximum benefits from those offers. After some time based upon your experience, you will come to know how to select offers to get maximum savings.
Avoid doing shopping on weekend because on weekend there can be rush and you will not able to explore all the offerings of the store. Do not buy grocery on daily basis, because it increases spontaneous purchasing. Last but not the least you should prepare a proper list of your grocery needs before going for your grocery shopping. If you do not carry a proper list of grocery needs, then you will end up buying so many unnecessary things from the store.
How to save money on grocery without cutting back
1. If your grocer offers a club card, sign up for it. You will get better discounts.
2. Subscribe to your local newspaper and clip coupons. The coupon discounts will more than pay for the subscription over a year.
3. Many stores that offer Buy 1 Get 1 free specials do not require you to buy two in order to get the discount.
4. Subscribe to different grocer’s email specials. Then you’ll know if it’s worth the trip for a store you don’t normally shop at.
5. Frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh and are usually frozen within hours of being picked.
6. When non-perishables are on special, stock up.
7. Don’t assume that giant box-stores are cheapest on every item. They’re not.
8. When buying paper products, divide the price by the square feet of product. That will give you a per unit price to use for comparisons.
9. Don’t assume a bigger size package is cheaper per ounce. Take a calculator with you and do the math.
The Best Way To Save Money On Groceries
Single moms know just how expensive it can be to feed a growing family. Seeing the grocery bill at the end of the week can be a bit of a shock! Here are a few handy tips on keeping that cost down:
Avoid eating out if at all possible. Consider this: Even if you eat out only once a week and use coupons when you do, you are still paying at least twenty bucks for two or three people. Twenty dollars per week equals 100 dollars per month – and that money could go a long way toward paying your grocery bill.
Make a list. When you go to the grocery store, make sure your list reflects the foods you really need. Don’t be tempted to pick up other foods because they look tempting, or because they happen to be on sale. Choose only what your family will eat.
Scour cookbooks for “big” meals that will provide leftovers. Make your food dollar stretch by making recipes that can do double-duty as a second meal. Foods like meatloaf are perfect for this, and so are casseroles. Make two of them at once and freeze the one you aren’t eating that night.
Make a weekly trip to the store. Many people go to the store every day, but if you can trim that down to just once per week, you will be more likely to buy in bulk and avoid those convenience foods that look so tempting after a long, hard day.
Clip coupons! Look at your Sunday paper for the coupon section. Clip them out and take them with you to the store. Compare the coupon prices with the generic items and then look at the nutritional values. If generic is cheaper but has the same ingredients, go for it! Otherwise, use that coupon. Twenty-five cents of savings might not seem like much, but when you have a full basket, those coupons add up to serious money.
Shop without kids. Children are the biggest culprits when it comes to those little things that you really don’t need. It’s hard to deny a child when he or she wants to put more food in your grocery basket, so make things easier on everyone by leaving the kids at home when you shop.
Don’t shop on an empty stomach. When you’re hungry, everything looks good! Avoid the temptation to grab that bag of chips or that hot, tempting deli food by eating a good meal before you go shopping. You will be amazed at what you can walk away from when your belly is already full!
About The Author
Financial Help For Single Mothers is available at SingleMomFinancialHelp.com. You can also get information about Grants For Single Moms as well. http://www.singlemomfinancialhelp.com
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