Setting a budget for grocery shopping is easy. The challenge is in doing the actual shopping, especially when we don’t want to spend on home delivery fees.
Some of us often end up buying things we don’t need, often because they’re on sale, they’re new products and we have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), or we suddenly crave certain things that we don’t usually buy, like Baileys flavoured ice cream.
Below are 10 tips on smart grocery shopping that can help you stick with your budget:
1. Check the Catalogues
Every week, supermarkets have special offers and the price differences are often significant. So always check the catalogues and write down which ones you need that are on sale in which supermarket. This only applies if the supermarkets are nearby, otherwise you may end up wasting time and fuel just to save a few dollars.
If you have some coupons, make sure you check the expiry date and other terms to avoid disappointment.
2. Make a Meal Plan
When you make a meal plan, write down all the ingredients needed for the meals. If you shop once a week, make a meal plan for a week. Don’t just wing it. Here are 10 meal ideas under $5 per serve.
3. Check Your Pantry
Before assuming you need to buy something, check your pantry first. Also, check the expiry date.
4. Finalise Your Shopping List
After planning your meals and checking your pantry, finalise your shopping list.
5. Shop When Your Stomach Is Full
No rocket science needed to explain this one. Shopping with an empty stomach tends to make you buy more food.
6. Stick to Your Shopping List
Make sure you stick to your shopping list. To add more fun, challenge yourself by spending only 10 minutes or less in the supermarket so you don’t end up wandering around and see things you suddenly crave.
7. Always Buy Generic When Possible
Generic means those with the supermarket brand. They are always cheaper than any other brands. Sugar, salt, flour, pasta, baking soda, are all products that don’t need fancy brands as they all taste more or less the same regardless of the brands.
8. Avoid Eye-Level Shelves
Companies pay premium prices for their products to be placed on eye-level shelves as that’s the spot where consumers pay immediate attention. This makes the products more expensive than those that are placed at the top or bottom shelves. The quality of the products may potentially be the same, so why pay more just because they’re placed at the eye-level shelves?
9. Buy in-Season Produce
Buying apricots in summer is cheaper than buying them in winter. Buying kiwifruit in winter is cheaper than buying them in summer. Check your supermarkets what produce they put on sale. Alternatively, you can check this website to see if you can get in-season produce directly from farmers market instead of supermarkets.
10. Buy in Bulk
Here is a list of what food you can buy in bulk. Basically, there are four rules to remember when buying in bulk:
1 . Ensure the food you buy lasts for months or even years.
2. Look at how often you use the food.
3. Ensure you know how to store the food.
4. Ensure that buying in bulk suits the quality you want.
