Grocery Shopping on a Budget

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Whether you do your grocery shopping monthly or weekly it can be tiresome, boring, and expensive. I have yet to meet a couple who like grocery shopping and/or don’t complain about the “ridiculous price of ….” Unfortunately, there is not much we can do to make this chore fun however we can give you some tips to help you get your groceries faster and cut your expenses a little:

Now, if you are like most people you probably don’t like grocery shopping and although we can not make it fun for you there is a something you can do to diminish the pain. If you have kids make all attempts not to bring them with you as they will prolong the process and hence cause you unduly stress. If you have to bring your kids let them know the ground rules first – e.g. they can not pick five different cereals and/or ten snacks. As well, it is important for your kids to understand that the grocery store is not a safe place for playing and they can seriously injure themselves if they do not behave – perhaps they can be rewarded with their favorite treat for good behavior. Here are some other tips to help you with your grocery shopping on a budget:

Make a List
It is important to have an ongoing list and to update it as you come across items you need around the house. This will enable you to get all the items you need and not have to go back because you forgot one or two things – from our experience whenever you go shopping you end up picking up a few more things then what you initially went for. Hence, it’s important to make a list of all the items you need and to finalize this list with your partner before leaving home – perhaps checking to make sure you have everything on the list. Making a list is simple with today’s technology as it could be on your phone and you can update it anytime, anywhere.

Coupons
A lot of us receive flyers and coupons from our local grocery stories and we fail to utilize them. My partner and I browse though the flyers quickly over breakfast before we go out and help ourselves to any coupons that are of use to us. A tremendous amount of coupons that enable customers to take advantage of cost savings are not used and go to waste – this is free money people! As well, most of the time grocery stores (and others) have door crashers – these are items on sale that help generate traffic for the store and sell other goods – and it is sometimes worth the trip to take advantage of  the discounts. However, please remember to pick up the item(s) you are there for and leave if this is not your scheduled grocery trip.

Only buy what you will use
Another reason it is important to have a shopping list is so that we don’t get caught in the whirlwind of shopping and pick up items we won’t use. If you are picking up an item that is not on the list ask your self if you need it and when and how you’ll make use of it – i.e. will you be making a meal with it, etc?

Buy in Portions
Not only is it important to buy what will be utilized but it is also important to buy in portions appropriate to your family. A lot of times we see a sale on something and we over-purchase. It is essential to note that while some items are great to buy on sale, i.e. toilet paper, cooking oil, others might not last long enough. When grocery items are near their expiration date the store puts them sale so that it can get rid of them. This is great because shoppers get a deal but keep in mind to buy the appropriate portion so that your family is able to consume it before it expires.

Plan your Meals
A great idea that can save a lot of time and money is to plan meals in advance. Thus, when shopping you are sure to pick up the required ingredients for your meal and don’t resort to expensive and unhealthy alternatives – e.g. fast food. Having your meals preplanned helps your family eat a variety of healthier meals at a lower cost. Of course, if you run out of ideas you can always search on line for delicious healthy recipes.

Don’t go shopping Hungry
You may have heard/read this before and it is definitely true. If you go shopping on an empty stomach you are bound to buy too much and to buy unhealthy and expensive foods – which will appeal to your senses. Therefore, have a good meal before go out to shop.

Take your grocery bags with you
For our Canadian readers remember to take your reusable grocery bags so that you can avoid the $0.05 charge for grocery bags. This is also a good exercise for our non-Canadian readers as it helps us sustain the environment!

How do you make your shopping fun and easy? How do you keep your costs low? Please share your tips with our readers!