When you hit the grocery store for your weekly or monthly shop you know how quickly the trolley piles up and the bill rises. Saving money on groceries is one of the easiest ways to cut back on expenses, but it’s not always feasible to save on items you may feel are essential. Instead of looking for ways to cut back, rather look for alternative ways to save wherever possible.
Online shopping has become as common as sending emails, but many people don’t realise the cost effectiveness online shopping offers. Many stores only offer online promotions for certain items, have a greater variety of stock available or offer free delivery in your area. Not only do you save on cash with online shopping, you also save on gas and time as you can shop 24/7.
One of the best ways to save on groceries is to construct a meal plan that outlines exactly what you will eat on a daily basis. This also works well if you are dieting, as you can track your expenses and calorie intake at the same time. Meal planning can also eliminate waste as you can repeat ingredients in recipes to ensure they are all used up before they expire.
Shopping around can also save you money, especially if you can visit a wholesalers and stock up on non perishables. A great idea is to buy extra of an item that is on sale each month and stockpile your resources so that you do not have to buy at the regular price for the remainder of the year. Be careful of stockpiling perishables that have expiry dates as you may end up wasting far more than you save if you buy items that go off before you can use them.
Looking at the price of each item you buy may sound like a silly savings tip but it’s amazing how many people simply ignore the cost of what goes into their trolley. A quick price comparison will see you saving extra as it will become habitual to reach for the cheaper option after awhile.
Whatever you save on groceries will quickly add up if you employ effective shopping methods, allowing you to use your extra income to pay off debt faster or save more.
Melissa, a mom to three little ones (ages 7, 3 and 1), blogs at both Mom’s Plans where she writes about living a fulfilling life on less and paying down debt, and Fiscal Phoenix where she writes about rising from the ashes of your financial mistakes.