Did you know that almost half of the average household’s budget is spent in grocery stores and markets? Isn’t this a good reason to learn how to correctly allocate your financial resources and stop overpaying for the food you buy? A rational economical approach to grocery shopping will not make your diet poor but will help you plan a complete menu without any harm to your health and wallet. We have prepared effective tips and tricks that will help you save money and time on grocery shopping.
1. Make a Menu for the Whole Week
A ready-made menu will help you determine what/how many products you need to buy. It may be more profitable to purchase something in large packages as there may be good discounts. Once you develop a menu, write down a list of products to buy.
2. Go to the Grocery Store with a List
It is best to have a list of products you need to buy. Otherwise, you are faced with the risk of ending up with tons of unnecessary little things in your basket. However, you shouldn’t deny yourself the pleasure of buying the fruit you like or something with a good discount. Take a small bonus amount with you to “profitably invest” it.
3. Use Services for Reasonable Savings
Every day we choose what to save — time, effort, or money? Praise to the developers — nowadays, you don’t have to choose! There are plenty of services that will help you plan your budget and expenses smartly. For example, by taking an eye on the Kroger ad this week, you already know what products you can save on. Thus, adjust your menu wisely.
Aggregators of promotions and discounts in supermarkets monitor and compare food prices in different stores and calculate where and how much you can save. Everything is simple here — you only need to choose a store and see its promotions. If you are not too lazy to buy groceries in different stores, then promo aggregators will help you save on grocery shopping and help you choose the most profitable store for your grocery basket.
4. Give Preference to “Local” Products
The American Union of Consumers has found that home-made products in different supermarkets are 15-30% cheaper than the same goods of other brands with equal or better quality. This trend is most clearly manifested in Trader Joe’s — experts from Consumer Reports confirmed that 33 out of 57 products of their own production are not inferior to analogs or even surpass them. Recommended foods include frozen shrimp and vegetable mixes, fried cashews, cranberry juice cocktail, ketchup, maple syrup, mayonnaise, grated mozzarella, and vanilla ice cream.
5. Pay with Cards with Cashback
The choice of the payment method also needs to be approached wisely. If there is an opportunity to get a cashback for the money spent, you should definitely use it. Those who are used to paying with a credit card should consider different cashback options. As a rule, you can count on 6%± cashback rates.
6. Check Promotional Brochures
In their promotional brochures, retailers share information on discounts, sales, and specials that can be easily missed in the abundance of products in the store. For all the benefits of these free publications, only 46% of millennials, 51% of Gen X, and about 63% of baby boomers read promotional brochures. More than half of buyers simply ignore them, which is a huge mistake.
7. Keep Track of Your Food “Stocks”
Over-shopping is another bottleneck for your budget. According to the National Council for the Conservation of Natural Resources, Americans dump 4% of the food produced in the country in the trash can. Besides that, the average American family of three throws away food worth up to $2,275 annually, which is about a quarter of all purchases. To avoid this, take an inventory of your food supplies.
Spending Can Be Smart
Still wonder what is hard about shopping? It’s okay if your budget and time are unlimited. However, most of us can only dream of such privileges, so a balanced approach to shopping will come in handy. Going to the supermarket without a clear plan can waste a lot of time and end up in impulse purchases, missing out on savings opportunities, and wasting a lot of money. If you master the art of profitable shopping, you can save up to 40% of your budget. This is what we wish to you.
