Finding ways to save on groceries can be an asset to your financial planning. It only takes a little common sense and discipline, but there are plenty of savings to be found at the grocery store.
1. Make a menu.
Plan your weekly meals. This is the first key to knowing what you need to buy, and the first step to being able to save on groceries. Make a menu and post it for the whole family to see. You can even assign different nights for members of the family to take turns cooking. Knowing ahead of time what you are going to eat prevents last minute trips through the drive-through or to restaurants.
2. Use a list.
Once you have a menu, use it to make a list of the groceries that you need for the week. Once you have the list, stick to it. Being disciplined about sticking to your list helps eliminate impulse purchases, which is key in order to save on groceries.
3. Purchase only what you can eat.
Don’t have eyes bigger than your stomach when you shop. Buy only what you can eat within the week, especially for perishable foods. If you have to throw away wilted lettuce or over-ripe bananas, you might as well have just thrown that money in the trash.
4. Avoid processed, packaged foods.
The more the food is processed or individually packaged, the higher the price. Save on groceries by thinking like a caveman -- buy foods that closely resemble their initial state. Even with snacks buy a large box and create your own individual packs instead of buying individually packaged bags. The same goes for meat as well. For big savings, buy big and freeze in small portions.
5. Use coupons.
It is definitely worth it to clip coupons. Watch for your grocery store to offer double coupons for an even bigger savings on groceries. However, make sure you do not succumb to the temptation to buy items you do not need just because you have a discount.
6. Shop at off-peak hours.
Another way to save on groceries is to shop when it is less crowded. It actually makes your grocery shopping experience faster to shop when less people are there. This in turn gives you less opportunity to buy items not on your list.
7. Shop alone.
Having children along not only makes the shopping experience take longer, but it can also lead you to buy things just to avoid a meltdown. When your kid sees the triple sugar-coated chocolate cereal with the funny cartoon character on the box, you may be tempted to buy the cereal to prevent a tantrum in the store. Avoid this scenario and save on groceries by leaving the kids at home and shopping alone.
8. Buy only groceries at the grocery store.
The grocery store is for food. You can find better prices on toiletries, medicines and other items at more appropriate stores.
9. Use discount stores wisely.
Discount stores are great but, believe it or not, they can also cause you not to save on groceries. Just because it seems like a great price on that gallon of olive oil does not mean that you should buy it. Can you use it in time? Do you even have a spot for it? Compare prices with your grocery store to see if buying in bulk actually makes sense.
10. Don’t shop hungry.
One of the best ways to save on groceries is to shop on a full stomach. If you go to the grocery store hungry, it can cause you to crave what you see on the shelves and waste money on purchases you do not need. Only go when you are not going to be threatened by hunger pains.
With a little discipline, you can save money on groceries. Food is a necessary expense, which makes it a great area to save as much as you can so you have more money for other things.
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