Introduction
Wasting and overspending are the two symptoms most of us have when we go shopping and consume groceries. Even though we have a budget set for our groceries we still tend to fall into these two holes. How can we shop correctly so that we can start to maintain a grocery budget?
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Plan Ahead
Planning ahead and being prepared is crucial to maintain a grocery budget. Planning ahead is not only a key to success in grocery shopping, but in anything else as well. The way to plan ahead here is to create a shopping list.
Gather what is needed for the week or month depending on your shopping schedule and write them down on a list. When you get to the store you will know exactly what you need because you have it all with you
Here are some ways to create a shopping list:
Use an app on your phone
AnyList, Mealime, Our Groceries, and Yummly
Purchase a shopping list “notebook” from Amazon
Shop Sales
Be on the look out for sales at the stores you shop at. They are usually at the front of the store or near the checkout. This can help you save more money to maintain your grocery budget.
A sale is like a “buy two get one free” deal or a sale will depend on whether you have a store card or not. You can get a discount by signing up for the store card.
When items on your shopping list are on sale it might be a good idea to buy in bulk because they may not be on sale next time you come shopping.
Always check the expiration date on these to make sure it won’t go to waste before you plan on using it. Buying in bulk when items are on sale is good when the items don’t have an expiration date
Buy in bulk
This can be beneficial especially if you have a big family. Buying in bulk can be a lot cheaper than just buying a single item. It is getting a better deal on the single item when bought in bulk.
For example, a jar of jam is for $5, but when I buy 10 of them I will get the jar for $3 which means I will pay $30 for the 10 in bulk. I just saved $20 when I bought 10 in bulk.
Bulk items are normally found at discount stores. These stores have their items mostly only in bulk. Also, as I mentioned in the “shop sales” section, when there is a sale it is best to buy in bulk.
Examples of items that are best for your budget when bought in bulk
Rice, flour, canned foods, pasta, and spices. The key to choosing the items to buy in bulk is that they last a long time without going bad
Cook at Home
In an article I read, The True Cost of Eating Out, the amount of money that can be saved when eating at home is significant. It mentioned the average amount of times people in the United States eat out is around 4 times a week. If they were to reduce it to only 2 times a week they would save at least $1,000 per year.
To be able to cook at home is not only beneficial in a financial way, but it also creates a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. To gather the ingredients and prepare the meal of your choice means you have full control over your diet and what you consume.
When eating out you might not have control over what is added because you don’t know most of the time what is in the food unless it is specified on the menu. For example, how much salt is added or what kind of oil is used to fry the french-fries.
I, personally, love to cook at home because I enjoy chemistry and cooking to me is a chemistry project. Each ingredient needs to be an exact amount and added at a specific time for the meal to turn out amazing. My favorite recipe is lentil soup you can find the recipe for it here
Here is a list of kitchenware that will get you to enjoy cooking at home
Avoid Waste
Wasting food is a huge factor when it comes to not being able to maintain a grocery budget. Rather than keeping the leftover food for a later time it is dumped out. This means that you have to pay extra for the food that will be prepared instead of the leftovers.
In an article I read, Food Waste and Food Rescue, the statistics of food waste was shocking! 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the US each year. 40% of all food in America is wasted. Sadly, the cost of this waste is around $408 billion.
Could this problem have a solution? Of course. If eating leftovers isn’t your thing start avoiding it. To avoid leftovers the solution is to meal plan
Meal Plan
In an article I read, How Weekly Meal Planning Can Save Hundreds of Dollars on Groceries, it mentioned that each month you will save at least $100 by meal planning.
Meal planning can make maintaining a grocery budget much easier. Depending on your shopping schedule every week/month decide on what meals you want to eat each day. Figure out what ingredients are needed to prepare those meals and add them to your shopping list.
When it comes time to prepare the meal make sure you are preparing the right serving size. After a couple of times doing this you will be able to know exactly what is needed for your meals and how much of each is needed as well
Shop at Discount Stores
Shopping at discount stores can save you a lot when it comes to maintaining a grocery budget. They are a great option especially with the prices of groceries increasing at a high rate anywhere else.
Here is a list of the top discount stores in the US, Sam’s Club, Costco, Walmart, and Food4Less
Use Cash
Did you know that using cash is probably the easiest way to maintain a grocery budget? Having the amount set for your grocery budget in cash will prevent you from being able to spend more. When you use a credit or debit card it is easy to go over your budget limit.
Having only cash in your pocket will make you look at the prices of the items you are trying to purchase. This is to make sure you don’t end up with a bill higher than the cash amount you have.
Shop online
After COVID19 hit, a lot people have switched to being online more than usual. When quarantined people got a chance to try ordering all there needs online.
A lot of stores like Giant, for example, have an option of ordering online. Some stores also offer discounts when you order online. Now you can order online using your list of groceries from the meal planning and get it delivered to your house. This might also save you some money on gas
Buy Generic
You might not realize, but a lot of generic foods taste a lot better than branded ones. It is tempting to buy the branded items because of the trust. One way to figure out is through trial and error. Try out a generic item and see the difference.
Buying generic saves you a lot of money because you don’t have to pay for that trust anymore. To maintain a grocery budget, it is all about cutting the unnecessary
Avoid Convenience Items
Convenience might not cost the seller a lot, but man do they benefit a lot. Think about this example, you buy a 24-pack of Coca-Cola from Costco and it costs $12.58 which means each can of Coca-Cola costs around $0.50.
Now go to the movies and purchase a can of Coca-Cola, it will cost you around $4.99 per can of soda. You pay $3.49 for your Coca-Cola to be cold! How much does your fridge cost you to make something cold?
With that in mind, start identifying what is sold at a convenience price and avoid them. For example, instead of getting pre-cut fruit purchase whole fruit and cut them yourself.
Be Flexible
Always have a plan B, C…
You never know when certain items will be on sale. Be ready to switch up your meal plan so you can take advantage of the sales
Check Unit Prices
Have you ever been in a situation where you go shopping and when you get to the checkout the total bill gives you a panic-attack? Yeah, well a good idea next time is to check the prices as you add them to your cart.
This is why having cash makes it a lot easier. Knowing that you have cash and it is impossible to purchase more than the amount you have will make you check each price tag
Shop the Perimeter of the Store
This was an interesting observation when I first figured it out. The way most grocery stores are set up, all the fresh foods are on the perimeter while the processed and preserved foods are in the center aisles.
Although shopping the perimeter might not automatically save you money, but in the long run through consuming a healthy diet you will eventually save money on avoiding unhealthy foods.
If you want to know how healthy you eat pay attention to how long you spend shopping along the perimeter vs in the aisles.
Use a Grocery App
Using a grocery app is a great method to use when trying to maintain a grocery budget. Grocery apps will compare prices of items from different stores so that you can find the best deals and sales.
These apps also provide coupons and cash backs that will increase your savings. Here is a list grocery apps you can start using, Flipp, Instacart, MealBoard, and Ibotta
Don’t shop when hungry
Another way to prevent overspending is to not go shopping while hungry. Before going to the store make it a habit to eat a meal first. When you are full, you are less likely to purchase something other than what is on your shopping list.
When you’re hungry, your brain is more susceptible to the temptation of buying convenience foods that are high in calories, sugar, and fat, rather than buying nutritious foods that will provide you with the energy and nutrients you need.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
If you’re struggling to stick to your grocery budget, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Consider consulting a financial advisor or nutritionist for guidance on how to save money on groceries while still eating healthy.
Now you are able to maintain a grocery budget
These simple tips will help you stick to your budget you created for your groceries and prevent you from overspending or wasting your money. One day you will realize how much you have saved by following these tips…
To conclude
If you need to create a budget, I have a video on how to create a budget here
You might also want to check out my previous post on how to take advantage of a recession
So long…