Saving on your grocery bills is indeed a huge relief to you and your monthly budget. Whether you’re feeding just yourself or the whole family, you probably find that groceries take a big bite out of your monthly paycheck.
According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food is the third-largest household expense. Therefore, learning some grocery shopping tricks from the most frugal moms and most frugal shopping experts would certainly help you trim the “fats” without compromising your family’s needs and cravings.
Enjoy the following grocery shopping hacks that you could adopt to become that frugal and wise shopper you’ve always wanted to be. Get ready to learn wise money-saving tips and prepare to outsmart your favorite supermarkets.
Form a habit of using the smallest available shopping basket or cart.
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Shopping with a smaller cart generally forces you to re-think purchasing decisions. It subconsciously limits your purchasing power and desire. This trick also helps you ensure that the fridge only houses the necessary amount of food you need, including the perishable ones. Remember that the longer your produce is stored, the more nutrients it looses.
Enough is better than too much. – French Proverb
Wear earphones and listen to upbeat music while you shop.
Studies show that most supermarkets intentionally play music with a slower beat to encourage customers to move more slowly and eventually shop more as they pass through the aisles. A quick remedy is to play your favorite workout mix on your phone instead. You’ll automatically move at a brisker pace while shopping, letting you shop less.
Familiarize yourself with the store layout.
The more aisles you walk down, the more likely you are to add things to your shopping basket or cart, which you initially didn’t intend to buy. Marketing research shows that shoppers who decrease or limit the number of aisles they visit check out with only a half of unplanned purchases compared to approximately 68 percent items for those who visit most – if not all – aisles in a grocery store.
Hence, as you shop, keep this trick in mind: Look high and low. Try to avoid the middle shelves and end caps as much as possible. Merchants pay more to place products at your eye level as well as your kid’s. Therefore, it pays to form a habit of scanning the top and the bottom shelves. Most of the time, you’ll find the less expensive brands and best deals in those spots.
Buy your meat in bulk and let the butcher cut it for you.
One supermarket butcher said that they have customers who buy one big roast and have him remove the bone for soup, run half of it through the grinder for a hamburger, and cut the rest into a pot roast. That way, the customers save about 30 percent compared to pre-cut, pre-sliced, or pre-packed meat.
No doubt, larger chunks and chops of meat enable you to save buying in bulk allows you to save more. If you think you can’t store 20 pounds of meat in your freezer, split it with a friend or a relative, and you’ll both save bucks.
Find some great deals online and at the supermarkets.
Try to visit daily deal sites that feature merchants offering discounted items and services. You could also check Coupons.com, SmartSource.com, or RedPlum.com to easily see what coupons are currently available in your area.
Meanwhile, you’re not required to use these coupons and vouchers right away. Check on their validity and see if you can still wait until the item is at a really good sale price. This way, you get savings from both the store discount and the coupons.
More so, feel free to ask store employees about complimentary add-ons. Sometimes, the butcher may tenderize meat for you, the baker may slice your loaf of bread, and the florist may give you free greenery to go with your loose flowers at no extra cost.
Shop only once a week.
Basically, the less you shop, the more you save.You can definitely reduce impulse purchases and even save gas by planning your shopping list and schedule so that you get a week’s worth of groceries in one shot.
Another trick that works: When it’s your time to do this errand, make sure your grocery list is ready. Have everything you need and try your best to focus only on the items on your list. Applying tip #3 of this list actually does the magic.
Now, can you estimate realize how much could you save with all these shopping tricks? Good job, folks!
The urge to spend all you make is called consumer mentality. Try to get investment mentality instead.
Edward H. Romney
