No matter how much you cut back on your budget, there will always be one expense: food. However, the amount you spend each month on food is not constant and can vary by 15-20% or more. In other words, the grocery store is working to get customers to spend more money. So your job is to not confuse them so they don’t get fooled (especially in grocery shopping, where you only wanted to buy a gallon of milk but bought five bags in an impulse buy).
It’s surprisingly easy to save a lot of money on grocery bills (even up to $100 a month). Here’s how to do it.
Check your receipts. Scanned items aren’t always sold at the right price. Keep an eye on the receipt prices and check receipts for missed items to make sure sale items and other items are sold at the right price and in the right quantity.
“It’s not a widespread practice, but we get reports of errors very often when we check food invoices…”
Resist impulse buying. In grocery stores, cookies, crackers, and other expensive packaged foods are deliberately presented in an attractive way to entice people to buy them. If you make a list and follow it, you can avoid these impulse purchases.
Also keep in mind that grocery stores deliberately place their merchandise in the back of the store, forcing you to walk down the aisles to get it. The more processed foods, such as snacks and cereals, the more likely you are to turn to something on the list. One way to solve this problem is to only shop around the edges of the store. That’s where most of the cheap and healthy items, such as meat, vegetables, and dairy products, are found. Processed foods are usually available in the store.
Mary Meck Higgins, a nutrition expert at Kansas State University Research and Extension, says, “If you organize your shopping list around the store layout, you’ll spend less time re-shopping and avoid impulse purchases.
Don’t go shopping hungry. No matter how good your shopping is, if you go shopping on an empty stomach, it’s inevitable that you’ll make too many purchases. Grocery stores know this and lure you in with the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries. Try to eat or at least drink some water before you go hiking.
” … Shopping tends to be impulsive and can unnecessarily drive up the food bill,” Higgins says. Impulse buying can also increase when shoppers are hungry or shopping without a list.
Look beyond the shelves. Stores place the products they want people to buy the most – the products that bring in the most money – where they’re most easily visible: at the knee or hip height.
Read also: Women’s Day Gift sets for women
Foreman: “The big-ticket items are at about chest height, so it’s easier to pick them up and put them in the basket.”
Also, look at the products on the shelves above and below. You’re more likely to find good products there at a lower price.
“The old adage ‘It’s expensive or cheap to save money still applies,” Higgins says.
Buy generic drugs. In many cases, generics contain the same ingredients as the original drug, but at a lower price. They may also be manufactured in a single plant. Just compare the nutritional information on the package. If the ingredients are the same, the product is probably the same. However, beware of extra additives and imitation products. Commercial products, such as pre-packaged Parmesan cheese, may contain more inferior ingredients and additives than real cheese.
Make sure you get the best value on sale. Don’t assume it’s a cheap deal when it’s on sale (or “wholesale”). Sometimes generics or different sized containers are cheaper than sale items. Check the unit price of each item (usually right on the price tag on the shelf) to see how much you’re really paying. If you find a good deal, but the item is out of stock, ask for an advance receipt so you can use it the next time you visit the store.
Only buy food. Only buy food in supermarkets. Toiletries such as toothpaste, shaving cream, soap, and other health and beauty products are usually much cheaper in chain drugstores than in grocery stores.
About Author
Sara has completed her education in marketing and started her career as a digital marketer. She is a content writer by profession. And she would love to add multiple things to her knowledge that she can add to her writing style. She writes about Indian grocers in Canada.
