I’ve found these Simple Hacks that can save money at the Grocery Store
save money from draining
I remember the time when my grocery store bill was under $100. It was during a pandemic and I stored so much in my house that I could survive easily 3 weeks (or, even more than 3 weeks) with that huge amount of groceries. Those days are behind me, well, better to say, us. Nowadays, spending less on grocery shopping has become practically unthinkable and the prices are skyrocketing every day. Scrolling through the stat that indicates an ongoing phase of inflation puts me to work on finding some ways that can save me money from grocery expenses. Here, sharing some hacks that can be useful when doing grocery shopping.
Buy in Bulk
Whether you are shopping for a family of two or five, buying in bulk always seems like a productive way to cut extra costs. The cost seems higher, but the price per unit is lower in bulk buying. Some food that you use regularly can be profitable to buy in bulk.
For instance, a single avocado costs 84 cents at the grocery store. A small bag containing 5–6 avocados costs $3.46. Hence, purchasing avocados in bulk means you’d pay $69.2 each and save $0.40. Also, those foods that last longer, like cereal, rice, lentils, pasta, and other non-perishable items are good options to buy in bulk. Without giving it a second thought, go for bulk purchases and save as much as you can.
Limit buying unnecessary items
Every time you go to the store, you get trapped in the web of impulse purchases. You stop by the grocery store to get a box of cereal and a milk carton. The candy aisle next to the cereal seems lucrative and you end up buying a $12 Lindt, $5 Hershey’s, and a $2 bag of marshmallow. Before you know it, the panic buy makes you spend $50 over the day and it adds up to your daily expenses.
Random shopping not only costs extra money but it has a long-term effect on your potential savings. Be mindful of what you are buying. If making a list helps to cut down the extra costs, go for it. Plus, you can cut some gas costs by eliminating frequent trips to the store.
Get in the store on the new stock day
Keeping up a healthy diet at a reasonable cost is a tricky thing. Just when you think you have to compromise your diet with ramen noodles until you hit your payday, this one saves you from the wreck.
One smarter way to manage extra expenses is to shop in supermarkets when they restock fresh items. On that day, say, Wednesday, they offer numerous deals and discounts on fresh organic produce, seasonal vegetables, and a pantry. If you are lucky enough to reach there first, you might be the first one to get to pick the first deal of the week. They also honor last week’s discount on groceries for the customers to get the bonus discount.
For me, Walmart is the best place to find all grocery essentials. They maintain a basic price and offer great rollback prices on certain food items. You can also try shopping from any chain grocery stores available at your place that have larger inventories, for the prices are always cheaper there. Keep your eyes on them to get the best.
Go for week-by-week shopping
This one helps and I’ll tell you why. When I was scouring the internet to find new ways to save money, I came across a video of a 6-to-1 grocery shopping strategy that will save you not only money but also your time and too much-wasted food. The strategy talks about 6 groups of food that you need to buy to maintain a healthy diet and purchasing them once a week gets your job done.
Rummaging through the grocery aisle every other day and spending tons of money means you are just becoming the victim of impulse purchases. As a result, your money is getting dumped into the trash as your food. I am sure you obviously don’t want that. So, go to the store when you know what to buy.
Choose your grocery store
If you have been shopping from a store for a decade, now is the time to look around and find other stores. It’s pretty common for the stores to set different prices on the same grocery item.
For example, Walmart and Publix have the largest chain of supplies. Though they offer profitable shopping policies and discounts, the prices of groceries at both stores vary a lot. While Publix sells Bread at $1.50, Walmart sets it at $1.25. A gallon of milk is $2.48 at Walmart, while Publix has it at $3.99.
Your experiences might differ at stores. While some provide a high-quality user experience, some want to stick to the product quality. At the end of the day, all you want to do is to save your money from draining. If switching stores makes your life easier, then don’t wait.
Stick to the same grocery list
Even though I don’t make a list every time I go shopping, my to-go list remains the same. Sticking to a static list not only helps me cut down on extra costs but also secures some pennies to allow me to get a treat. This method provides two benefits- I get all the ingredients for a meal plan- and I can make some changes by comparing the list with last month’s.
These are simple strategies I apply while I go shopping. Among these, which one strikes you most? or do you want to try all of these? Let me know in the comment section below.
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