How to Start Saving on Groceries Today
The changing market, importing products from other countries and many other factors are going to impact prices that you see on your grocery items. While we may not think of our grocery bill as one of the major factors which contributes to our financial difficulty, for most of us a grocery bill is the largest weekly expense we have. As prices continue to rise it becomes clear to most of us that the weekly challenge we face (purchasing the items that we need without going over budget) requires proper planning.
Savvy shoppers are determined to discover new ways to start saving on groceries without the tiresome chore of scouring the web and weekly paper for coupons. With careful planning and a new approach to the weekly grocery run, you’ll take control of your finances in a major way. While it’s surprising to many how much of a direct and significant impact a strict grocery budget can have on their short and long term financial security, it shouldn’t be and in this article we’ll discuss strategies that you can take to cut your grocery bill and start putting that money to good use elsewhere.
To start saving on groceries, follow some of these tips and tricks so that you are getting the most for your money in the grocery store.
Effective Meal Planning
Planning out your meals is a huge way to save your money every time you set foot in a grocery store. When you plan out your meals, you are going to be able to shop for only what you need for that following week. Plan out every meal, and the ingredients that you are going to need before you hit the store. Weekly meal plans are a great way to organize what you buy each trip to the store and your wallet will be grateful.
Search for recipes and know what ingredients you need before you walk aimlessly around a grocery store. If meal planning isn’t your strong suit consider a helpful, mobile-friendly recipe set of weekly recipe lists.Planning meals is helpful for anyone with a busy schedule and especially helpful for people who are trying to be mindful of what they are eating. Plan out great dinners with your friends and host them at your house so that you are still sticking to your meal planning while being social.
Shop Frugally
Just because you have effective meal planning and you are ready to purchase the only ingredients you need for the week, doesn’t mean you are going to save money. There is another important factor to that equation – shopping frugally. Shopping frugally can include things such as:
- Buying in bulk
- Buying products that are in season
- Using coupons
- Shopping around for deals
- Grocery store membership discounts
A Grocery List is Key
Make a grocery list before you leave your house and set foot in the grocery store. Do absolutely everything in your power to not stray from your list. Grocery stores are set up to cause you to stray from your list – fancy packaging, key items in prime locations and more marketing tactics are enemies of your grocery list. Don’t fall for those tricks – start on the outside of the store and work your way around, getting what you need and not giving yourself even one chance of potentially straying from your pre-planned list.
If you are the type that forgets their list at home all the time, consider putting your shopping list on your smart phone. Whether you email it to yourself, add it as a note or use an app for your list, you will have your list safely in the palm of your hand.
