Shopping at the grocery store is one of those things that you, I and every one of us has to do but it can be silent killer of your monthly budget without you realizing. The innocent trip to the grocery-shop to buy necessities becomes the cart of additional products, and a bill you cringe about. Have you ever felt like you are wasting too much money on food and don’t know how to reduce the amount you spend without compromising on the quality and nutrition part of it? Well, you are not the only one, we all feel that way sometime or the other.
Here is the good news? The alternatives to paying more on groceries are numerous without compromising on starving yourself or eating tasteless dishes. Find yourself buying groceries on behalf of a family, a couple or simply yourself?
Below are a few ways to save more money on groceries.
How To Save Money On Groceries
1. Set up a Meal Plan (And Follow it)
Planning meals does not have to be a complex thing. It simply involves making the choices in advance about what to eat this week so that you are able to go out shopping without working out on guessing. A basic meal planning will prevent wasting of food and purchase of unnecessary foods.
Where to begin:
- Preselect what you will eat during the next week (breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks).
- Prepare your plan with the deals you already have at home.
- Apply like ingredients throughout the week to use up groceries purchased (i.e. ground beef can be used in spaghetti, stir-fry and meat pies).
When you have a plan set, make a grocery list and follow it in the store.
Related: 9 Things to Stop Buying to Save Money
2. Shopping without List
Shopping without a list would be equivalent to cooking without a recipe, who knows, you may find a way, but not in an efficient way. An essential ingredient of grocery shopping is to maintain a list so that you have the sense of direction and do not make impulse decisions that cost you your finances.
Write it in a small pad or on phone or use a grocery list app. Check your pantry and fridge again before going to buy so that you do not end up with duplicates. Adhere to the checklist and you will go home with just what you want.
3. Ask What is in the Way Before Borrowing Exploit What is already possessed before looking to borrow
You would not believe the number of meals you can prepare using what is available in your kitchen. Your grocery list should be based on what is in your pantry, freezer and fridge.
Suppose, that:
- You have frozen vegetables, canned beans and rice. It is a full meal.
- You have flour, sugar and eggs, excellent for home-made pancakes or bread.
Spending less and wasting less is achieved through using what you already have.
Related: 7 Smart Ways for Teens to Save Money
4. Smart Buy in bulk
Nobody will dispute that when you buy in bulk, large savings are possible–when you do it right. Concentrate on long-lasting food stuffs such as:
- Rice
- Beans
- Pasta
- Flour
- Frozen vegetables
- Canned tomatoes
Avoid buying wholesale on fresh fruits or milk unless you are sure you can consume it all. In case you have a storage problem, you can divide big purchases with a friend or a family member.
5. Use Cash to Shop When it is Possible
Venturing with money rather than a debit or credit card may assist you in staying within your grocery budget. With just tapping or swiping, it is easy to forget yourself and overspend, but no one can overspend using cash since one can spend only the amount he has in his hand.
This is how you can do it:
- Set the amount of money you wish to spend (say 20 000 ngn).
- Take out this money in cash.
- Bring that money to the shop only. No extras.
You will become more critical about the choices you make and you will make fewer purchases of the items that you do not truly need.
6. Be On the Lookout of Sales, Discounts, and Clearance Deals
Most of the grocery stores offer weekly or seasonal sales. Get to know the discount schedule of your local store or subscribe to news on the Internet so that you will not miss a promo.
Tips:
- Buy more of non- perishables at a discount.
- Look at discount prices on close to expiry goods that you can freeze or use.
- Where applicable, use loyalty cards or even coupons.
Do not mind just purchasing something with the only intention, that it is a sale. It is not really a deal when you do not normally purchase it.
Related: 10 Rules Of Money
7. Generic Brands-Switching
Several store brands or so called no-name products are as good as those major names even better in some ways. Ranging in their scope to pasta, canned vegetables, snacks, and cleaning supplies, it is possible to save significantly by switching to generics.
Try one or two things and test. Like them? Switch to permanent and you can see your full bill decline.
8. Don’t Use Pre-Cut, Pre-Packaged Foods
Easy comes at a price. Ready to cook foods, marinated meat, shredded cheese, and pre sliced fruit tend to be many times more expensive than their whole equivalents.
Instead:
- In the case of pineapple, buy the fruit half and cut it yourself.
- Grind your own cheese.
- Purchase meat without any seasoning and do it at home.
It will save you money literally every week with the additional couple of minutes of preparation.
9. Seasonal Shopping and Locally Shop
Fruits and vegetables are relatively cheaper when in-season, and that they are, indeed, fresh and tasty as well. Market shopping or purchasing products directly with farmers would as well save you more.
For example:
- During the harvest season, tomatoes are less expensive.
- Yams are cheaper when new sets have been harvested.
Base your meals on what is in season and utilise the cheaper prices.
10. And everybody here eats before he shops,–everybody, that is, except Helen and me, who are so near the end of our money-box
On the face of it, going to the store hungry is one of the most utmost ways to overspend on groceries. You will fill the basket with snacks and sweets because they are attractive at the time.
Eat a light meal or snack before you shop so you will shop with your mind but not with your stomach.
11. Meatless Mondays or One Day per week
One of the most expensive components of the bulk of grocery bills is meat. This is not something that you need to eliminate entirely, but by cutting on meat, you can save thousands of dollars in the long term.
The lower end cost ideas:
- Bean and rice
- Vegetable soups
- Egg-based dishes
- Vegetables and stir-fry or vegetables and sticky noodles
You will not only save money, but may even discover some of your preferred dishes in the process.
12. Eat out Less, Cook More at Home
Ordering food or going out is saving time, but it is also a waste of funds, which can cost up to 2–3 times food prepared at home.
Home-cooked meals:
- Make more out of your ingredients
- Prevent food waste
- Enable you to take control of the taste and the size of the portions
An average lunch of jollof rice or a plate of yam porridge could get more people fed than the amount of money that would be used to buy one portion in a restaurant.
13. Utilise your Fridge Freezer Smartly
Your best friend is your freezer in terms of waste prevention and money savings.
Freeze:
- Remains to eat later on
- Leftovers of batch cookery
- Fruits to make smoothies
- Overripe fruits
- Items that have a low price where there is a short time before they expire
A fully stocked freezer can save you a trip to the grocery in the middle of a week, and it will also reduce food waste.
14. Cut on One of Your Spending on Snacks and Drinks
Snapping, juices and soft drinks can consume something of a fantastic stop in your buying plan.
Instead:
- Bake your own popcorn, fruit shop, or other snack.
- Purchase libation of high water content such as bottles rather than individual bottles—or drink more water.
- Avoid buying snack impulsively, but resort to your actual meal plan and list.
It does not mean getting rid of them altogether; it means intentional purchasing.
15. Grow What You Can
A small balcony or windowsill can fit some pots of herbs such as scent leaf, parsley, or basil. You can also cultivate peppers, tomatoes or okra in buckets or containers.
You do not have to have a large garden. Some home grown products are able to flavor up your food and save you more in the long run.
16. Unit Prices Verification
During a price comparison, do not limit yourself to the total price. The per-unit price (price per gram or liter) will allow you to calculate what item is worth more.
For example:
A 500ml oil—1200 naira compared to a 1-liter oil—2000 naira.
That latter alternative offers you more oil per naira expended.
Remember to pay attention to size and quantity in order not to pay more to get the convenience.
17. Be Creative with Leftovers
Food should not be wasted. Repackage leftovers by making it somewhere new:
- Leftover rice? Fry it or turn it into jollof or fried rice.
- Vacant boiled yam? Boil yam or mash it up.
- Day-old stew? Put in eggs and prepare a rapid shakshuka.
The more you recycle the less you dispose and the more savings you enjoy.
18. Keep a Track of What You Spend
Begin to monitor your food cost. This can be done in the form of a simple notebook, budgeting app or a spreadsheet.
You will be able to make smarter decisions as you watch your finances going. You will also be able to identify trends such as the amount of money you are spending on snacks or non-essentials and working on it.
Final Thoughts
The goal of saving money on groceries is not to deprive yourself, it is intentional. With a bit of scheduling, some savvy strategies and a bit of stick-to-it-ness, you can eat good food, produce less waste, and have more money to use however you like.
You should not do everything at the same time. Choose one or two suggestions to begin with, incorporate these into your everyday life and add others as you go. The savings will be cumulative—week after week, month after month.
How about yourself?
Have you or do you know one tip that works in your family? Post it in the comments—we all learn more together.
In case you aren’t yet saving money on groceries, and this post has been helpful to you then share it with the other person who may also want to save money on groceries.
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