How many of you cringe at the thought of having to go to the grocery store? Whether it’s the task of moving through the grocery store hunting for all the items that you need to make it through the week, the thought of having to do it with your kids in tow who want one of everything, or simply the anxiety you get when you finally make it to the checkout and see the total up on the screen, going to the grocery store is often not at the top of most people’s fun things-to-do list. Heck, many of you dislike it so much that you now have other people go to the grocery store for you.
Going to the grocery store is a necessity and is a significant monthly expense for most families and households, but it doesn’t have to be a crippling expense. We’ve compiled a list of 10 things that will save you money on those trips to the grocery store.
1. Set a budget for your grocery shopping
Ok how many of you know exactly how much you spend weekly/monthly on trips to the grocery store? Ok, maybe a ballpark? Setting a range that you’d like to stay within on your trips to the grocery store gives you a way to not only control your cost but limit tendencies that we all have to buy off list items.
2. Create a menu & shop based on the menu
One of the most beneficial steps to controlling your spending at the grocery store is to create a menu for the week, figure out what you already have, and then base your trip to the grocery store on the ingredients needed to execute that menu. This may seem daunting at first, so maybe start by planning one or two days until you get the hang of it.
3. Raid your pantry
When was the last time you went through your pantry? No seriously do you know what’s hanging out way in the back. Yeah me neither. Now’s the perfect time to go through your pantry as you likely have a good deal of ingredients that will either make a complete meal(s) or will minimize what you may need to buy to make one. Knowing what you have hanging out in the back of that pantry could save you money and also from buying duplicates of items that you didn’t know you had. Happy Hunting.
4. Create a List & Stick to it
Have you ever gone grocery shopping, gotten to the checkout and said whoa at the price, or made it home to have your spouse exclaim “you aren’t allowed to go to the store unsupervised anymore”? My guess is most of us can relate. Shopping from a list can keep you focused during your trip, and cut down not only on what you’re spending, but likely the time that you’re spending in the store as well.
5. Shop with a calculator
As you move through the grocery store, either bring a calculator with you or use the one on your phone to keep a running total of where you are with your spending for that trip. Doing this will help keep you within your budget number for that week and less likely to grab those off list items. This also allows you to be much more aware of how much your bill is going to be long before you head to the checkout. No surprises.
6. Don’t shop when you’re hungry
Shopping on an empty stomach is a recipe that will often land you with a plethora of items that you didn’t intend on purchasing during your trip. Bringing your hungry kids along will elevate the situation to a whole new level as well. Avoid this at all costs.
7. Shop once per week
Have you ever thought “it seems like I was just here” because you’ve had to run out to the grocery store 2 or 3 more times since your original shopping trip to pick up more “needed” items? You’re not alone! The more trips that you take to the store the more money you are likely to spend overall each week. Set a goal of only shopping once per week to keep tighter control over your grocery budget.
8. Rethink your definition of dinner
Who else has issues when discussing what to have for dinner? Come on be honest. Of all of the meals, this seems to be the one that we over complicate. Dinner doesn’t have to look like it was made in a restaurant, take hours to prepare, mirror what you saw last night on the Food Network, or be anything but well… dinner. Everyone’s perception of dinner is different, but hey, keep it simple when you need to, go big when you want to, but don’t be afraid to throw in some breakfast for dinner along the way, as dinners like this often tend to cost much less than say a steak, potato, and veggie dinner. Get creative and never apologize for the effort.
9. Plan for left-overs
When you are planning out your meals for the week take into consideration and plan to make enough to span multiple days/meals. Leftovers are a great way to cut down on your weekly food budget.
10. Try a different grocery store
Most of us likely always shop at the same store. What most of us don’t realize is that there may be other stores around us that have cheaper prices on things than where we shop. I’m not a fan of making trips to multiple stores to get through my list, but it’s worth checking out other places to compare prices to see if there are opportunities for you to save.
Putting it into Practice
As with any potential significant change in the way that you do things, trying to implement all of these before heading out on that next trip to the grocery store would be overwhelming to pretty much anyone.
Start Slow
Pick one or two and then work your way through moving forward. If you’re looking for a starting point our advice is to start with Number 2 – Create a Menu & Shop based on the menu. This allows you to take stock of what you already have, figure out what you need, and set your plan of attack from there. It also sets in motion a plan for the week ahead, which can help in many areas besides just finances.
The goal is to create a system that works for you and allows you to take control of those trips to the grocery store. Happy Shopping!
Now that you’re thinking about ways to save a little money, what are you going to do with that extra money? We recommend you check out our 5 Keys to Building Wealth for your Future article for some ideas on how to put those funds to good use and save even more.
Please feel free to save or print our 10 Money Saving Tips To Survive The Grocery Store Infographic! Use it as a tool to refer back to whenever you need a reminder or a little push on implementing these money tips. Also, check out our YouTube video for our Top 3 Tips for Saving Money at the Grocery Store.
We Would Love To hear Your Feedback!
Have any of these tips helped you or did we miss something on the list?
We hope you found these money saving tips helpful and would love to hear your comments, questions and ideas below.
Please consider checking out our YouTube Channel for more great information designed to Help You Live Your Best Life!
If you know someone who could benefit from this article, please consider using our social share buttons below.
One Response