Regardless of the family size, grocery shopping is expensive. In the US, every household spends an average of $300 for groceries every month. Yes, that is indeed a lot of money since it covers everything that the family needs from food to toiletries. Since groceries are consumables, it needs to be replenished regularly. But unlike your utility bills, you can make some significant adjustments to your groceries to save money.
There are different ideas to help you maximize your money and eventually save some for the future. Some are easy to follow, but others need maneuverability. But it’s all worth it since it will help you save money from your grocery bill. However, you have to bear in mind that although these tips will help the majority, it may not work for everyone. Let’s take a look at what you can do to save on groceries:
1. Sign up to loyalty programs: You can earn significant savings if you signup for your local grocery store’s loyalty programs. Its either you have a card where you can store points, or you sign up to an email newsletter for potential savings. The points accumulated in your card be later on used to purchase items. Meanwhile, signing up to a newsletter will keep you updated of their latest sale.
2. Couponing: Some people are crazy about coupons that they keep an entire stack of coupons. You can check magazines, websites, boxes, and just anywhere to get coupons. This will give you huge discounts on items that you will buy. But before heading to the grocery, you need to check everything that you need to make sure that you will buy things based on what coupons you have. While you can save money, you have to be careful because you might be spending more due to impulse purchases knowing that these coupons can only be used on a certain period of time.
3. Comparison shop: Before buying, it is better if you check where you can buy cheaper items. Bring your shopping list as you go to local grocery stores. You can also check online groceries as well, which might be selling more affordable groceries.
4. Shop online: Locally purchased fruits and vegetables are available online. In fact, these could be cheaper when bought from online stores. You can also buy meat, cheese, raw beans, oil, and many other items. Check mercato.com for more grocery items and don’t forget to compare its price to the ones in your local store.
5. Plan your groceries: Create a list of the things that you need to buy. See to it that you will stick to your list and you won’t purchase items that aren’t there unless you really forgot to include it. It also helps if you allocate a limited time in buying so that you can no longer check out items that you don’t really need.
6. Take advantage of cashback apps: Utilize several apps that offer grocery cashback. After buying, you will get a small percentage of the total amount back in your account. Every cashback app has its terms and condition. The percentage you get as a cashback also varies depending on the app that you are using.
7. Buy from generic brands: There are grocery items that are still good regardless of the label like flour, sugar, and others. So buy those from generic brands since these are cheaper. But you also have to purchase some items from name brands, especially if you are buying meat.
8. Check unit prices: Be a smart buyer by checking the unit price. Compare if you can save money by buying a bigger package. For this one, you have to do some calculations. Don’t worry; it’s worth it. Every penny you save from buying an item is already a big deal.
9. Buy from the farmer’s market: You will not only get fresh produce from the market, but you could buy it from there at a much lower price. Some of the best foods can be found from the market like raw honey, fresh produce, and many others. It’s an advantage if you know the price at your local grocery so that it is easy to compare prices.
10. Leave your kids at home: If your kids come with you when buying groceries, you will no doubt buy something that is not on your list. So, if you want to save money, it is better to leave the kids at home because when they want something from the store, it is hard to say no.
Yes, there’s a lot of things that you can do to save money while buying groceries. If you follow the tips above, you’ll surely get a lot of savings!