6 Tips to Save Money on Groceries

Shopping for groceries is definitely not my favorite activity in the world, but it's something we all need to do often. And with the rising prices we've been seeing lately, it's more important than ever to make your grocery shopping as efficient and as economical as possible.  

So today I'm sharing here my six main tips to save on groceries - and yes, even if most (or all of them) aare pretty obvious, we all sometimes need a small reminder to pay attention and avoid spending more money than what's absolutely necessary. 

1. Plan Ahead

Emergency or last minute shopping trips are rarely budget friendly. Keep lists of what you have at home and use them to determine exactly what you need to buy and when. 

Make a list of everything you need before your next shopping trip. Sometimes I even keep running lists, where I add or remove things during the week. 

Using lists and planning ahead will save you time and fuel, and it also make it easier to take advantage of coupons and in-store promotions. 

2. Buy locally and directly from producers

This may be hard if you live in a large city - but if there's a farmer's market close to you - or even better, a couple of farms - take advantage of them. Sometimes even a slightly longer trip may not be totally out of place.

Since we started buying fruit and vegetables at our local farmer's market we noticed not only a decrease in our monthly expenses but also a significant increase in quality. Buying vegetables from someone's farm is way better than getting the ones that have been refrigerated for weeks at the supermarket.

3. Buy in season

At the farmer's market, what is available is almost always what is in season, but at regular grocery stores the differences may not be noticeable - except in price. 

Out of season products will have been shipped halfway across the world (literally) or stored in refrigerated facilities for several months. In season products will be cheaper - and fresher. Better for your health and your wallet. 

4. Buy in bulk

Buy in bulk as much as possible (as long as you have the storage space). This way you will likely get better prices and you will also take home less packages - you save money and help reduce pollution at the same time. 

5. Use coupons and store discounts, and do you math

Although this does seem absolutely obvious, sometimes we forget, especially when we usually shop at more than one store. But these are hard times, we're seeing price hikes everywhere, so we need to pay attention more than ever.

Don't be ashamed to take out your phone to use the calculator in the middle of the grocery store. I do it often, especially when I want to compare prices between differently sized packages.

6. Use generic and store brands

I don't always buy store brands and I usually test them before committing to larger purchases. It may depend on the item and it may depend on the store. I read labels, and check ingredients. 

But the truth is - some generic or store brands are just as good or even better than the most well known brands. Some are even produced in the same factory, just packaged differently. 

My advice? Pick a product you use often and test the store brand to see if it works for you. If it does, chances are you'll be saving a lot of money in the future. 

 

 

What other strategies do you use to save money at the grocery store?

Have a wonderful day!

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