Eating at home is a proven way to save money when eating out, but grocery prices rose nearly 12% in the second half of 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The sharp rise in prices of staple foods such as eggs and meat has made eating at home more expensive, but it’s better to
buy groceries than takeout. A strategy can help keep costs down. If you feel seal shock at the store, here are some ways to saving money on groceries.
1. Place Check What You Already Have and Make a List
Some shoppers go to the grocery store without checking the inventory of what they already have at home. Check your refrigerator and pantry before buying a lot of bread or a lot of milk. Take pictures of what you already have, or make a list of whatyou know you’ll need, this way you will end up buying unnecessary items or items that are already you have and will be saving on food.
2. Limit Store Travel
According to MoneySmartFamily.com’s Steve and Annette Economides, limiting store travel can also help. The couple say theless time they spend physically in the store, the less opportunities they have to make impulse purchases. Most of the time we randomly pick stuff and we roam around a store too much. If we limit our store visit we can easily be saving money on groceries.
3. Stick to your list
How to save money on groceries is the biggest question in this time of inflation and Impulsive Buying makes it even worst.
Using a grocery list and sticking to it helps you resist the urge to buy more than you planned. Consider shopping alone. That way, kids don’t have to lobby for items that aren’t on their list or that aren’t in their budget, and they’re in and out quickly.
4. Buy The Sunday Paper (for coupons)
Subscribing to the Sunday Paper is worth the investment, says Kurt Jetta, founder of retail and consumer analytics firm TABSAnalytics. He says paper circulars with grocery offers such as “buy one get one free” are common. Look for couponin the newspaper and apply it to an item you know you will buy.
But beware of promotions that have too many terms or are difficult to redeem, he says, Jetta. Offers such as “buy one get half price” can encourage you to spend more money than you need or can afford. Don’t want to spend your money on the Sunday Post or Times? Find grocery store coupons in your email.
5. Avoid Online Grocery Shopping
Online grocery services and subscriptions are convenient but can be expensive. Jetta warns that you can’t always find the size you need online, and you might be forced to upgrade to a larger size at a higher price. Orders are processed by a third party supplier. These may cover shipping costs added to your bill.
6. Calculate Burn Rate
Burn rate is related to how often you consume a product, say Steve and Annette Economides. They recommend researching how long a particular product will last and stocking up on deals accordingly. But if your favorite bagged salad is on sale and you buy more than you can eat before the expiration date, you’ll end up using too much.
7. Follow your Favorite Brands
You already have your favorite potato chips and top laundry detergents, so take advantage of your brand loyalty.
Follow your favorite brands on social media or sign up for our mailing list. Tide laundry detergent deals and offers sent directly to your email subscribers’ inboxes. At Seltzer branded Spindrift, sign up for our mailing list and get 10% off your first order. This way you can be saving money on food.
8. Try Common Labels
But just because you like Tide and Spindrift doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try something else. Some products allow the brand name to be omitted entirely. Jetta says the ‘Value’ label is a more affordable alternative to his premium brand.
For example, if you don’t care what hair products you use, you can try lower-priced brands like Suave or stores like Target’s generic version of his Head & Shoulders.
9. Use credit cards strategically Check out
Credit cards to see if you can earn cashback and other rewards on grocery shopping. Details such as spending limits, potential annual fees, and category changes should be tracked. But a points credit card can pay off 1% to 6% and save you hundreds of dollars on your annual grocery bill. For the best returns, pay off your card in full each month instead of carrying around a balance. Otherwise, interest can eat away at your savings.
10. Set up your local supermarket circuit
Split your shopping into multiple stores to find the best deals at each store and optimize your system. For example, he can use Trader Joe’s for a week and get great deals on ground coffee, frozen foods, and more. Then next week, head to his local Aldi for discounts on center store items like cereal boxes and snacks. Get the freshest meats and produce at the best prices, and visit the wholesale club once a month for things to stockpile, preserve, and use over time.
11. Consider Wholesale Memberships
Wholesale clubs are especially attractive to large families because they sell groceries in bulk at low prices. If you have space to store a ton of groceries or want to stock up on non-perishable essentials like paper towels and toilet paper, consider purchasing a membership at a store like Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJ’s Wholesale Club. please. If you invest a lot, be prepared to spend more from the beginning.
Also, don’t forget that you have to pay the annual fee for your Warehouse membership. Make sure you shop enough to save on groceries rather than investing in a membership before committing. If so, check out their gas discounts too.
12. Please be careful.
Prices per unit (ounce, pound, gram, etc.) for various packages are often printed on a price indicator near the product. You can also use the unit price calculator to determine your cost per unit. This information is useful because some stores sell the same product in different sizes.
