Today Really Simple Money brings you some great money-saving tips on supermarket shopping and how you can introduce some simple measures to cut back on your grocery bills.
- Shop alone. When shopping with your partner or loved ones, you often end up with more impulse buys and more things than you planned for.
- Shop on a full stomach. You will buy less snacks and treats.
- Shop only once a week. You tend to spend more if you stop at the supermarket store several times a week.
- Try not to shop when you are tired or worn out after a busy day. It’s much easier to focus and make wise choices when you are fresh and full of energy.
- For some of the biggest savings, buy in-house private label products or home brands, they are much cheaper than name brands.
- Look out for what’s in season. Fruits and vegetables are cheaper when they are in season.
- Avoid buying packaged convenience food and vegetables – they cost much more. The less processed the food, the less it costs.
- Even if you stick to a shopping list, you should always shop with a calculator and add things up as you put them in your cart – you will be surprised how quickly your grocery bill mounts up. It will also help you stick to your budget.
- If you are on a tight budget, stick to cash and ditch the plastic credit card. This creates a barrier around how much you are going to spend and forces you to stick to buying what you can afford.
- Every time you arrive at the check-out counter, pick three to five non-essential items you don’t really need. It will help you shave your grocery bill little by little.