🎧Listen below (3:55)
If you’re like most people, the grocery store isn’t your favorite place, but it’s something that we have to do. Grocery shopping can be a chore, budgets can be tight, and we have a tendency to reach for convenience foods (which tend to cost more). Here are 10 tips to help balance it out without having to clip coupons.
Consider your cooking habits. Some frozen vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, peas, and corn can be inexpensive in bulk packages stay fresh in the freezer, and keep their nutritional quality.
1. Take advantage of your store’s loyalty program. Most grocery stores these days have a loyalty program where those who sign up and give their phone number and email address can get big savings that change weekly.
2. Purchase as many items as you can from the items that are on sale via the loyalty programs. Many stores have a rotation of how they offer these sale prices on staple items such as meats, paper products, cheese, drinks, as well as produce. Figure out the rotation, and stock up on items with longer shelf-lives- or that freeze well- when they are on a deep discount.
3. If you’re good at being spontaneous with your weekly menus, let sale prices determine your menu by only buying items that are on sale.
4. Always take a quick look at the ‘discontinued’ table or rack near the cashier stations (sometimes near the back of the store near the stockroom entrance), they are often hidden. You never know what you might find as they rotate through stock. These are the cheapest prices in the store!
5. Avoid buying foods that are already cut (e.g. shredded cheese, shredded carrots), the whole versions are cheaper, and do not spoil as quickly.
6. When buying produce, it’s easy to over-buy. Rather than the packaged bags, use the ‘bulk bins’ for items like fresh spinach and salad greens, and mushrooms. They don’t store well, and should only be purchased in amounts that you will use immediately, saving you money by not throwing it away.
7. Consider your cooking habits. Some frozen vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, peas, and corn can be inexpensive in bulk packages, and stay fresh in the freezer, and keep their nutritional quality. They also allow you to only use what you need when you cook, which reduces waste.
8. Try the store brands of your favorite items! It’s not like when we were kids that the ‘generic’ brands were all horrible quality. Many name brands are actually packing their same products under ‘store labels’ with the same quality standards and a lower price. HINT: if the packaging/bottle looks similar to your favorite brand, it’s a good possibility that it’s manufactured by the national brand.
9. When buying produce items that “ripen” (e.g. avocados, tomatoes, bananas), consider purchasing the individual fruits at different stages of ripeness. Like three avocados: 1 ready to eat NOW. 1 that has a day or two to be ready, and 1 as hard as a baseball that won’t be ready until the end of the week. Same for bananas and tomatoes.
10. Don’t shop when you are hungry, and stick to your list!
Responses