Saving money on groceries can be one tough task. Let's face it: you have to eat. Food ranks right up there with oxygen, but unlike air, free food is tough to come by... unless you're still living with your folks.
There are lots of things to consider when you go grocery shopping, like where to shop, what to buy, and how to budget your cash. If you want to manage to have money leftover after a trip to the market, you need to plan exactly how to use what you've got.
Having A Game Plan
Some people think budgeting is a real pain in the neck. If you're one of those people, you might want to adjust your thinking about it. You don't have to, but why not just give over? Look, you've only got one shot at this Life thing. Loosen up... smile more. (Okay, maybe you believe in reincarnation. Leave the grumps for your next life.) Have some fun with this.
Making a spending plan really is empowering. You can decide with a godlike sweep of your hand who will benefit from your pecuniary munificence. After all, you're the one holding your purse strings, right? Make it a game, like Monopoly, or use jars for different types of accounts. Think about it. The more you like money, the more money will like you.
Allocating money for utilities, housing and transportation is easier when you plan it ahead of time instead of just reacting to these needs. Groceries are no exception, food being the most important of all household commodities. Prioritize the money you invest in your daily life, and you can reduce the amount you spend without sacrificing your lifestyle. In fact, it could even improve your quality of life - including the food you eat. Here's how.
What To Buy
When you go shopping at a grocery store, in what part of the store do you shop? Most people pick out a cart, check the wheel-wobble factor, and head straight in. Where does that put you? Right smack dab in Nabiscso Central. That's right, the first thing you grab is a box of Mystic Mints, a bag of licorice and a pound of Doritos. Next you're onto the frozen pizza aisle, and then you grab a gallon of rocky road. (If you doubt me, go check your waistline.) Grocery stores plan it that way because that's where the money is, in packaged foods. Don't play their game. You're the one with the money, so you get to pick. Be smart about it.
Make your list and shop around the outside of the store. It's 10 times cheaper, and that's where all the fresh, wholesome goodness is anyway. Instead of buying a 1-pound bag of frozen french fries, pick up a 10-pound bag of fresh Idaho spuds for the same price. Now you can have the fries and even some creamy garlic mashed potatoes. You'll still have enough left in the bag to make your own chips, home fries and have that baked potato with your dinner. Get the picture? In fact, if you cook extra portions ahead of time and freeze the leftovers, you'll have the ultimate fast food: fresh, cheap, and good for you. A friend of mine, a gourmet, used to spend his Sunday nights making his meals for the week. He ate better than anyone I know, and he spent less money to do it.
Where To Shop
Now that you have a clearer picture of what to buy, you can plan where to get it. Most of the time, a potato is a potato and it doesn't matter what store it comes from. It makes sense, then, to put out as little as possible for your food bill without sacrificing quality. Buy in bulk when you can, and stock up on the things you know you're going to use. (Can it really hurt to have a year's supply of toilet paper? Of course not... you know it's a godsend.) When you buy in bulk, you're insulating yourself against inflation. Let's say inflation is at 3% a year, and a savings account pays 2.5%. You'd be better off investing in paper towels. But that's another topic.
Warehouse stores like Costco and Sam's Club are great if you have the room in your pantry and you have the funds in your budget. I don't know anyone who can walk out of a warehouse store for less than $300, so you'll have to be clear about what you want to get. A better option for a lot of the things you need is to shop at grocery outlets and food distributors open to the public. Sure, you'll be missing the shiny floor and all that muzack, but I'll bet you can buy yourself a ticket to the symphony with the money you save. If you don't know where your nearest grocery outlet is, do a quick search on the Internet. They're not hiding, you know. They want to be found.
Another great option is to shop at your local farmers market and roadside fruit stands. You'll find them in just about every town, and they're usually run by friendly people. What's great about them is that you get produce fresh from the grower at really low prices. You also never know whom you might meet or the stories you'll hear in that friendly atmosphere. Go ahead, spice up your life a little. Talk to somebody.
Finally, there are some markets that are just plain cheaper than others. Scope it out, and do a little price comparison. If you're in the habit of shopping at the most expensive grocery store in town because it's one block closer to your house, splurge on that extra 1/18th of a gallon of gas and drive to the next one. You'll be glad you did.
Here are some more tips:
• By all means, take advantage of the supermarket's discount cards - those things you swipe at checkout time. I know a guy who doesn't want to use his because he thinks the FBI is monitoring his consumption of Wheaties. Lord love a duck, get real. Save yourself some money and use the dang card.
• List the staples that you should always find in your kitchen - coffee, milk, sugar, soy sauce, potatoes,vinegar, salt, onions, garlic. They're necessary, so buy them in bulk when you can.
• Plan your weekly meals ahead of time and shop to meet your needs. This avoids overspending on impulse and it also save time.
• Don’t buy name brand goods unless you know from personal experience that there's a difference in quality. If you really can tell the difference, go for it. But usually it's exactly the same product as the generic or store brand with a different label. You’ll get the same benefit and spend less.
• If you buy meat, check the market's close-out section, usually at the end of the meat aisle. These packages usually have a big orange discount sticker on them, and the prices are ridiculously low. Often they'll feature excellent cuts of meat that need to be cooked or frozen within the next couple of days. If it's beef, a lot of times the cut is perfectly aged and tastes better anyway. You can get some terrific deals on meat when you buy in bulk. Consider getting a bulk package, rewrapping the cuts and freezing them individually.
• Pay in cash. Otherwise you might be tempted to buy on impulse. This neat trick avoids going over your credit card limit, overdrafting your bank account and (ta da!) going over your budget.
• Bring snacks with you whenever you travel or commute. Fresh fruit is great for this, and so are granola bars or Chex mix. Having a snack handy reduces the temptation to stop in at a restaurant, fast food joint or mini store.
• Shop for your fruits and vegetables often, but do major shopping only once or twice a month. That way you'll spend less time going to the store and you'll minimize your chances of overspending.
Planning what to buy and how you'll cook it can save a load of cash off your food bill. You'll avoid those impulses for quick fixes at the mini-mart, eliminate Big Mac attacks, and even cut out a few cookie binges. Making food yourself saves you time, energy and money. As an added bonus, you just might drop a size around your middle. Can't hurt, might help - right? Yeah... like that. Bon apetit!
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