6 Tips for Saving Money on Groceries
Tired of having a heart attack every time the cashier tallies your total at the checkout? Saving money on groceries can really help you cut down your bill and stay within your family’s household budget.
To stretch your grocery dollar, follow these 6 tips:
- Skip brand names.
Store brands are less costly, with products being very close to that of the market leader or in some cases, exactly the same and simply packaged at the same plant with a different label. - Shop by unit price.
Unit price tells you the cost of the item per piece or per weight. To get the most bang for your buck, calculate the price among brands. Just because that half litre of milk looks like less at $1.92 than the litre at $3.20 doesn’t necessarily make it a better deal. Additionally, buying in bulk goes hand in hand with shopping by unit price. Why? Bigger, bulk items typically offer a lower price per unit based on costs associated with packaging and shelf placement. - Avoid eye-level items.
More expensive items are typically given prime, eye-level placement. Bigger, bulk items and store brands are often placed above and below this level. Look both high and low to save more money on groceries. - Make your own.
Prepared and packaged foods like potato salad and pre-cut veggies are substantially more expensive. If you’re interested in saving money on groceries, buy fresh veggies and make those items yourself. - Use coupons wisely.
Become familiar with ins and outs of couponing, using multiple coupons on multiple items whenever possible. For instance, does that coupon specify you can buy multiple bottles of ketchup using the same coupon or only one? If only one, can you get additional copies of the coupon online or from your neighbor? In addition, pay attention to item pricing and store sales, saving coupons until the items you want go on sale for maximum savings. - Don’t overstay your welcome.
Limit your time at the grocery store to an hour or less to help with saving money on groceries. The quicker you get out of there, the less likely you are to fall victim to impulse buys.
Additional money saving tips:
- Join the club.
Free membership cards offered by retailers offer substantial savings. Bonus: They allow stores to track the items you buy, helping keep the items you want on store shelves. - Warehouse it.
Joining bulk retailers such as Sam’s Club, and Costco offer 20-50 percent savings compared to grocery store prices on items like water, coffee, condiments, canned foods, and more. But compare unit prices carefully – this does not apply to all items. - Stop buying bottled water.
In addition to having to be hauled into your home and stored, bottled water costs 10 to 15 times that of pitcher-filtered water. - Use a list.
This will help you avoid unnecessary purchases, saving money on groceries. - Don’t go shopping hungry.
You’ll buy far more than you need. - Avoid the inner aisles.
There’s a reason staples like produce and dairy are on opposite sides of the store. Forcing you to peruse inner aisles inspires impulse buys. - Leave the kids at home.
Children often want unnecessary items.
Saving money on groceries can really be difficult with today’s rising food prices. But when you’re tight on funds, Fast Access Finance is here to help. To learn more or to apply for a loan online, contact Fast Access Finance today.