10 Supermarket Saving Tips

When you’re single and living on your own, your buying habits are focused more on personal indulgences and less on filling your fridge and cupboards with necessities. But once you have your own family, your shopping list undergoes a complete revamp.

If you used to spend freely on entertainment and dining out when you were single, having a family will quickly rewire your brain into having a totally different set of priorities: finding the best value for your money and increasing the number of items you buy while cutting back on your grocery bill.

Here are a few supermarket saving tips to make grocery shopping a more pocket-friendly and efficient activity.

1. Plan your supermarket shopping like a military offensive.
Take the time to look around your kitchen and pantry to see what you need. Don’t throw away grocery or warehouse catalogs since these give you a general idea of current retail prices, special promos, and sales. Some moms even make cost comparison charts on items they frequently buy, including which grocery they are at. They cross their frugal hearts when they say that this uncommon practice works wonders.

Plan your menu for at least two weeks. This works if you shop every pay period, which is around a two-week interval.

Plan for around 17 meals, making room for the occasional dining-out.


2. Make your list and check it twice.
With your menu planned, you can now turn to your grocery list. Check your menu for items you will need to buy and those that you still have in stock. By doing this, you accomplish two things: making an accurate inventory of your pantry and getting a good idea of the proper portioning of the items you’ll be buying.

Click here to read more supermarket saving tips.

[previous|page|next]

Read on for more supermarket saving tips.

 

3. Don’t go shopping on an empty stomach.
Hunger can easily make you an impulsive buyer. And instead of following your shopping list, you may end up buying items that you don’t need but took a fancy to because you’re feeling hungry. So fi ll your stomach before you head to the grocery, or go shopping after a main meal, and well before the next one.


4. Buy basic needs in bulk.
This is important when buying food and household staples because those are consumed faster. Make sure you buy these before you run out of them and need to make an emergency trip to the convenience store where items cost more.

However, there is no need to store too much of something you don’t really use on a regular basis; it only takes up storage space. Moreover, you run the risk of using it up well after its consumption date. Think: do you really need five kilos of cornstarch?


5. Don’t look down on—or don’t be afraid to try—store-brand items.
Most store-brand products actually hold their own when compared to their brand-name counterparts. Start by comparing prices. Everything from thereon is a series of trial and error, so buy only small packs of a brand you’re trying out for the first time.


6. Buy the necessities first.
Before checking out other items, make sure you stock your pushcart with the grocery items that are on your list and within your budget. Do not get sidetracked! Avoid being reeled in by those supermarket aisle set-ups that are targeted for impulse buys.

Click here to read more supermarket saving tips.

[previous|page|next]

Read on for more supermarket saving tips.

7. Use cash as often as possible and bring only the amount you need.
It’s easy to shop and pay for your groceries using an express payment system (which directly debits from your bank account through your ATM card), or through your credit card. However, you will end up paying more for your purchases with the interest incurred whenever you charge to your credit card.

The best way to avoid excess spending is to bring just enough cash to cover your purchases, which helps you stick to your budget.


8. Go for econo packs, bundled items, and fresh buys.
Product refills in doy packs are much cheaper than products in bottles and jars. Ketchup, mayonnaise, or cooking oil are among the many perishables that are available in these “tipid” packs.

Check out bundled promo items once in a while. They are surprisingly economical and worth your peso.

Also, buy fruits and vegetables that are in season—since they’re abundant, they’ll be cheaper!


9. Be vigilant with those “best before” labels.
If you have no immediate plans of using specific items yet and mean to keep them in stock until you need them, then check out the products’ expiry dates.

Practice the FIFO (first-in, first-out) system: whenever you restock your pantry, place new items at the back, move the older items to the front, and consume those fi rst.


10. Pay attention to price accuracy at the check-out lane.
Be alert when the cashier rings through your purchases. Watch out for incorrect or inconsistently priced items. Call attention to the error and have it corrected right away.

Keep these tips in mind and soon your household budget will slim down while your savings fatten up.

 

Photography by Jun Pinzon