Every week we all have to go
grocery shopping, its just one of those things we all have to do
whether we like it or not. The trouble it we can become
complacent by the routine of it and forget to check what is
actually going into our baskets and how much we are paying for
it.Inn these times of
price rises and the increase in personal debt, being a frugal
grocery shopper should be something we all choose to become. Our
weekly shop can be one of the biggest single financial outlays
that we make every week and by taking a closer look at how we
shop and what we are buying will help to cut out monthly budgets
and allow us to use our money more wisely.
There are some simple rules in
becoming a more frugal grocery shopper and they are all easy to
implement without having to make dramatic changes to the way we
shop. Also by becoming more aware of how the supermarkets try to
entice us into buying more and understanding how we can avoid
these marketing traps will also help us to reduce our weekly
grocery bill.
The first rule is to make a
list of the things you actually need before you go shopping.
This sounds like an obvious thing to do but many people simple
go out each week and buy the same things all over again without
first checking if they actually need it. The simple step of
checking your cupboards first will stop you buying duplicate
items and will also help to stop food wastage.
Also plan in advance which
meals you are going to prepare for the coming week. Only buying
what you are going to eat will also reduce wastage and expense.
Planning meals will also allow you to take advantage of what
food is in season, costing you less and giving you a much
fresher and wider range of meals all year round.
The next rule is to make
yourself less vulnerable to all the marketing strategies
employed by the large grocery stores to get you to spend more.
These strategies include:
Placing staple food items like
bread and milk at the very back of the store, forcing you to
have to walk through other isles that may tempt you. If all you
need is bread and milk then stick to the side isles and to reach
the back of the store.
Moving isles around is a common
ploy to make you have to hunt for your items and so being
exposed to other items along the way. A hard one to avoid but
stay focused on the item you are looking for.
Placing higher priced food at
eye level on the shelves. Many shoppers forget to take a look at
the lower shelves where they will find similar lower priced
items such as the stores own brand.
In store advertising signs are
often placed along the isles making statements such as "best for
you" and "will make you happy". This is advertising hype and
many of us fall for it, unfortunately this items will hit your
wallet and blow your frugal budget away. Many similar items made
by less well known brands are of just the same quality but will
cost a lot less. By trying to make yourself less susceptible to
these in store advertisements will help you to be the frugal
shopper you want to be.
Another rule in becoming a more
successful frugal shopper is to drop the packaging. Many process
foods cost you more than the fresh variety if they have been
specially prepared i.e. shredded, or diced. So when buying fruit
and vegetable buy the fresh variety and do the little extra work
in preparing them yourself. You will not only be saving yourself
money but will be helping to save the planet by not buying all
the packaging that goes along with processed food.
Lastly, don't forget to use
grocery coupons. They can be found everywhere these days form
magazines and newspapers to free downloadable ones from the
Internet. Take advantage of this free money and collect the
coupons for the items you use on a regular basis. It can be
quite a saving over the year.
Being a frugal shopper can be
an easy and even fun thing to be, especially when you realise
how shrewd you are at getting one over the big marketing boys,
whilst saving yourself lots of cash every month.
By Kate Tilmouth
