GROCERIES, GROCERIES, GROCERIES!!!

GROCERIES, GROCERIES, GROCERIES!!

We all hate grocery shopping because it involves spending money. Well, here are a few tips on how you can save a few bucks the next time you go to the dreaded supermarket.

1. Never, and I mean NEVER! go shopping when your hungry! The easiest way to get suckered into buying a bunch of stuff your craving rather than needing is shopping when your hungry.

2. Always carry a list and stick to it no matter what. The more you deviate from the list the easier it is to fall prey to the jedi mind trick that is marketing. For your convenience here is a link to a printable grocery list that can make your life easier.

3. Stick to buying off-brand or store brand goods as they usually are on sale and typically are just as good as a medium range name-brand product. I follow this rule with the exception of things like bread and pasta where you can really tell the difference between the $2 and $4 brand.

4. Keep an eye out for meat that the store must get rid of because of the legal date of sale law thingy. This saves you big bucks per pound and you can easily just freeze the meat right away and it keeps for a long time.

5. Shop for shampoo, paper towels, toiletries in general at a pharmacy or someplace like a walmart where you won’t get gouged on a $6 bottle of shampoo that you could have got at CVS for $3. The supermarket is in the food business not the keep you pretty business.

6. Try to plan at least 2-3 meals for the week with a theme so you can buy in bulk the basics needed for the recipes. For example, maybe you’ll do an italian theme so you know you should buy different types of pasta, sauces, and meats that you are gonna use for the week all at once so you aren’t making too many trips to the store.

7. Try to only go once a week or less to the supermarket. How many times have you just popped into the store to get one item and walked out with a bag or two of things that “caught your eye” (there’s that marketing mind trick again). Minimize the trips and minimize your spending.

8. And last but not least, we are all weight conscious people in this day and age so do yourself a favor if you haven’t already done so and start eating more healthy and this will in turn reduce the number of calories and food you need to eat in a day to feel energized and full. The less food you eat the less money you spend and the better you feel both mentally and physically!

Grocery shopping is somewhat of an art and like any art it takes time to master. If you stick to the rules you’ve set for yourself and build a good pattern you’ll begin to notice the extra few dollars here and there in your pocket the next time you go out for a weekend bender.