Follow me as we continue our week of saving money!
Today we tackle the grocery store. But first, familiarize yourself with some of the tricks grocery stores use to get you to spend more!
1) Use your freezer. Got a good deal on meat or frozen veggies? Stock up. Got some bread? Stick it in the freezer. I used to think it was so lame when my grandma would pull a loaf of bread out the freezer, but I’ll be darned if her loaves stayed fresher longer than mine do now. So I’m a convert.
2) Buy generic. I know this is a Duh! tip but seriously, I grab the brand-name product without thinking sometime. I have to slow down and think, “Do I really need brand name frozen veggies?”
3) Set a time limit. Do not go to the grocery store with plenty of free time. Get in, get out. The longer you stay, the more you spend. Point blank.
4) Bring a calculator. And use it! Don’t worry about feeling like a nerd. You’ll be a nerd with money in her pockets!
5) Don’t fall for the “blank for $5″ gimmick. You usually don’t need 10 brownie mixes or three containers of ice cream. Only partake if it’s something you will use at least three times per week.
6) Don’t leave home with at least five coupons. But also, don’t use coupons on items you don’t normally buy.
7) Hang on to the coupons that come with the receipt. I usually just crumble it up with the receipt until it gets lost somewhere and damaged in the bottom of my purse. But hang on to it and make sure you have it next time you go to the store. It’s more than likely for an item you just bought.
Any other tips you want to share? Let me know in the comments!
Great tips! I gotta get better at that whole “name brand” thing. I get anxiety sometimes about the non-name brands because they always have a damn recall of something that’s been tainted and its usually a non-name brand item, lol. I know this is silly because this will NOT be the case for everything ever made that’s not name brand, so like I said, I’m working on it.
I’d add “making a list” to the list. This way you don’t buy things that you DON’T need and you don’t end up forgetting what you do need.
@Ms. Bar B – Yes, making a list is sooo crucial! I’d also add that not only should you make a list, but you should sit down and actually take the time to see what you’re out of. For example, you’ll think you have enough BBQ sauce because you see the bottle in there, but go to pick up two days later and you’ll see it’s almost empty.
So you go to the store to pick up some more and while you’re there you pick up some cookies, and some extra paper towels and maybe just one pint of ice cream…Before you know it your budget is shot!
We must be on the same wavelength–I wrote a post about grocery shopping today, too! I have a trick when I buy things in bulk: always measure out the serving size. I think people pour a little more cereal when they’re holding a giant family-size box because it feels like they’ll never run out of it. But if you underestimate how much you’re pouring, you will run out quickly and have to buy more sooner. So now I always use measuring cups. It makes basic things like oatmeal and applesauce last much longer!