Doing the shopping to feed the family is usually one of the biggest expenses of the month, isn’t it? And this is not exclusive to yours: according to a research, the expenses with food represent more than 22% of the family budget. In a scenario like this, finding out how to save money at the supermarket is almost like winning the lottery.
In this same study, when added up the expenses with housing, transportation and food, they compromise almost 72% of family budget – leaving very little (or almost nothing) to have fun, save or invest.
Do you want to find out how to save on shopping and reduce your expenses? Read on and see these amazing tips:
1- Create the habit of planning your purchases
The first tip on how to save money at the supermarket is related to other guidelines on household budget. Planning is still extremely important, after all, only then will you know exactly what food is needed for the period.
A good idea is to set up menus of what you and the other people you live with will eat during the week and what the quantities are. This may seem tedious at first, but it will help a lot to understand what foods to buy monthly and weekly.
2- Know the most you can spend
Learning how to save money at the supermarket may take some time before you get the hang of it. That’s why this tip is so important: it helps you keep your spending within bounds from the start.
Before you go to the supermarket, keep in mind how much you can spend on shopping, always considering your needs described in the list. Going shopping with this limit helps you to make more correct choices, look for promotions and even search for brands that are more in account.
3- Weekly shopping x Monthly shopping
When we see lists with tips on how to save money at the supermarket, the guidelines for shopping frequency are quite different. Some recommend the monthly shopping as the solution to save and others say that the weekly ones are the best friends in the pocket.
In fact, there is no rule, and it will all depend on your needs and preferences – and also your eating habits.
4- Buy certain items wholesale
In some cases, buying items from major wholesalers can be an excellent way to save money. But this is only indicated for those products with a very long term. For instance: personal hygiene materials, cleaning products and some non perishable supplies.
It is important, however, to calculate if the value really compensates and to think if your family will use the whole product before it reaches the expiration date.
5- Be careful with the time of day you go to the supermarket
Going to the supermarket hungry is one of the worst traps for those who seek to learn how to save on shopping. After all, with your stomach “snoring”, it will be much harder to resist temptations and you will feel like buying everything you find ahead, without thinking about your list or your budget ceiling.
6- Search for the promotions and buy the station items
Keeping an eye on the supermarket’s little journals is a great tip on how to save money at the supermarket, as well as registering in the advantage clubs and other programs that offer discounts to loyal customers.
7- Look for good and cheap brands
In many supermarkets, it is possible to find some products with own brands, which are usually cheaper and of great quality.
So, when you are going to buy basic products and are searching ways of how to save money at the supermarket, opt for brands not so known and with more attractive prices.
8- Know the strategies of the supermarkets
Major retailers are marketing experts and use various tactics so that you always end up consuming more than you anticipated. One of them is the distribution of the products on the shelves.
In general, the most expensive items and brands are right in the center of the shelves, where the vision reaches and it is easier to get the products. The cheaper ones, by their turn, stay “hidden”, on the upper and lower parts.
9- Don’t go for a walk in the supermarket
This seems like a “silly” tip for those looking for ways to save money at the supermarket, but many people use the moment of shopping to “relax” and end up passing in all rows. Remember, the supermarket is no place to hang out if you’re looking to save money. Just take the items on your list and that’s it!
10- Stay alert when passing the shopping by the cashier
This is a mistake that happens very often, but not everyone ends up noticing. When you put the product in the cart, it had a price, but when it passed the box, another one was accounted for.
To avoid this issue, always check the value of each item, the label of weights and the total value of the purchase, comparing with the account you made before passing at the checkout.
11- Avoid the credit card
When paying for purchases, avoid passing the amount on credit. Then, if possible, use the debit card, pay the supermarket with cash or, if you count with the benefit of the food voucher, this is the time to use it! This will avoid the “surprise” when the card invoice arrives. When you go shopping with the counted money, you know exactly how much you can spend and don’t make any exceptions, avoiding running away from the list and planning.
Did you notice that with simple tips you can already save money? To plan adequately the purchases, to look for promotions and to avoid falling in the temptations are the best attitudes to reduce the impact of the supermarket in the domestic budget without leaving to buy important items for the day by day.
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