You desire to save money by doing grocery shopping can be easily accomplished, if you have a set budget and a well thought out shopping list.
Not only is it healthier to cook your own meal, but you can end up with more money in your bank account if done the right way.
While that unique beep noise you hear at the register might have you thinking shopping for groceries might not be cheaper than eating out, nothing could be further from the truth.
If you do your grocery shopping on a budget, you would save money as compared to eating out or buying fast food.
But like everything else that has to do with money, your preparation is the key to how much you can save when grocery shopping at your local supermarket.
With the right grocery shopping tips, not only can you beat the register, but you’ll emerge with more money you can use for other activities.
Here are some time tested shopping tips for grocery shopping
1 – Be Very Careful of so Called Sales
Supermarkets have experts that have studied human behavior, and one of the best ways to drive more sales is to always have a sale.
The food supermarkets in my area have sales every week, and I am now well aware of their tricks.
They know you cannot keep up with the prices of most items, so sales is just a well coordinated movement of prices.
The worst sale is when you have to buy at least two or more of the same item, to get the sales price.
When you go into the supermarket, try to stick to what you have on your list and your budget.
No need buying more of an item if you know it would go to waste.
Most sales are nothing but well disguised price movements that are designed to get you to spend more money than you want to.
When you know that, your mind-set would be geared towards just buying what you need, not what’s on sale.
2 – You Can Clip Coupons
In my area, we get weekly plastic envelopes with circulars from the area stores. Also included are coupons from manufacturers.
Keep in mind you only want coupons for products you need, not the ones they want you to buy.
If you’re online, you can get coupons sent to your home directly. Just be aware that once it starts, the junk mail would keep coming – in bunches.
You need to register at the following sites, to get some coupons for products you need sent to you:
2A – If you enjoy products made by Kraft, you can register and get on their mailing list. The coupons can be used directly at most big supermarkets.
2B – Vocal point is another great site to register at, and you might just like some of the goodies offered by various manufacturers on that site. It’s only geared to women, sorry guys!
3C – If you use a product a lot, just email the company and ask to be put on their mailing list for coupons and other give-away.
Most of them would be happy to hear from you. In your complimentary email, just ask if they have free coupons for dedicated customers like yourself.
3D -You can print out coupons online, but the ink cost can be prohibitive. While printers are cheap
So unless you have a way of printing for cheap, this route might end up costing you more money.
3 – You Need to Shop With a List
Unless you write down on paper what you intend to buy before entering the supermarket, you might just be spending more money than you want to.
It’s better to create your list at home, while going through what you already have. Thinking you would remember what you need is just a way to over shop.
Create a list and make sure you bring it with you on your grocery shopping trip
Be as specific as possible concerning quantities and stick to it, regardless of what’s on sale that cost more or would make you spend more.
4 – You Need To Set a Budget Amount
If you do not set in your mind how much you intend to spend on your food shopping trip, you’re bound to over-spend.
Your mind can be trained to obey what you want, but you have to be vocal and specific as to what that is.
Just strolling into the supermarket without a budget well established in your mind, is just a good recipe for over-shopping.
With your list and a well established dollar figure in mind, you would do great on your grocery shopping on a budget trip.
5 – You Need to Set a Timeframe
With all your preparation, it’s better to set a time limit for your food shopping trip. Just strolling around the giant supermarket is a good way to find more stuff to buy.
With your list and budget in mind, go through the aisles and find what you want to buy. Setting a time limit is a good way to stay within your budget constraints.
Most shoppers over-spend because they linger in the store just too long.
6 – Watch What The Cashier is Scanning
I lost count how many times items on my shopping cart came up with the wrong price. While the cashier is not to blame, any mistake in price would be coming out of your pocket.
Pay attention to what is been scanned, and I guarantee you’re bound to catch many mistakes in prices of products you’re buying.
Humans enter the prices into the computer and there are bound to be errors. Unless you pay careful attention at the checkout register, it’s coming out of your budget.
7 – Please Try to Pay With Cash or Debit Card
Please never pay with a credit card for your grocery shopping trip. If you finance you shopping items, you’re setting yourself up for economic enslavement way into the future.
Most credit cards
In fact you’ll save more money, if you practice paying with cash when you do any type of shopping.
Cash spending has a way of bringing us back to reality, while credit card purchases makes one feel like they have more money to spend.
Your desire to save more from your grocery shopping trip can be easily accomplished, if you adopt some of the tips mentioned above.
If you love to keep more of your money, then those little activities you need to do before heading-out to the supermarket should be fun.
If you want to know how to save money grocery shopping, make a list, set a budget, set a time limit, ignore limited sales, and try to pay with cash only.
Those simple steps might be the difference of having more money in your bank account at the end of the year.
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