Saving on whatever we spend on results in our life savings. Even is you save $5 a day that is very big saving if it is done for 20 years.
Groceries are our daily needs hence our daily expenditure. Once you learn to save on it, you have saved a lot on your life saving.
Check some ways of how you can save on groceries.
1.List your income and other monthly expenditures e.g. rental or mortgage, car installment, school fees ,committed savings etc
2.Estimate expenditure for your groceries and study your expenses for about three months. Stick to what you need not what you want by making a list of your groceries before going to shops.
3.After three months, you could be in a position to draw a budget of all income and expenditure including your groceries.
4.Buy in bulk as it is cheaper especially meats and toiletries.
5.Be on the lookout for Buy one and Get one Free.
6.Compare prices of items in different stores/supermarkets.
7.Buy fruits in season as they tend to be cheaper.
8.Do not hand around in shopping malls aimlessly as most impulse shopping results from that.
9.Plant a garden or buy potted herbs. They are much cheaper than buying then in bundles.
10.Get store cards as you gain points which can be converted into cash.
11.Look for sales
12.Buy what your family favors to avoid wasting food.
13.If possible leave children home as they influence you to spend unnecessarily
14.Buy a freezer or fridge for keeping your bulk meat packs.
15.Bottled water is expensive if there is clear treated water in your environment
16.Buy budget prices goodies within different brands.
17.Avoid premade foods as they are very expensive.
18.Make healthy choice by buying foods which are balanced. This reduces your cost of foods drastically.
19.Shop late in the day as some items are reduced prices e .g bread.
20.Take back any food product you are not happy with. Most supermarket managers will be more than helpful.
21.Most people suggest eating before you shop but I have a friend of mine who told me that that formula does not work in her case. When I was spending extravagantly, I also doubt whether it made an impact but when I started managing my finances better, it still does not matter whether I eat or not. I still buy my groceries according to the budget.
22.Investigate from supermarket supervisors about different brands. This has helped me a lot as some even show you cheaper brands than the two you were asking about.
23.Always check your pay slips as shop attendants/cashier are also people who can make mistakes and always count your money twice before giving it the shop attendant/cashier. There was a time when I paid in more money and the attendant was kind enough to give me the extra money back.
24.Do not throw away left over’s as your dogs or cats can enjoy some of that food. You can also keep it in the fridge and eat it the following day.
25.If you are a couple, and one is good at saving while the other is a spender, it is better to do the shopping list and the shopping both of you .This is likely to result in some common understanding which will make both of you save on spending.