1. Stick to your budget and your grocery list. Make a list of the items you are ran out or running out of. Prioritize the basic necessities like toothpaste, soap, meat, vegetables and cereals over items such as popcorn, chips, ice cream, and the like. There is no harm in purchasing some treats but make sure important things come first. Buy these extra, not-so-important things only after you have extra money from your budget. Avoid grabbing items that are not in your list and not important.
2. Make your list and do your shopping on a full stomach. Studies show that on an empty tummy, we often exaggerate on our needs and their quantity. If you are trying to save money, you cannot afford to go over your monthly food budget. Only when you are full are you able to think rationally of the appropriate amount of food you need.
3. Make fewer visits to the grocery store. Instead of going to the grocery store once or thrice a week, try to go there once a week or even every other week. This way you can save up on gas and you learn how to budget your supplies for that long period of time. Frequent trips to the store allow us to buy more items at the end of the month.
4. Avail of food coupons. Food coupons and food stamps are given away by food clerks. They can also be downloaded from the stores’ websites. Never feel obliged to use all of these coupons. Clip on the ones that you normally buy and discard the rest. There is no reason to hoard and spend extra bucks on items that you will not be using. That will completely defeat the purpose of saving up money.
5. Check out the items on sale. If an item on your list is one sale, do not hesitate to grab the opportunity to pay fewer dollars for your item. However, be very conscious of the expiry date of the product. When it seems like the printed expiry date has been tampered, do not buy it. Also check for extra air in the packages. This can indicate growth of bacteria or fungi especially when the products are old stocks and has tiny holes in their seal, reason for the food contamination. If you are suspicious of the older stocks on sale, opt for the new ones in the shelves. There is no need to skimp on the quantity if you hold on to your budget.
