Families Finance
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When your budget is tight and you need to 1 here are 2 eight3easy ways 4 watch the pennies, to save on your groceries!
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Use your mobile to help you save on groceries
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You already know that you should be writing a list to save on your groceries bill and most of tend to do this, but what about taking a photo of the contents of your cupboard and fridge before you leave? It will help you check what you already have and where the groceries gaps are that need filling. You’ll also ensure you don’t waste money buying duplicates that will end up in the bin because they’ll go out of date before you get to use them.
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Popped out for milk and bread but spent $50?
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Leave your purse or wallet and credit cards at home and just take the amount of cash with you that you’re prepared to spend. If you’re popping out for a loaf of bread or a couple of litres of milk just take the amount of money in your budget that you’re happy to spend – whether that’s $5 or $10. Going cash-only is a guaranteed way to not be sucked in by all the buy one get one free deals that can wait for another day and you will save on your groceries bill.
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Buyer beware
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Are you a sucker for a ‘special’ ticket? Is that special you’ve just grabbed really a bargain? Look at the small print of an offer you fancy to see what the saving actually is. Two for a $3 sounds fabulous but when you look at the shelf ticket and see that actually you’re only saving 10 cents maybe it’s not such a bargain after all. Be wise about ‘buy one get one frees’, how long is the date? Do you really need two and will you use them before they expire? Specials are not always the bargain they seem to be and don’t always help you save on your groceries.
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Shop on a full stomach
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Supermarkets are sneaky and have special ways of targeting hungry shoppers by offering free tasters and wafting delicious smells around the store. Don’t be that person they are targeting! Save on groceries by shopping on a full stomach or buying a quick snack on your way in to the store to keep your hunger at bay. You’ll find it much easier not to be sucked in to all the offers tempted to make you spend, spend, spend.
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Your Local Families Magazine October/November 2016
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Ways to Save On Groceries Eye height is usually where the pricey products are
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Sometimes brands pay to be at ‘eye height’ on the shelves. Supermarkets can be sneaky and place the most expensive items or those that earn them the most profit, at eye level – counting on the fact that those in a rush will just grab what they need quickly and head for the registers. If you are looking to save on your groceries, make sure you look up at the top shelf and down to the lower shelves to ensure you are getting the best price and deal for what you need.
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Avoid the ends
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If you don’t want to be distracted from your list, avoid the end of aisle displays – this is the premium place for supermarkets to get you to spend more and buy items you never knew you needed!
Kids and supermarket shopping
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This is the trickiest one of the list. Another tip about ‘eye height’. There’s a really good reason that supermarkets place snacks, cereals and comics at a child’s eye level and sweets at the checkout. It’s all part of a careful plan designed to harness pester power. Save on groceries and make your shop faster by going when your kids are at school or daycare or if you can, leave younger children with your other half or a friend. If your children are shopping with you – agree in advance one treat that you’d planned to buy anyway. Get your child to put it on the list and then stick to that. If they are reading get them to tick off the items as you add them to the trolley.
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Let someone else do your weekly shop
Some shoppers say they save on groceries by shopping online. In theory it is easier to keep track of your shopping as you go along when you shop online, plus you are less tempted to make impulse purchases. Perhaps you like to purchase those ‘bulk/heavy items’ online and have them delivered. Booking off-peak online shopping delivery slots brings the cost down and some are free when you spend over a certain amount too. Consider what you’d spend on petrol, time and how susceptible you are to deals and offers and often even a few dollars’ delivery charge can be cheaper in the long run.
Find more budget busting ideas on the ‘Families Finance’ section of our website: www.familiesmagazine.com.au/brisbane/finance/all