SMART SHOPPING If you make a meal plan it enables you to shop smarter. You are less likely to buy things you don’t need because you already know what is required for the coming week. Have your shopping list on the fridge and remember to take it with you or take a photo of it on your phone the day you make it, so you don’t forget to take it with you. Avoid impulse buys! Do you really need it? Is it on the list? If the answer is no, don’t buy it. This way you are less likely to buy things you don’t actually need and you are more likely to buy things you are going to consume. Buy exactly what you need Avoid bulk purchases unless you will use it all up. If you have planned your meal and you need a couple of carrots, don’t buy a 2kg bag. Instead buy loose carrots and get the exact amount you need for the week. If you are buying things that can go off and you don’t have good pantry storage like grains, nuts or spices, don’t buy in bulk. Buy the smaller packages of them so you use them up. Then once you have used them up you can buy more. If you buy in bulk and don’t use them, then you end up throwing them away unneccesarily.
If you do buy in bulk make sure you store it properly as soon as you get home. Be realistic - if you live alone, you obviously don’t need as much as a family of five so just buy what you know you will eat. If you are buying fruit and veges, get small quantities. If you rarely cook, don’t stock up on baking supplies that you are unlikely to use. Buy the ugly produce… There is a huge amount of fresh produce thrown away because it doesn’t look ‘normal’. Fruit and veges are not always perfectly formed and because they are not how we expect them to look we sometimes avoid them. Most of the time these crazy looking pieces of produce are perfectly good to eat. Buy it and take it home to show the kids and then eat it! Remember your bags… Take your bags with you. Not only does it reduce plastic waste but you can use the chiller bags to keep all of your cool stuff chilled which can make a huge difference on a warm day. Get in to the routine of unpacking your bags and then putting them straight back in the car.
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