September 10, 2015
10 Ways to Help you Save at the Grocery Store
Grocery shopping can be a fun and leisurely experience as you stroll through the aisles of the market and pick out all the yummy and healthy options. But when it comes to checking out, you may often feel a sense of worry as you watch the bill quickly add up. You swear that next time you'll spend less money, but once you get to the store, you have a hard time buying less. So what do you do?
Here are a variety of tips to ensure you don't break the bank at the grocery store, but still get the quality you want and deserve.
- Buy in-season fruits and vegetables. If they're not, they can cost up to twice as much.
- Play with overage. Some stores offer this, where if you have a coupon for a certain amount but the item is less, the leftover money can go towards your other goods.
- Access online coupons. Coupons are a great way to save. Try sites like Coupons.com, RedPlum.com, SmartSource.com and CouponNetwork.com.
- Make lists. This way you won't overbuy at the store, because you'll know exactly what you need.
- Use apps. Want to know who has the discount right now? Try using discount-seeking apps like Grocery Pal to find out what's on sale.
- Don't go hungry. Just get out of yoga and it's lunchtime? Avoid the grocery store at all costs. You'll just end up buying more due to your hunger and cravings.
- Buy generic goods. Don't always let brand names fool you. Find out which generic versions are just as good and opt for those when you can.
- Avoid overpriced items. Are you a sucker for pre-cut produce and meats? They're typically way overpriced, so even though it seems like it will save you time, it certainly won't save you money.
- Know where to shop. Some stores have higher prices for certain items than others do. Be mindful of where to get the cheapest price for that item you want.
- Preserve it. Try something different other than freezing your items to prolong their life like caning, drying and pickling.