Yahoo Finance Forget the corporate PR campaigns, here's how to really save on groceries
Everywhere we turn we are paying more: at the pump, on food and for utilities. Of those three types of expenses, groceries seem to be the one that many just seem resigned to accept, but there are ways to cut back on what you spend at the supermarket.
To start, before heading out the door to the store, make a meal plan of what you want to cook the following week. This can be based on a combination of what is in your fridge/freezer and what you feel like eating.
Having a menu doesn’t mean you have to cook a specific dish on a specified day. But as the week goes on, you’ll have what you need on hand to cook what you feel like on any given day.
As a bonus, if you like leftovers, cook extra portions so you can take a night off cooking later or package them up for your lunch the next day.
Once you know what you plan to eat, check your supplies at home. There’s no point buying ingredients you already have. However, as long as it is in your budget and you have a way to store extras so they don’t go to waste, stock up when things are on sale.
Then, make a list of what you still need to buy. Never go to the store to just wander around and buy whatever you feel like. The average per-person cost for groceries is around $300 per month, excluding any specific dietary requirements or other household items you buy at the store along with your groceries. To save money on food, it’s imperative that you stick to your list and watch where and how you shop.
Smaller specialty stores are going to cost more than supermarket chains that can buy in bulk and offer lower prices, and shopping every day will cost more than shopping once a week with a plan.
One last thing before heading out the door, have a snack. Going to the grocery store hungry is another budget killer because everything you see looks good. It’s a lot easier to stick to your list if you have just eaten and had something to drink.
If you find you cannot resist buying things not on your list, consider shopping online. I know I spend less ordering my groceries online than when I go in, but I also miss out on those sale items that I would normally stock up on.
But what if you do all the things above and still find you are spending too much on groceries? There are several possible causes:
Shopping too often. The more often you go to the store, the more likely you are to spend on groceries and additional impulsive items, not to mention the extra gas to get there and back.
Shopping when there is still lots of food to eat at home. Rather than letting your tastebuds drive your budget, focus on shopping your cupboards and freezer before heading to the store.
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Wasting more than you realize. If you find you are throwing out those well-intentioned fresh vegetables and fruit, stop buying them. Buy frozen instead. They are often cheaper and those without additives can be more nutritious than fresh or canned. (They are frozen at peak ripeness, not picked green to endure shipping.) They can also be ready to eat in less time (and gas) than it takes to make the extra trip to the store to pick them up.
Buying a lot of pre-packaged food. If you shop for convenience, you pay for someone else to do the prep work that you can do just as well yourself.
This is also a time when it pays to look for the best grocery saving tips and use the ones that work for you. Check online blogs, ask friends and family, take a free online course and search social media. Become familiar with prices at your local stores, and then watch flyers for sale items. Use ad matching wherever possible, buy store brands and consider stocking up. If packages are too big, share the food and the cost with a friend to minimize waste.
If you have done what you can and are still struggling to afford your groceries, your budget might be to blame. Track your spending for a week or two to identify habits to change so that you can free up money for groceries.
It could also be that your debt payments are so high that you are left short on grocery money. To gain clarification on your options for balancing your budget, cleaning up debts, or just managing your money better, be sure to seek the advice of a not-for-profit credit counsellor who can help you make sense of your dollars and cents.
Sandra Fry is a Winnipeg-based credit counsellor at Credit Counselling Society, a non-profit organization that has helped Canadians manage debt for more than 25 years.
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