While it may seem that food expenses are eating a hole in your wallet, there are ways that you can save on this household necessity.
Here are a couple of things that my friend does when he goes to the grocery store…
Eat before you shop. This is by far the most important thing you can do to save yourself from the temptation of buying more food than you actually need. Many grocery stores place their bakery section near the front entrance to entice customers with the wonderful smells of freshly baked bread and desserts. These smells will trigger hunger, and the hungrier you are, the more likely you are to spend more money on things you don’t need. An easy way to avoid this problem is to eat before you go shopping. That way you won’t have any desire to snag a bunch of junk food as you browse the store. You’ll find it much easier to stick to your shopping list. If the timing is not right for a meal, try drinking a couple glasses of water before you go. This will hold you over enough, so that you won’t be looking at all the goodies on the snack aisle.
Stick to your list. Another great principle for saving on food is planning out what you really need on a weekly basis. This will reduce the temptation to make impulse buys, and you’ll find that you can stick to your food plan easier.
Avoid brand names. Brand name items are usually placed at eye level so you can see them easily as you walk down the aisle. The lesser-known brands are placed on the upper and lower shelves, so a bit more searching is required. Manufacturers know that eye level merchandise is more likely to be seen, so they pay a higher stocking price to the stores, which in turn drives up the cost of the brand name items. Save yourself a buck or more and buy the store brand. Odds are it’s just as good as the name brand item.
Here are a couple of things that my friend does when he goes to the grocery store…
Eat before you shop. This is by far the most important thing you can do to save yourself from the temptation of buying more food than you actually need. Many grocery stores place their bakery section near the front entrance to entice customers with the wonderful smells of freshly baked bread and desserts. These smells will trigger hunger, and the hungrier you are, the more likely you are to spend more money on things you don’t need. An easy way to avoid this problem is to eat before you go shopping. That way you won’t have any desire to snag a bunch of junk food as you browse the store. You’ll find it much easier to stick to your shopping list. If the timing is not right for a meal, try drinking a couple glasses of water before you go. This will hold you over enough, so that you won’t be looking at all the goodies on the snack aisle.
Stick to your list. Another great principle for saving on food is planning out what you really need on a weekly basis. This will reduce the temptation to make impulse buys, and you’ll find that you can stick to your food plan easier.
Avoid brand names. Brand name items are usually placed at eye level so you can see them easily as you walk down the aisle. The lesser-known brands are placed on the upper and lower shelves, so a bit more searching is required. Manufacturers know that eye level merchandise is more likely to be seen, so they pay a higher stocking price to the stores, which in turn drives up the cost of the brand name items. Save yourself a buck or more and buy the store brand. Odds are it’s just as good as the name brand item.
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