How to Save Money on Groceries with These 12 Easy Tips

Grocery shopping can be expensive, and that’s why any tips that can help us know how to save money on groceries are always welcome. Of course, there is no magic formula. But using one or all of the following tips will help keep the cost of your groceries down.

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12 Tips on How to Save Money on Groceries

#1 Hunt Down the “Reduced” Section

All stores offer promotions to sell the last few items of stock, especially if they’re close to their use/sell by date. So, stay alert and hunt special offers as they can help you save on groceries. Find out where they get sold (the location might change from time to time) and what time stock gets placed there. Remember to check the products closely, especially for expiry dates, before putting them in your basket. Otherwise, what seems like a quick saving can actually be an extra expense if it ends up in the garbage unused.

#2 Compare the Cost per Unit

While shopping, you can easily find product labels on the shelves with the item’s cost per 100g, 1kg, 1ltr, or any other relevant unit of measurement. It’s called “price per unit of measure”. That’s how you can compare different brands of similar or same products, without doing complicated math in your head, or reaching for your smartphone’s calculator app.

#3 Visit Fewer Aisles

The more shopping aisles you go down, the more likely you are to fill your basket with things you don’t really need to buy. Research found that consumers who visited fewer aisles buy almost 20% less unplanned items compared to buyers who visited all lanes.

#4 Avoid Aisles Filled with Temptations and Promotions

Cookies, chocolate, candy, and cake are the Achille’s heel of many shoppers. By avoiding aisles with these alluring products in them, you don’t have to face the temptation of these goodies. This means you’ll save more money by not buying them.

Also, nowadays supermarkets and grocery stores tend to sell and promote non-grocery products such as clothing, and home and garden products that you don’t necessarily need. Do you really need to buy a pair of sandals when you came in just for tomatoes and bread? If you give in, these items will quickly push the bill up.

#5 Use a Smaller Cart or Basket

The bigger cart you get, the more you’ll want to fill it. In fact, one study showed that doubling the size of a person’s grocery shopping cart meant that they spent 40% more than those using a smaller cart or basket. Don’t be scared that you won’t fit all your shopping into a smaller cart or basket. The size of all of these has significantly increased over the years.

#6 Use a Shopping List or Shopping List App

Using a shopping list is one of the best tools you can use to help you curtail your spending. If you have your shopping list with you, it will help you stick to precisely what’s on it and not buy anything extra. This means less unplanned purchases and less unexpected costs. It has also been scientifically proved that those who make preparations before shopping, such as making and using a shopping list, buy less unplanned items.

If you’re not keen on making a shopping list on pen and paper, why not go one step further and download a shopping list app, like Listonic? These apps can help you with your grocery shopping even more, with functions such as list sharing, and even the ability to add prices to calculate the total cost of your groceries. It’s a great tool to help you budget better and save money.

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#7 Don’t be Taken In by Conveniently Placed “Paired” Products

Supermarkets use a plethora of sneaky psychological tricks to make you spend more. One of them is putting products in places that to seem super convenient for you. But, they are actually put there to make you spend more than you need to.

Think about it. Why are pie crusts placed next to apples? Why is sushi rice next to the fish? These complementary, or “paired”, products are set strategically next to the food in order to make you spend more as they’re usually the more expensive version of the same product.

If you planned to make sushi or apple pie, don’t pick up the “paired” products, no matter how convenient they seem. Take the time to visit the rice or bakery aisle and buy the cheaper product instead.

#8 Don’t Buy Anything Placed Near Checkouts

Imagine that you’re in a long checkout queue. The magazines look interesting, and the chocolate looks delicious. You start to think that maybe you need some chewing gum or a bottle of cold water. Everything there is there to tempt you at the checkout. But resist the urge to buy anything in this area. You really don’t need it, and you really don’t need to spend extra on them.

#9 Don’t Buy What’s at Eye Level

Grocery stores are a marketing battlefield and you are the target of greedy CEOs. When you realize this, you might start to wonder why is it that the most colorful, flashy, and more expensive items are displayed at the height of your eyes. Well, because it makes you more likely to buy them.

So, don’t be afraid to stoop a little or stretch that little bit higher for items that are better for you and your budget. The best prices are hidden there.

#10 Take a Picture of the Inside of Your Fridge

If you’re not using a shopping list or shopping list app, why not take a picture of what’s inside your refrigerator? This is another way to help you stay on track and buy only the necessities. If you’re not sure whether you’re low or out of mayonnaise or yogurt, for example, all you have to do is glance at the picture to find out. This will help you avoid buying things you don’t need.

#11 Check Your Basket Before Going to the Checkout

Take a good look at your cart before going to check out. Ask yourself if you are really going to eat 5 packs of cheese, or if you really need that bag of chips.

There’s often too much pressure in the queue to not question your choices, and keep them in your basket. So, it is better to take a few seconds before heading to the checkout to think carefully about what you’ve put in your cart. Remember, you always have the right to hand things over to the cashier if you do not want to buy them.

#12 Stick to Seasonal Products

Having shopping habits that follow the seasonal availability of products actually helps lower your spending. Out of season fruit and vegetables are usually more expensive. This is because they’re grown in other countries and then shipped to the store. When produce is in season where you are, there is more of it locally. This means they are cheaper because they don’t have to travel as far. Not only will these be tastier, but wallet-friendlier, too.

Make A Magnificent Save

As you can see, there are many ways to answer the question “how to save on groceries”. We encourage you to test each of these tips and start enjoying the extra money saved on your grocery shopping.