With worldwide inflation prices increasing, our food budgets are being stretched more than ever before. Rising fuel costs and global warming have increased the costs of many of our favorite groceries. So how can you control your Shopping budget? In this brief guide we will explore our top six tips for grocery shopping on a budget.

Eat First

Never go shopping on an empty stomach because you’ll undoubtedly want everything in the store. When grocery shopping you should never listen to your stomach. If you are hungry when you go the supermarket you will often purchase instantly satisfying sugary foods such as takeaway food or ready to eat products. These products will often command a premium price and will eat up your food budget. On the other hand, try not to go grocery shopping directly after a meal, if you’re full up you won’t be interested in most food and won’t be able to make good meal decisions.

Create A List

Supermarkets introduce thousands of offers and new products on a monthly basis to try and tempt you. To ensure you don’t snag the wrong products that you’ll later regret, we strongly recommend creating a shopping list before you leave home. Once at the supermarket, use a pen to cross off the list and ensure you have everything you need and nothing you don’t in your shopping cart. You can alternatively use an app on your smartphone to manage your digital shopping list.

Use Cash

Once you have worked out your shopping list you should be able to roughly calculate how much your groceries will cost. You should now withdraw this amount (well, maybe a little more than that) from an ATM before you visit the store. By having a limited amount of cash, you will be more likely to appreciate the value of the grocery products and be able to resist purchasing non compulsive products. Imagine going to the grocery store with a credit card? It’s like you have no limit. It’s no wonder people get themselves into debt.

Ignore Most Offers

You may think that a 2-for-1 offer is a good deal, but if you never planned on purchasing that item in the first place then you’ve still overspent on your budget and ended up with two items that you never needed. And don’t be fooled into thinking everything that says “sale” is really a sale. Sometimes, stores just slap a sale sticker on an item and hope you fall for it.

Ignore The Brand

You may have been eating the same branded product for years; however a change to a generic supermarket self-brand can save you up to 65% off that branded food item. This may take some trial and error, as some ingredients may differ. However long term, this can be the best way to shave lots of money off your grocery budget. You will find supermarkets may try hide less profitable generic products away from your sight in favor of the leading brands. However by looking near the bottom or top shelf of the supermarket isles you will often find the much cheaper alternative.

Comparison Shop

We don’t recommend using too much fuel driving around different supermarkets, however sourcing your groceries from different stores could save you extra money off your budget. Prices constantly vary in different supermarkets and as do the quantity of the products. Try mixing your grocery shopping over several stores to ensure you always pay the best price.

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