10 ways to reduce your grocery bill
If you keep over-spending on your supermarket shop, here are 10 ways to cut down.
1. Don't buy your vegetables at the supermarket
Supermarket vegetables are either one of two things: fresh and expensive, or reasonably-priced and days old. To get veggies that are both fresh and reasonably priced, you have to go outside of the supermarket and find a green grocer.
You'll save about 20 per cent, sometimes more, compared to supermarket produce. Green grocers are tucked away in both cities and on country roads, you just have to find them.
2. Stock up seasonally and freeze
Your freezer is your best friend in the budget game, and you may even consider buying an extra chest freezer so you can really pile up on seasonal food.
The goal is to buy from markets when everything is in surplus – as it's summer right now we're talking broccoli, tomatoes, beans, etc.
They can't usually be used in fresh salads once thawed, but are ideal for cooking.
3. Take to Google for alternatives
Just because produce is out of season and priced with a premium for the imported version, doesn't mean you're stuck with it.
You need to know your American counterpart foods (e.g. bell peppers for capsicums), but once you have a handle on them, you can Google "alternative to bell peppers" and be provided with loads of cheap substitutes (in this case, carrots, celery, leeks, and so on).
4. Go meatless
Ever noticed how easy it is to stock up on $50 worth of meat for just a few meals? Going meatless, or even just reducing your carnivorous meals to just a handful per week, will save several dollars every meal.
Need alternatives? Check out Middle Eastern recipes online. A plate of hummus (Middle Eastern people serve it with bread as a main, not a dip) to feed a whole family won't cost more than $4 to make from scratch.
5. Shop online
Online supermarket shopping – many of the major franchises offer it – is a budgeter's dream. It provides you with a real time tally of how much you're spending, so you can make cuts at the end to get under your weekly spend.
Also, there's no temptation to buy spontaneously because you can't see the products on the shelves. Delivery costs might act as a deterrent, but factor in the cost of petrol and time and you're pretty much square.
6. Stocktake before you leave the house
If you do prefer the physical supermarket, do a stocktake of your fridge and pantry before you go shopping.
Too often do we buy items we think need replenishing, only to realise we already have a sufficient supply at home.
How many times have you bought a container of Morning Fresh dishwashing liquid, only to discover there are two bottles of Palmolive under the sink already?
7. Eat before you shop
You've heard this one before, but we still too often go shopping when our tummies are already rumbling, which leads to purchases we don't need.
So make it an unshakable rule: never go to the supermarket on an empty stomach.
8. Shop at both supermarket chains
There are two major supermarket chains in New Zealand (Foodstuffs and Progressive) .
Have you ever noticed that they rarely have the same products on special during the same week? This is a strategic plan by their suppliers.
When it comes to your regular foods and products, only buy what's on special. Chances are, if you venture to the nearest competitor supermarket, the items that were full price at the first supermarket are discounted at the second.
9. Buy homebrand/generic brands
Yes, you do away with the fancy packaging. But the homebrand or generic brand products are just as good on the inside, and in fact, many products come off the exact same production lines as the full-priced, pretty versions.
You'll often find yourself saving 50 cents to a dollar per item, and over the course of a full weekly shop, that's a lot of money.
10. Don't be afraid to put something back at the checkout
There is no shame in deciding something is outside of your budget after the checkout person has already scanned it. It can easily be taken off your bill and put aside.
When you're noticing your tally go up beyond your planned spend when at the till, just quietly assess the items in your bags and get some taken off before you pay.
It's a little embarrassing the first time, but who really cares what the person behind them in the line thinks?
Do you agree with this list?
Written by Lee Suckling. Republished with permission of Stuff.co.nz.