Grocery shopping tricks that work for you.
Rules Were Made to Be Broken!
If you’ve been reading up on expert advice about how to save on your grocery bill and streamline your shopping experience, you should know that it’s OK to break the rules! These days, everyone is expert on something, but just because an expert says so doesn’t mean it works for your life. Here are a few ways to break the shopping rules that can make grocery shopping a far easier task. But by all means, if these rules don’t work for you – then create your own!
To Bring the Kids or Not?
Conventional wisdom says bringing the kids shopping will teach them responsibility. They’ll learn about budgeting and comparison shopping, and you’ll be able to use grocery shopping as a parenting tool. But, you might fare better without the kids. You’ll get done faster and stay saner with no little ones begging for treats and toys.
When to Shop?
Another common piece of advice is to shop when the store is least busy. But what if off-peak times aren’t convenient for you? It can cause more stress to try to arrange to shop at a time that just doesn’t work well for you. Sure, the stores are busy after work in the evening. But swinging by the store can streamline your errand running, and you probably won’t have the kids with you either.
Or, if you have a babysitter or can leave your kids with your spouse on the weekends, then by all means shop on the weekends! Shopping with kids in tow can slow you down, even during off-peak hours.
Stick to Your List!
While it’s generally a good idea to stick to your list, use your common sense. If there’s an excellent deal on an item that you’ll use, nab it! You might save money when you come across a clearance sale or unadvertised special on your favorite brands, or on meats and other expensive food items that you can freeze for later.
Never Buy Prepared Items.
Yes, those grilled chicken breasts, itty bitty baby carrots, and pre-cut fruit slices are more expensive. But if you’re very busy, or aren’t much of a fan of food prep, you’ll save time this way. You might also save money. After all, if you buy a bunch of uncut veggies but never get around to preparing them, that’s wasted money too. If your chicken breast languishes in the icebox for months getting freezer burn because you’re not motivated to prepare it, then prepackaged items might be a better deal for you.
Use Coupons for Everything.
While coupons are a good thing, clipping and using every coupon under the sun can get tedious, and expensive. But how can using a coupon be more expensive, you ask? Well, if you use a coupon to buy a product you don’t normally use, you’re actually adding to your grocery bill. Plus, the store brand might be cheaper than the name brand, even with a coupon! For food items, also consider whether you might be able to make something cheaper from scratch.
Comparison Shop Multiple Stores.
When deciding how extensively to comparison shop, consider the cost of gas and the inconvenience of driving from store to store. Is the hassle really worth the amount you’ll save? Unless there’s a really phenomenal sale price on an item that you can buy in large quantities, it’s probably not worth it to run around to several different stores.
The bottom line is to take shopping advice with a grain of salt. There are many helpful tool, tricks, and ideas, but make sure you tailor them to your own life so that you can make the most of your grocery shopping experience.
–> Happy coupon shopping! Save money today.
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- Cutting your Grocery Bill
- Grocery Store Coupon Saving Tips
- Save Money by Clipping Coupons
- Green Reusable Grocery Bags
- Hassle Free Coupon Clipping
Category: Grocery Shopping Tips
