Easy Ways to Start Saving Money on Groceries

You may be under the impression that all prices are going up. However, you still find yourself buying much more than you actually need. You probably throw or give away some food on a weekly basis. Even when you try to buy less, and you feel like you don’t waste too much, the money keeps disappearing from your account. Groceries can be tricky. Supermarkets are designed to make you buy more. So how can you avoid it? What can you do to trick instead of being tricked?

1.   Use coupons

Find coupon codes for Carrefour and many, many more, and enjoy discounts each time you go buy groceries. It may not seem like a lot, but once you calculate all of it, you discover that you have actually saved a great amount of money, especially if you combine ii with buying these products that are on sale. Browse through coupon codes websites and circulars on a weekly basis and, with time, you will notice the difference.

2.  Don’t walk around the store

It’s not possible to quickly take what you need and go. As it was already mentioned, grocery stores are specifically designed to make you buy more. That’s why basic products like dairy, vegetables or bread are always on opposite sides of the store; you are forced to walk through everything to find what you need. Don’t let yourself be tricked - go straight to the aisles you want and don’t look around on your way there. Skip inner aisles and don’t take things that you didn’t want in the first place.

3.  Look up and down

This is another trick of store strategies - the most expensive products are usually placed on the eye level to make them the first thing you see because a lot of people shop in a hurry on a daily basis and they don’t consider a lot of alternatives. It’s even more important to look up and down because the priciest doesn’t always mean of the best quality.

4. Don’t shop while hungry

Remember to always go for grocery shopping after a meal. It doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, as long as your stomach is full. When we are hungry, we crave all delicious, tasty products that we see - we want to eat everything, that’s how we end up buying more than we actually need.

5.  Change foods according to seasons

Eating outside of the seasons is not only more expensive, but also tasteless. Products that have to travel across the globe are treated with more chemicals to stay fresh, and you need to pay more for the export. By choosing foods accordingly to seasons, you will be sure that you eat healthier and that your meals will taste better.

6. Always make a list

Sacrifice some time to check what you’re lacking and to plan your meals in advance. There’s no point in buying everything you feel like buying, because you may end up with lots of products that won’t go well together. You will have a full fridge, but in fact, nothing to eat. Plan it carefully and make a list accordingly to your plans to not forget anything and to not buy things you don’t need.

7.  Wash and cut your own fruits and vegetables

Just like with everything else, in grocery stores, you pay for convenience too. If you want to save some money, buy regular, unprepared lettuce and wash and trim it yourself instead of paying three times the price. If you do it right after you come back from the store, it will be ready for you to use it at any time. It’s the same when it comes to cutting - if you don’t want to be cutting watermelons in your own kitchen, you will have to pay for it.

8. Calculate and compare prices

There are apps available that will compare different products for you if you don’t have time for your own research. You don’t always have to pay more to have a product of better quality - some brands have their items expensive simply because they are more famous and people got used to them. Then, set yourself a budget and stick to it. If you seem to be struggling, use a calculator in your phone while shopping to make sure you don’t spend more than you have planned again.

9. Don’t buy bottled water

Bottled water companies make billions of dollars yearly on people buying their products. And why you should pay for something that you can find in all of your faucets? If you don’t want to drink it directly as it is, consider installing a filter or buying a water filter jug, and get a refillable bottle to carry with you whenever you leave your house.

10. Use a smaller cart

If you still don’t trust yourself with the number of products you’re buying, try using a smaller cart or even a basket to make sure you don’t take more than it fits there. You will reduce the risk of impulsive purchases that you make only because you feel like it at the moment. And when you come to a store for several items only, don’t take any cart nor basket at all.

Be reasonable

This is the most important thing. When it comes to money, you can’t spend it recklessly. Whether it’s about groceries, clothes, books or flowers, you need to think about every purchase to make sure it will be money well spent. If you have even a shade of doubt, it may mean that you don’t really need or want it.