Everybody knows that eating out and ordering in is a quick way to blow your food budget for the month but grocery shopping can feel expensive too. In order to make sure you save the most, you need to plan ahead.
Making a ListĀ not only helps you remember what you plan to buy, it also helps you narrow your purchases to the things you need. A list can also be a way of tracking deals and coupons.
Don’t Shop Hungry. Make sure you eat a snack before you go grocery shopping because everything looks delicious and cheap compared to an empty stomach.
CouponingĀ isn’t just for soccer moms. When done the right way, you can save tons of money by getting a few cents off here and there on essentials. Just make sure you read the fine print, sometimes a buy one get one deal is really a 50% off deal trying to get you to buy double.
Check Unit PricesĀ before deciding which brand or size to buy. Sometimes a larger size container is still the same price as the smaller per unit.
Store Brand foods are often just as good as a popular brand’s product but much cheaper. Only special foods differ much in taste by brand.
Don’t Buy Prepared Foods.Ā A couple extra minutes washing and cutting up your produce isn’t that bad. You pay significantly more for the convenience of a ready-to-eat vegetable.
Prepare Your Meals On Weekends.Ā Getting all your meals ready at the beginning of the week saves you time when you’re tired from school or work. It also prevents the lazy food ordering because you don’t feel you have the energy to make a whole meal.
Buying Produce in SeasonĀ means you can still eat the things that are good for you and fresh without breaking the bank.
Buy FrozenĀ when a food you want isn’t in season. It doesn’t really lose nutritional value and is cheaper than buying a food out of season when the shipping costs sky rocket.
Buy Deli Meat. Packaged meats are generally more expensive than going over to the deli counter and having them slice off the amount you want. That means you also get the right amount too, without more packaging, that you pay for.
Watch the RegisterĀ as you check out. Sometimes sales advertised in the store haven’t made it into the programming of the register yet and things don’t always scan properly. If you watch the register and check your receipt, you can avoid accidents that cost you money.
Callie Kollenbroich
Callie Kollenbroich has been the Operations Coordinator and Content Writer/Editor at Rent College Pads since 2015. When she's not working, you can find her at home, eating peanut butter out of the jar and bingeing an unhealthy amount of Forensic Files. She's not as lame as she sounds.