Grocery shopping can often be a big expense, but many of us unknowingly make it even more pricey than necessary. Certain mistakes like shopping when hungry or not sticking to a list can quickly add up, putting you further over your budget. By being aware of these common mistakes, you can make smarter choices when shopping that will save you money. Here are 18 grocery shopping mistakes to avoid if you want to save money.
Not Writing a List
Writing a list is important when doing your grocery shopping because it can keep you on track. Without a list, you’re more likely to buy items you don’t need, which makes you spend more. You may also forget certain items if you don’t have them written down. Writing a list gives you tunnel vision on the items you need and stops you from getting distracted by other products that aren’t necessities.
Ignoring Weekly Flyers
Weekly store flyers often highlight what sales and discounts a store has on, so if you pay attention to these, you can take advantage of these offers. If you ignore these flyers, you might miss out on cheaper alternatives and end up paying more than necessary for your groceries. You could even plan your meals based on the sales on these flyers to get the most out of them and save as much money as possible.
Not Using Coupons
Coupon clipping might sometimes seem like rock-bottom, but it’s simply a smart way to save money! Coupons can offer significant discounts that can add up over time and save you a lot of money. Checking out coupons can also introduce you to new, cost-effective products that you didn’t know about before. If you don’t make the most of couponing, you can miss out on potential savings on a variety of everyday items.
Only Buying Brand-Name Products
Brand-name products tend to be much more costly than their unbranded counterparts without offering any added benefits. Store brands or lesser-known brands that cost less can taste just as good and sometimes even be better for you! Nowadays, according to the Independent, “Americans are buying roughly one-quarter of their groceries from store brands, rather than nationally-recognized name brands.” Hop on this bandwagon to save money on your grocery shopping.
Buying Pre-Packaged or Pre-Cut Food
Buying pre-packaged and pre-cut produce is another mistake people often make when doing their grocery shopping. These items typically cost more than whole items, so opting for whole items instead will save you precious cash. Pre-packaged food might also contain preservatives or additives, and pre-cut food can lose its freshness and nutritional value faster, meaning it can be less healthy than its fresh and unprepared alternatives.
Shopping on an Empty Stomach
You might think it wouldn’t make a difference at what time of the day you do your grocery shopping, but doing it on an empty stomach can be a costly mistake. Shopping when you’re hungry can lead to you buying extra snacks, unnecessary items, and generally more food than you need, as you’ll be driven by immediate cravings. These unplanned purchases can increase the overall cost of your grocery shop.
Ignoring Bulk Buys
Bulk buying is a great way to save lots of money in the long run, as bulk products often have lower prices per unit. Therefore, if you’re ignoring bulk buys, you’re missing out! Buying in bulk also reduces packaging waste, which is good for the environment. If you don’t buy in bulk and consistently make smaller purchases, it can lead to more frequent trips to the store and more opportunities to overspend.
Not Knowing What You Have
If you don’t check your kitchen drawers and cabinets before you do your grocery shopping, it’s impossible to know what items you need and what you already have! This can lead to you buying far more than you need to, as you’ll make extra purchases just in case. Take note of what you already have at home before doing your shop to save money and make sure you don’t overstock your kitchen.
Making Impulsive Purchases
Sometimes we just see something and we HAVE to have it, but making impulsive purchases like this can quickly lead to a hefty receipt! If you’re trying to stay on budget with your grocery shopping, you have to resist the urge to buy unnecessary food. Business Insider says that “54% [of people] said they plan to cut spending, citing non-essential food as one of the top categories they intend to slash.”
Ignoring Seasonal Produce
Out-of-season produce is typically quite a bit more expensive than that which is in season, due to the cost of importing the food having to be taken into consideration when pricing the food for customers. This means if you ignore seasonal produce, you can miss out on pretty significant savings, as well as limiting your cooking options. Seasonal produce is also fresher and more flavorful, so it should be a no-brainer!
Not Planning Meals
Without a plan for your meals, there’ll be no logic to your grocery shopping, which will end up with you making random purchases. Buying food with no plan to work off of will either lead to you not having everything you need to make your meals or having a lot of wasted food and money and ideally, you don’t want either of these problems! Remember to plan your meals to avoid this stress.
Grocery Shopping Every Week
Most people do a weekly grocery shopping trip to get all the food they need for the upcoming week. However, by the fourth week of the month, you likely have enough food built up in your cabinets that it’s not actually necessary to make another trip to the grocery store. If you skip your grocery shopping every now and again, you can use up the food you already have and save money.
Not Checking Expiration Dates
While expiration dates are more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule, they can still give you a good idea of how long your groceries will last. You might get caught out if you don’t check the expiration dates on your shopping, as some items you’ve picked up might be close to their expiry date. If you buy these items, they may spoil before you can use them and have to be thrown out, wasting your money in the process.
Only Buying Organic Produce
Organic produce is usually far more expensive than non-organic options, so sticking only to organic foods can burn a big hole in your pocket! Organic produce is also not always as healthy as it’s made out to be and conventional produce can sometimes offer the same amount of nutrition. As well as this, the Pew Research Center reports that “a 59% majority say that organic and conventionally grown produce taste about the same.”
Assuming Your Kids Will Like Something
Kid’s tastes can change on a whim and will never stay the same for long enough for you to figure out what they like. It can be a mistake to buy your kids their favorite snack or treat and assume they’ll like it, as they will probably have moved on from it by the time you get home. A good rule to follow is to only get your kids something if they ask for it, as that way you know for certain that they’ll like it.
Falling For End-Cap Displays
End-cap displays are purposely put there to entice you into spending more money on things that you don’t need, so don’t fall into the trap! The key is to focus on your list, as these displays often feature non-essential items and things that aren’t on your list. The products on these displays also tend to be expensive and rarely on sale, so giving in to this temptation can really cost you.
Not Using Multiple Stores
If you only ever go to the same store for all of your groceries, you can end up spending more money than necessary. Other stores will often sell certain items for less or have different sales and deals that can save you money. If you shop at a variety of stores, you can take advantage of multiple loyalty programs too, which will save you a bunch of money in the long term.
Buying Too Many Perishables
Perishables spoil quickly, so buying too many of these foods can be a mistake, as it can lead to a lot of food waste. Make sure you avoid overbuying fresh produce and only buy the amount you will need so you don’t get stuck with a kitchen full of spoiled groceries by the end of the week. Buying too many perishables can also strain your grocery budget if you haven’t planned correctly.
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