Getting better at grocery shopping is one of the first things you need to do if you wish to save money on your food.
A big part of the budget, grocery money stretches further if you keep these tips in mind when you go shopping.
We are a family of seven and spend more on groceries every month than our mortgage. It seems inevitable because we need to eat, but it sometimes difficult to swallow (definitely pun intended) the amount of money we spend on food.
Planting a garden is one way of cutting down your grocery budget, but we already grow a large one every year.
Saving money on food is usually the first area of cutting your spending, and learning how to grocery shop more efficiently can have big rewards.
Grocery shopping is also a time suck.
I personally do not enjoy it. It needs to be done, and as the manager of our home, the responsibility falls on me.
I am not very good at grocery shopping. Too often, I forget to buy things we need, and then we are without for a while.
Grocery shopping also overwhelms me when I do not have a plan of action.
Shopping without a list is never a good idea unless you are really good at remembering.
Is grocery shopping something that you don’t do well either?
You can get better at grocery shopping by keeping a master list, making a list according to the flyers, and making sure you have a full stomach before you go.
You can also learn how to shop efficiently once you are in the store. This includes shopping the outsides perimeter before you shop the aisles.
How To Get Better At Grocery Shopping
Learning to grocery shop efficiently doesn’t begin in the store. It begins at home, before you go. Being prepared will help you to spend less time, as well as money, at the grocery store.
Before You Go
1.Keep A Master List
A master list is super helpful when it comes to knowing what you have on hand, and knowing what you are low on.
Keep a list of all the basic pantry, and dairy supplies you need on hand. While this will be different for every family, flour, sugar, salt, beans, etc are all ideas to have on that list. You can download my master list here.
2.Shop the flyers
Before you go, take a couple of minutes to flip through a couple of flyers from your favorite local stores.
If you are running low on a basic, or even specialty item that you use, and need to stock up, knowing what is on sale for that week will help you know what to shop to save money on food.
3.Go only once a week
It seems the more often you go grocery shopping, the more it costs. Often, the things we think we desperately need can in fact wait.
We live 40 minutes away from our nearest grocery store, and that means if I forget or run out of something, we have to do without.
Going only once a week helps to keep your grocery costs lower, and saves you a lot of time.
4.Make a list
Make a list before you go.
I tend to forget the things I need once I’m in the store, so a list is a must-have if I want to be able to shop efficiently, and not waste a bunch of time and money.
5.Refuel before you shop
If you’re hungry while shopping, not only will you have a larger grocery bill, you will also find shopping a dreadful chore.
A headache, while you shop, will not help you make clearheaded decisions.
Shopping More Efficiently At The Store
There are a couple of tricks that you can use if you want to learn to shop efficiently and save money in the process.
6.Shop the outside first
Most stores are built with fruits and vegetables first, as you walk in the door. Then are loaves of bread, meat, and dairy on the outside walls.
These are also the ingredients that are healthiest because it is the stuff that goes bad.
This means you should first go around the outside of the store.
Arranging your list in this order will also keep you from having to run back and forth in the store.
7.Pantry staples next
Next, you will go through the aisles that have the pantry staples that you need in them.
While most stores have these in different orders (which can get confusing if you’re not familiar with that certain store), baking stuff is usually together in one aisle, and canned foods in another.
8.Misc items last
Once you have the healthy, and the necessary food in your cart, then you are ready for the miscellaneous food.
If your budget allows for some treats, add these last.
We have a large family, and learning to grocery shop efficiently is a must.
For myself, when I shop for food at new to me grocery stores, this is where I struggle with shopping inefficiently. It often takes twice as long as when I am used to the store.
A big part of knowing how to shop for groceries fast is knowing the layout of the store. Learning to keep a master list, and how to shop according to store layout will get you in and out of the store faster.