Cost-cutting tips and tricks to trim your food bill

Shopping is a fine art

Saving money on your grocery bill starts with taking a good look at your shopping habits and how they exacerbate the problem. When you do your shopping, where you shop and who you take along with you are but a few of the things that may influence what you buy and how much money you spend. “The odds of going to the store for a loaf of bread and coming out with only a loaf of bread are three billion to one”, declares Erma Bombeck, tongue-in-cheek.

Does this make shopping the greatest evil on earth? Well, no … but if saving money is your prime goal you will have to make some tried and proven adjustments to your shopping habits.

Cost-cutting tips and tricks

Here are a few suggestions that may help:

• • Keep visits to the grocery store short and sweet and leave the kids at home. Go on a day and at a time when the shop is quiet so that you can escape sooner. Also find out if your store has a specific day or time when perishable items are discounted to make space for freshly-baked goods.

• • Prepare a grocery list and stick to it. Work out a weekly or monthly menu so that you know what you will need and also check your cupboards to make sure you are not spending money on items you already have at home.

• • Think before you toss leftovers into the garbage bin. The old adage of “waste not want not” is still true today. Save money by creating new dishes from leftover food. Start a compost heap in your back garden and throw all your fruit and vegetable peels, old teabags, egg shells, etc. on the compost heap.

• • Eat less. Start by teaching your family to eat less meat, the most expensive part of a meal. Dish out smaller portions or make more stews and other meals where meat is present but not the main ingredient. Another way to prevent a family strike or uprising is to serve a healthy entrée such as soup or a salad to fill them up before serving smaller portions of meat.

• • Buy fruit and vegetables in season to prevent paying through your neck. Another trick is to buy fruit and veggies in the weigh-out section; it’s cheaper than pre-packaged goods. Also save money by doing your own chopping, peeling, slicing and dicing. Growing your own fresh, vegetables, herbs and even fruit is a healthy option that can be a lot of fun, especially if you involve the whole family.

• • Seek alternative sources to the main grocery stores. Join a wholesaler or buy from independent butchers, bakers and greengrocers to save money. Also check out food fairs, farmers’ markets, independent shops and discount stores.

• • Look out for discounts and specials but check the unit price first. Some specials are more expensive than an alternative item that is usually carefully hidden on the bottom shelf. And, remember “a bargain ain’t a bargain unless it’s something you need” (Sidney Carroll).

• • Try the cheaper, store and no-name brands and save money. Also make use of all the discount coupons you can lay your hands on. After all, “a penny saved is a penny earned” (Benjamin Franklin).

• • Make use of the discounts offered by store and bank loyalty programmes. It is, however, up to you to carefully check out the conditions and costs and if any minimum amount needs to be spent before you start receiving benefits. Make the sums to find out if you are really saving money or are being taken for a ride.

• • Online shopping is another vehicle that may help you save money on your groceries; that is if you consider “time equals money”. Also, Internet shopping may help you save petrol but be careful to calculate the delivery costs too as this may cost more than you would have spent to get to the store in your own car.

Perks to saving

Living less expensively doesn’t need to be a boring battle. There are perks to saving money such as a feeling of achievement and being in control and also having the opportunity to use the money thus saved on more exciting treats for you and your family.

 

Sources
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