Grocery shopping is one of those chores that cannot be postponed. Well, we think about it, it is probably the only one. You can always leave vacuuming for some other day but you need to buy food. For some weird reason, it is usually the mom’s job to think about what things the family needs at every moment and of course, to ensure that there are enough of the favorite snacks in the cupboard.
This job becomes even more complicated if there are a lot of family members under the same roof. Not only do they require a larger amount of, well, everything, but also each one of them likes and dislikes certain kinds of food. Another thing that housewives try to do, besides making sure their family is happy, is to save some money. Because of this, in this article, we are going to share some tips with you that you can try the next time you go to the supermarket.
Contents
1. Make a list
Source: thebalanceeveryday
The very first thing that you have to do is to write down everything you have to buy. This is especially important if you are going to buy weeks’ worth groceries. There is simply no way that you can remember everything. Just forget about it.
Instead, start making this list a few days in advance. Check your pantry, fridge, freezer, and other places where you store food. If you like to also plan meals think if you have all the ingredients you need. Every time you remember something, write it down immediately. If you leave it for later, you are probably going to forget it.
2. Set a budget
Source: thepennyhoarder
Let’s be realistic, regardless of your income, if you have a big family, you have to come up with the budget for groceries and try to stick to it. You should consider the average price of all the items on your list and the amount of money you usually spend every week.
If you prefer online shopping, it is really easy to exceed this amount, especially if you are not paying attention. However, the great thing about this type of shopping is that you can easily remove some products from the cart. Yes, you can do this in real store too, but first, you would be taken aback upon hearing how much money your cart is worth.
3. Buy in bulk
Source: rd
This is another great way not only to save time while shopping, but also a significant amount of money. Hear us out. Online shopping is very convenient because you don’t have to carry all the items around the store (we all know how heavy they can be), and also you do not have to wait for the cashier to scan them all. All you need to do is to add them to your online cart, make a payment via credit card, or even an app like Bebasbayar.
Still, we have one piece of advice for you. You should only buy in bulk when those items are offered at a lower price. First of all, these are usually items that won’t go bad quickly like canned food or even some cleaning supplies. Secondly, a lot of stores offer numerous discounts and coupons to their regular customers, so you should wait for these if you want to get all you need and spend less money. There is another important thing you should know when it comes to discounts. Most stores usually have these during the week. Why? Well, simply because people usually go shopping at the weekends. So, if it is possible, try to hit the stores on a workday.
4. Choose the right time
Source: goodhousekeeping
This is something that might not occur to you, but choosing the right time of the day to do the shopping can be quite essential. What are we talking about? For example, if you need to buy some fresh products, like fruits, veggies, or fish, you should go to the store early in the morning. All the shelves are stocked before the store opens and if you get there too late in the day, there might not be any items left for you.
Furthermore, many of us hate how crowded a supermarket can get. In reality, this is one of the main reasons why so many people prefer online shopping. It is quite simple – they do not have to wait in line at the cash register or bump with other shoppers. If you want to avoid this, you should go to the supermarket later in the evening. Yes, you might not buy everything you need, but at least you will have enough time to go over every aisle and consider different products without any hurry.
5. Don’t bring you kids along
Source: tasteofhome
Okay, this might sound a bit harsh, but you know that it is true. You cannot expect your five-year-old to walk slowly beside you without asking any questions. Yes, they are going to have a billion questions that you will have to answer in order to keep them happy so that they wouldn’t have a meltdown right then and there.
In addition, surely they will want you to buy them something which is not within your budget, or they simply do not need it. When you refuse they will probably get angry which is just going to distract you and you will probably return home only to realize that you have forgotten to get certain products.
Hey, you are a mom of little kids, shopping time is your quiet time and there is no need to share it with anyone.
6. Be flexible
Source: verywellfit
So we have already told you that you need a list and a budget and that you need to stick to them, but at the same time, you should learn how to be flexible. What if your favorite detergent is out of stock? Should you go to a different store? Not necessarily, you can just get the one that is available.
Moreover, what if you had planned a chicken-based meal, because you thought that it is going to be on sale, but it actually isn’t? Just change the menu, you can cook that dish next week, no one is going to care.
