The weekly trip to the grocery store makes up a significant portion of household spending. With all the promotions and strategic layouts designed to make you spend more it isn’t hard to walk out with things that you never intended to purchase, having seriously overspent. We’ve put together a list of handy tips to help you stick to your budget the next time you step into the supermarket.
- Plan your main meals for the week and buy them at once where appropriate – you will spend less if you aren’t heading to the supermarket every second day;
- Make a list and stick to it – use a paper list or shopping list app on your phone to know what you need and avoid unnecessary purchases that you’ll find at the back of the cupboard in 3 months;
- Have a decent meal beforehand – never walk into a supermarket hungry;
- Check the price per unit to get the best deal;
- Don’t buy individually portioned snacks – you’ll end up paying up to three times as much;
- Buy produce that you have to wash and prepare yourself to save money – pre-cut fruit and vegetables will cost a lot more than if you do it yourself;
- Avoid frozen meals – you will spend too much for something that looks (and probably tastes) unappetising and could’ve made yourself for less;
- Don’t splurge on the basics – home brand purchases for staples like sugar, flour and rice won’t impact quality as often these products are identical to those with brand name packaging, having come from the same factories;
- Resist the urge to impulse buy drinks, chocolates or magazines last minute at the checkout – these small purchases will add up quickly;
- Shop online – it is far easier to keep track of how much is being spent when the total updates each time you add an item to the cart and you are less likely to be influenced by store displays and make impulse purchases.
If you are struggling with your budgets and debts, get in contact with the understanding team at Life After Debt on 1300 237 669 or email us here.