How To Save Money On Your Grocery Bills
As the cost of living soars, you might have noticed your typical grocery shop is a lot more expensive than it used to be. Staple grocery items have risen as much as 94% in Australia, and when you factor in the increased cost of living on top of that, you might be finding your money hasn’t been stretching as far as it normally would. Cutting down the grocery budget can be a challenge, so here are some tips to keep in mind to get more bang for your buck and save money on your grocery bills.
Create a meal plan
Going to the supermarket without a meal plan is a dangerous task. Have you ever wondered down the aisles in search of inspiration and ended up with enough food to feed an army? You have high hopes for exciting meals but ultimately, you end up just throwing out a bunch of food as it passes it's use by date.
If this happens to you, then creating a meal plan is a great way to not only keep your grocery spending under control, but to avoid food wastage too.
Write a shopping list
What better way to get your spend under control than with a shopping list! This way you can figure out everything you need before you set foot in the supermarket and get swayed by all the pretty marketing.
Create a shopping list and stick to it.
Buy home brand
Most supermarkets sell their own generic versions of popular brands. These home brand items are usually a lot cheaper than their competition. This is a simple way to get your overall grocery bill down without cutting out the things you usually buy.
Don’t shop hungry
Going to the supermarket hungry is a rookie mistake. You'll be amazed how much more you buy when you let you stomach do the shopping. You might even get so hungry that you end up getting takeaway on the way home after buying $300 worth of groceries.. moral of the story, don't shop hungry.
Use loyalty programs
Does your local supermarket have a rewards program? If so, it's a great idea to sign up! You can typically get special offers or 'points' when doing your regular shop, that can then be redeemed for money off future shops. This is an easy way to make the most out of your grocery shop.
Compare prices online
If you have multiple supermarkets to choose from, then check online for their prices before deciding where to do your shop.
Supermarkets tend to have different prices for the same products and often have specials, so it helps to work out which supermarket will give you the overall cheapest shop before heading out.
Shop clearance items
Did you know that most supermarkets have clearance items? This is where they slash prices of items in the hopes of a quick sale. This can be due to the end of a promotion, items getting close to their use by date or simply because the product hasn’t been selling. Either way, it's a great way to bring down the grocery bill.
The take away
Although groceries have increased drastically in price, it's a necessity that is hard to avoid. However, with a bit of planning, there are ways to keep your grocery bills under control and to prevent a budget blowout at the supermarket.
Follow SavingLikeMad on social media to keep up to date with my side hustle journey, aswell as tips and motivation for saving money.
SavingLikeMad Instagram