Emma Miller
How to start saving money on groceries – tips
There are a few rules to follow if you are not ready to give up all your bills for the sake of a belly feast. In war and crisis, these tips will help you provide food for the whole family without being left with an empty wallet.
Make a list
Every time you go to the store, write down exactly what you need to buy. You can create a menu for a week or a few weeks in advance and buy items in bulk – it’s cheaper that way. A carefully planned shopping schedule guarantees no rash purchases and, therefore, saves money.
Pay attention to promotions
Often promotional products are like this because they expire, but there may be another reason – for example, the need to sell this particular brand. Of course, you shouldn’t buy dairy products on sale, but canned goods, cereals, flour, sugar, pasta, and household chemicals are fine.
Think like a marketer
It’s known that products are more expensive at eye level, so pay attention to other products – the ones on the lower shelves. They tend to be cheaper, but not inferior in quality to alternatives.
Do not overpay for the brand and packaging
Bulk goods can be bought in bags, it is not necessary to take a version in a box. This does not affect the quality, but the price – yes. In addition, famous brands overpriced their products, although it is not the fact that it is something better, so try to read the composition and think sensibly, rather than blindly trust the ads.
Go to the market
When it comes to vegetables, berries, and fruits, the markets are a great alternative to the supermarket. There you can choose the goods yourself, test their quality and even bargain. Practice shows that at the market prices are always lower, and products are fresher.
Do not eat uncooked foods
Remember that no finished product can not cost less than the raw material from which it was made. You do not know whether the manufacturer complied with health regulations and whether the composition is really what it says on the package. If you want dumplings, pancakes, or dumplings, make them yourself.
Buy meat in one piece
For example, if you buy a whole chicken, it can be cut into several parts and cooked in a lot of dishes or put “for later” in the freezer. This approach will significantly reduce costs, because a whole chicken will in any case cost less than its parts, and you will always have chicken meat in stock.
Grown greens
The summer season is a great opportunity to have a small garden or vegetable garden at home, even if you live in an apartment. No one stops you from planting dill, parsley, green onions, and even tomatoes in small pots. When the crop ripens, you won’t have the need to overpay for these items at the store.
Resurrect dishes
Many foods can be given a “second life” by doing a few simple things in the kitchen. This doesn’t mean you have to eat missing food, but sometimes throwing it away isn’t the smartest option. Previously, we talked about how to reanimate a green salad and where to put stale bread by example. There are recommendations for other foods in the selection, too.
Practice vegetarianism
Meat and fish are not the most essential foods a person needs; you can do quite well without them if you substitute them correctly. The ideal scenario is to give up “dairy” as well, but not everyone is ready for that. Plant foods have the same components as animal products, but the price of “gifts of nature” is much lower.
