Grocery shopping for
yourself can be a challenge, especially when you’re on a tight budget. If you
happen to be hungry, it’s all too easy to pile your shopping cart with every
item you lay your eyes on, leading to a much higher than anticipated grocery
bill. On the other hand, if you limit yourself to just a few items in an effort
to save money, you’ll end up eating the same thing everyday for a whole
week – and never wanting to eat it ever again! No wonder so many decide to
order take-out instead of bothering with a cumbersome trip to Safeway.
With some careful
planning, though, it is possible to not only lower your grocery bill, but also
ensure that your kitchen is always stocked with a variety of healthy and
delicious food. Here are a few tips to make grocery shopping for yourself faster,
cheaper, and even more fun.
1) Plan meals ahead of time.
Before you head out to the supermarket, take a few minutes to plan out
the week’s menu (including all three meals and snacks). Keep your menu in mind
as you shop. This will prevent you from making too many spontaneous purchases.
2) Check out what’s in your fridge/pantry
first. Clean out your
fridge and pantry before doing your shopping. Throw away anything that has been
sitting there for too long, and make note of what you still have in there. This
will help prevent you from accidentally buying something that you already have.
This will also help you to plan the next week’s menu: Try to use as many of the
items currently in your kitchen.
3) Scan the weekly ads before going to the store, and write down
the items that seem like good bargains. Be sure to include the brand, size, and
sale price, as supermarkets these days have hundreds of similar-looking items
that could easily be mistaken for each other. Take advantage of store coupons,
but make sure to read the fine print as sometimes there will be a minimum
purchase amount required.
4) Don’t buy similar items. When you’re shopping for yourself, keep in
mind that you have a limited budget and can only eat so much in a week. Therefore,
you cannot buy everything that jumps out at you. Try not to buy items that are
too similar. For example, if you decide to buy a loaf of bread, then steer away
from also buying a bag of bagels. If you buy a package of bacon, then resist
the temptation to also buy a pack of breakfast sausage. Chances are, you’ll
only be able to get through one of them, not both, in a week anyway.
5) Take advantage of versatile foods as a way to both save money and eat a
variety of meals throughout the week. Try to buy ingredients for which you can
think of three or more dishes to use them in. Some great versatile vegetables
include tomatoes, bell peppers, and broccoli, which can be cooked in so many
different ways (roasted, stir-fried, steamed, etc). Chicken breast is a versatile
meat that can be cooked whole (chicken parmesan, for example) or cut into
pieces and thrown into pastas, salads, or sandwiches.
Hopefully these ideas will
make your weekly shopping trips just a bit easier. Now, happy shopping!
