Food Tip: Grocery Shopping for One

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!