Groceries are one of those expenses that we can’t really eliminate from our lives (not if we want to continue living anyway!) And like almost everything, grocery prices continue to rise. But there are easy changes you can make when you go shopping to ensure you are saving money on groceries every time you shop. In part one of a two part series on saving money at the supermarket, here are 7 simple ideas to get you started.

* Never shop when you are hungry.

The number one rule of grocery shopping is never shop when you are hungry. If you do, you are guaranteed to grab extra items (usually quick “snack” type foods) that you don’t need. And snack foods aren’t cheap.

* Shop with a shopping list.

When you go shopping, be sure to make up a list beforehand of what you need to buy. Take a few minutes to look around the house and in the pantry, and when you get to the store be sure to stick to the list. Sure, there will probably be a few items you notice as you are shopping that you know you need, but forgot to put on the list. You can still get them – just be sure they are actually items you *need* (eg: food for your cat), and not just items you *want* (eg: that nice cheesecake).

* Be willing to change brands.

The worst thing you can do when grocery shopping is be loyal to a single brand. If you always buy a particular brand of milk (for example) no matter what, you could be wasting countless dollars a year. Different brands will be cheaper (or more expensive), and there will be weekly specials on every now and then. Try a few brands to work out which ones you like (and which ones you don’t) so you always have a few options available for choosing the cheapest one. Which leads on to the next point…

* Be sure to try generic brands.

In the past generic brands got a reputation for being poor quality food that tasted awful. And sure, some generic products just don’t taste nice. But these days there are a lot of generic items that taste no different from their name-brand counterparts (usually because the same companies that create the name-brand items also create the generic brand items). It all comes down to being willing to experiment with new products, and finding generic items that you’re willing to accept. You can easily save $10 or more a shop by purchasing generic items instead of name-brand items.

* Look up and down, not just at eye height.

Companies pay supermarkets a lot of money to have their products positioned on shelves at eye level, so their products are the first one that you see (and thus the one you’re most likely to buy). If you’re looking for a particular type of item (and not worried about a specific brand – see above), make sure you look on the higher and lower shelves. Usually you will find the items there much cheaper than the brands at eye-level.

* Stock up on specials and markdowns.

Assuming you have the pantry and freezer space to store them (and they don’t have an expiry date that’s about to run out), buy a few extra of any items that have a heavy discount, or that have been reduced to clear (like meat – you can easily freeze meat for a month or two). The up front cost is obviously higher, but in the long run you will spend a lot less.

* Buy bulk items where possible.

This is similar to the previous tip. Some items come in small “easy to use” sizes, and larger “bulk” sizes. Be sure to compare the price first, but in most cases the bulk item will work out a lot cheaper (for example, 1kg of washing powder may cost $7, while a bulk pack of 5kg may cost $20). Again, the up front cost is higher, but you save in the long run.


By: Jason Anderson

Tags: Bran, Countless Dollars, Few Minutes, Generic Brands, Generic Products, Grocery Prices, Grocery Shopping, Leads, Money Supermarket, Pantry, Poor Quality, Quality Food, Quick Snack, Reputation, Saving Money On Groceries, Shopping List, Snack Foods, Weekly Specials