Cheaper groceries | Make better decisions at the supermarket

July 6, 2013

Achieving my goal of finding cheaper groceries puts a spring in my step. Whether the goal is finding beef mince at half price or getting more out of a tub of toothpaste, I’m officially obsessed! Don’t get me wrong. I’m a generous type of girl, so I don’t use these tactics on my friends at parties or my family when they visit. I’ll buy someone a nice gift or pour wine for anyone with a glass in their hand. No. These tips (related to being anal and scrooge-like at a supermarket) are reserved for my spend on everyday items. These tips will help save big dollars over time.

We make big and small decisions everyday. What to dress little Miss in today? Or how much to spend on the next family car? Making decisions at the supermarket however are often overlooked. Supermarket choices are often not as conscious as we might like them to be. For many of us, the supermarket is just a place we go, when in a hurry, to feed the family right?

Wrong!

I see the supermarket as a place to make money! I equate every dollar I spend as a dollar I made in business or at work today. Once you start thinking of the supermarket as a vehicle for saving money (or making money by stretching each dollar further), maybe you will get as anal and scientific about supermarket shopping as I’ve become!

Get down and dirty with your packets. Learn their shapes, sizes and prices per unit. Put your local supermarket under the microscope and discover hundreds of ways you can save a dollar here and there. These small amounts add up over time!

You’ll be chuffed with the savings and the way your cheaper groceries just keeping getting well…

Cheaper!

Question deals and go generic

Ask for a price match

For big ticket items like large boxes of nappies ask if your supermarket price matches.

Question all deals

Always check sale items are not a trick. For example, when buying two-for-one deals check that it is not actually cheaper to buy the items separately!

Go generic

Always look for the generic version of a brand. They are usually cheaper.

Product size

Beware of companies slightly reducing the size of their products E.g The way toothpaste tubs are shrinking. Read unit prices.

Buy less and check unit prices

Be cheap

Buy the cheapest item, out of the range of that item, for all items. You will notice big savings on your next grocery bill.These incremental costs add up to large costs over time.

Buy less

Do not buy two items if you only need one. Get into the habit of under-consuming.

Decisions equal dollars

Every decision you make costs you one dollar, two dollars, three dollars… Be a guru. Be strategic. The goal of cheaper groceries requires your skill based decisions!

Unit prices

Get better at reading prices per unit. Make better informed decisions.

Labels

Become a label guru. Get good at reading labels on products. Remember to take your glasses to the supermarket!

Compound savings

Good supermarket decisions result in thousands of dollars in savings over the course of one year.

Become a supermarket guru!

Know your stuff

Know what stuff is worth. This way you will know if a discount really is a discount.

Look up and down

Look to the top shelves and the bottom shelves. The products are generally cheaper. Get out of the habit of staring blankly at the middle shelves.

Learn to substitute

Shop with a flexible attitude. For example, substitute deli olives for sun-dried tomatoes if it works out cheaper because of inflated prices.

Need not want

Do not buy an item just because it is on special. Keep your eye on your shopping list. Stay focused. Leave the store as quickly as possible.

Treat grocery shopping like it is your job

Supermarket shopping is as serious as your job. Do not waste your hard-earned cash throwing random items into your trolley. Would you run around work throwing your hard-earned cash into rubbish bins? Think of a trolley as a money-eating rubbish bin and you will soon become less trolley-happy! Do this and cheaper groceries will soon find their way into your life and you’ll see the results in your wallet!

Perishables

Stock up on non-perishables when they are on special (if you have the storage room at home).

Need more great tips for finding cheaper groceries?

If you need more ways to save money at the supermarket download money saving cheat sheets and printables! Use up leftovers, create quick and easy meals, find healthy budget lunch and dinner ideas!