Take a look at all the places where you spend money in your day-to-day life, and you’ll often find that the supermarket is where you lose a lot of your cash. Whether you’re the kind of person who can’t resist buying some extra snacks when you’re at the checkout counter, or you’re always re-buying the things that you already have at home because you don’t have a list, you could be missing out on some vast money-saving opportunities.
With 2020 just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start changing your spending habits and making some progress into a more affordable way to live. Some people resolve in the new year to get a loan and accomplish some of their financial goals, others decide that it’s time to transform their spending habits with smaller strategies. Here, we’re going to share with you some of our favourite supermarket tricks and tips that you can use to shop smarter and make the most of your savings.
- Stop Buying Everything in One Place
Yes, buying everything you need for your “big shop” in the supermarket might save you from rushing around from one store to another, but its’ not the best strategy for your wallet. If you really want to save some extra cash, then you might need to be willing to shop at different locations for different items. That’s because stores like Tesco and Asda have different deals to Aldi and Sainsburys.
Consider comparing the prices of some of your shopping essentials in different shops so you can make sure that you’re never spending more than you need to be. If it helps, you could always try setting different days aside for shopping in each supermarket that you want to visit. You can also look for prices online before you go out shopping in person, so you know where you need to go.
- Use a Shopping List
This is another tip that’s going to require a little bit of extra work before your next shop – but it’s worth the effort. Now you know where you need to go to get the best value products, make sure that you have a shopping list that includes everything you need, and where you’re going to buy it from. Make sure that you check out what you already have in your cupboards and freezer at home, so you don’t double-purchase items by accident.
If you don’t have time to do a full stock take of everything that’s available in your home, you can always take some pictures on your phone of what you’ve got in your cupboards – just in case. Remember to plan your meals too, so you can make the most of every item you buy, and even bulk-buy certain ingredients to save cash.
- Do a Quick Hunt for Vouchers
Vouchers and coupons are still relevant – even in today’s digital world. If you haven’t done a voucher hunt before your big shop, consider getting online and seeing if you can find any discounts for the major items that you want to buy. This could save you some serious cash. If you’re shopping online, you could even use browser plugins and apps to take some of the stress out of shopping too.
If you can’t find any vouchers or coupons to help you save money on your supermarket shopping, consider going to the supermarket at a time when they’re discounting the items that are going to go out of their best-before date in the next couple of days. As long as you can put these items in the freezer, you’ll still be able to use them whenever you like.
- Stop Shopping When you’re Hungry
Some people think that they need to be hungry to have some inspiration when they go shopping. However, the truth is that shopping when you’re hungry just makes it more likely that you’ll over-spend on items that will end up going to waste.
Consider planning your meals when you’re hungry and at home instead. This way, you can write out a complete list of the items that you want to buy when you go to the supermarket next. You can also think about how you can prep some of the meals that you want to make for the week ahead in advance. If you have meals waiting for you in the freezer at home after a tough day at work, you’re less likely to order a takeaway!
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