One of the biggest unavoidable expenses in a family's budget is undoubtedly the shopping basket. However, there are tricks to reduce this expense that you can apply in your daily life and that will help you save some money when you go shopping at the supermarket. It's not about buying less, but about organizing yourself and knowing how to choose the products well.
Next, we leave you some tricks to save on shopping that will also make you promote responsible consumption among the members of your family. Take note!
How to save on the shopping basket
According to studies by la OCU, a family spends on average between 400 and 500 euros per month on the shopping basket. This means that more than 5000 euros per year of the family budget are allocated to this purpose. If you want to know how you can reduce this expense without sacrificing, pay attention to these saving tips that we give you.
And of course, don't forget to take a look at our post about how to save money at home day by day.
Set a shopping budget
One of the first things you should do to control the money you spend on food is to set a budget, whether daily, weekly, or monthly. This way, it will be much easier for you to know how much you spend on shopping and avoid wasting money on unnecessary products.
Choosing the cheapest supermarket
If you live in an area surrounded by several supermarkets, choose the one that is characterized by offer low prices. You could reach save up to 1000€ a year if you know how to choose well. You can also consider whether traveling to a supermarket farther away might be more cost-effective than walking to the supermarket in your neighborhood or residential area that has sky-high prices.
Also, there are products that in some supermarkets are cheaper than in others. For example, it might be better for you to buy cleaning products at a different supermarket than the one you usually go to for food products.
Plan the week's menus
We recommend that on Sunday you plan all the meals of the week. This way you will know exactly which foods or ingredients you will need for buy just the essentials. This way you will avoid having to throw away food because it has passed the expiration date and has not yet been consumed.
Always carry a shopping list
One of the reasons why we often buy more than necessary is because we didn't go with a list. Plan your shopping in advance and add only those products you consider necessary to the list. For this check your pantry well before leaving and check what you have and what you need.
Also, now with new technologies you will never forget it at home. There are mobile applications that will help you manage and plan the shopping list that you can always carry with you.
Opt for store brands or more economical ones
Another trick to save on shopping is that whenever you can, choose store brand at the best price. This will mean great savings per year. Consider which branded products are essential for you because of their quality or simply because you like them more, and for those where the brand is not so important, choose the store brand. And remember that “store brand” does not have to be synonymous with poor quality.
And if your supermarket doesn't have a store brand, you can always replace the brand you usually buy for a more economical one. The key is to keep trying. Important! To really know if one product is more expensive than another, you must look at the price per unit.
In the case of perfumes, for example, you can opt for equivalence fragrances. Don't forget that at divain you can find the best perfumes cheap equivalence perfumes. You'll love them!
Choose seasonal products
Seasonal products like fruit or vegetables, they have lower prices or are usually on sale. Therefore, opting for this type of food during supermarket shopping will help you spend less. Also, they are products of high quality and very fresh.
Avoid prepared products
If time is not an issue when preparing your favorite recipes, then avoid buy prepared products because, generally, they tend to have a higher price. We also talk about products like tomato sauce, hummus, or grated cheese. If you buy the ingredients separately and prepare your own sauce, it will be much cheaper.
Buy in bulk
The best way to adapt to the amount of product what you need is to buy in bulk. Packs or packaged products are often more expensive and may not fit the quantity you want, leading to it running out throwing it in the trash.
Shop by sections
If you know the supermarket like the back of your hand, the best thing is that organize the list by sections. This way you will save time and won't fall into the temptation of diverting your attention with other unnecessary products or whims.
And by the way, products like sweets that are next to the checkout counters, are strategically placed so that you let yourself be carried away by the impulse purchase and add a couple of euros more to your basket. Resist the temptation and avoid them at all costs.
Take a basket or cart the size of your purchase
If you take a cart too big, once you have filled it with the products from the list, it will seem to you that something is missing and you may be tempted to keep filling it.
Shop online
Shopping online has many advantages. Besides not having to physically travel going to the supermarket also allows you to stick much better to the shopping list and avoid falling into temptations or wasting money on any whim. Likewise, it will be much easier for you to compare prices from various products and supermarkets to choose those that best fit your budget.
Don't shop hungry
One of the biggest enemies when saving money while shopping is hunger. Make sure you have eaten well before going to the supermarket because otherwise it is easier to give in to cravings and buy unnecessary food
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