- Don’t be brand-loyal when grocery shopping
When it comes to buying branded items, often you’re paying for stellar advertising campaigns and fancy packaging, rather than superior ingredients.Swap them out for store-brand versions and see if you can tell the difference. - Be sure to check the top and bottom shelves
Grocery stores place the most expensive version of each item at eye-level – and brands even pay them for a certain place on the store shelf.Take the extra time to check the shelves above and below them for hidden bargains and lower-cost alternatives that are just as good..
- Follow your grocery store on social and sign up to their mailing lists
Following grocery stores on Instagram or Facebook might not be the coolest, but it is the best way to find out when sales or discounts are happening ahead of time.The same goes for downloading their apps or signing up for email lists.
- Make meat go further
You can bulk out mince and other meats by adding extra vegetables. It will increase the flavor and make each meal more filling at the same time.Finely chop or blend ingredients like celery, peas, chickpeas, lentils, zucchini, and broccoli and add them to just about any meat recipe.
For instance, how about adding cheap lentils to sauces and vegetable dishes, oats can bulk out a bolognese sauce, and added rice can make any meal much more filling.
- Raid your cupboards before you go shopping to see if you can stretch it another day or two
An under-utilized trick to do your grocery shopping on a budget, is to just to see if you can push it several more days before actually doing your shopping.Get creative with what you have in the cupboards or freezer and use up every single leftover you can before you hit the store.
- Create a cupboard inventory
Write a list of everything that’s in your pantry, grouping items by their usage, and stick it to the inside of the door.That way you’ll quickly know what you have, what you can make, and what additional ingredients you might need to buy.
Buy the lowest cost, and most minimal ingredients to use things up and be sure to update it after each grocery shop and cross off items as you get through them.
- Store Root Vegetables Properly
Another cupboard tip. Make sure your root vegetables are stored in the dark, in a cool place. Put them in a special container if needed. A good rule of thumb is that if it grows under the ground, store it in the dark.Potatoes, onions and more, will stay good for so much longer if stored this way, which saves money on replacing them.
- Check if your food is actually past its best before you throw it out
Learn how to check whether different kinds of food are still safe to eat, such as when eggs go rotten, and always do a check before you throw something in the garbage, don’t just rely on the label. - Don’t buy more groceries than you need just because of an offer
Whilst discounts on purchasing multiple products can be great if they’re used well (things like ‘buy 3 for $5’), watch out for buying bulk multiples of fresh items or anything that is likely to go bad before you can prepare it.They might seem like good value at the time, but retailers use these offers to sneakily push your spending up, often on things they need to sell quickly like fresh food.
If you already have enough for your needs and the extra items are likely to end up in the trash, just leave them where they are.
- Keep an eye out for places looking to get rid of excess produce or food waste
There are now many apps springing up that are designed to reduce surplus food waste by connecting people with restaurants, grocery stores or growers who need to get rid of food supplies for free or cheap.
For instance, Food for all, currently available in New York and Boston, offers discounted restaurant food across 200 locations.
Availability depends on your local area, so look online or check out listings on Facebook to see what you can find.
