5 Sneaky Ways to Save Even More in Your Grocery Budget
We have all heard of saving money on groceries by using coupons, shopping sales, meal planning, and price matching, but groceries on one of the easiest things to save money on so there are almost infinite tricks to save you even more. Here are five sneaky ways to save even more in your grocery budget that you may not already be doing.
5 Sneaky Ways to Save Even More in your Grocery Budget
Trick your mind. For many of us, the temptation is too great when it comes to buying things that we want over things that we need. One way to help yourself over this temptation is to physically separate needs from wants in your cart. This can mean placing wanted items in the seat section of the cart or even just a section inside the basket of the cart. When you are ready to check out, add up your wants section and see how much you would really be spending extra if you bought it all. You will probably be inclined to not buy some or all of it at that point. Make sure to give back the merchandise you don’t want though so the store’s staff can place it back where it belongs.
Related: 52 Money Save Ways: Week 37: A Sale Does Not Equal a Need
Make Lower Cost substitutes in your recipes. If you are finding yourself struggling to stay in a budget, one of the easiest ways to cut your costs is to make cheap substitutions. For instance, cabbage is often cheaper than lettuce and adds a great flavor to many dishes you would use it in. Stretch beef with beans, too. 1 pound of beef can be stretched into a pound and a half or more with beans.
Related: 52 Money Save Ways: Week 41: Make Substitutions
Think outside the box on where to shop. If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has ethnic grocery stores, don’t be afraid to shop at them. You can get seasonings, spices, sauces and more for less than a traditional grocery store. In fact, you might find that staples like tea, rice or noodles are much cheaper in these types of stores.
Make friends with a store manager. Not only will you gain an extra friendly face when you shop, but you may be able to get the inside on discounts, and when they are taken, tips that they have seen other customers use, first dibs on coupons and deals and you will be able to ask when certain trucks come in. Knowing the manager also can allow you to ask questions more freely.
Ask for discounts. You never know what services or items you can get for free or heavily discounted if you don’t ask. While most stores offer discounts on items that are about to expire, it is not that uncommon for a store to miss some on the shelves or in the dairy and meat department. If you see an item that is a day or two away from expiring, don’t be afraid to ask for that discount. If you see a bruised fruit or vegetables, ask if you can get it for less. Additionally, many stores offer free services such as hand cutting meats and grinding chuck for free.
Related: 60 Ways to Save Money
What are some things you do to sneak your way into saving money? I like to hide spare change and money around my house. Also when I write down items in my checkbook, I round up to the nearest dollar and move that change over to my savings account! What about you?
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