How to Save on Food: 26 Tips to Follow
One of the biggest surprises when you start to regularly follow your monthly budget?
See how much money we spend on food and drink every month. This is also one of the categories where we tend to over-spend the most.
There are two main reasons for this. First of all, eating & drinking are quite social activities (having a meal with friends, going for a drink or a coffee after work ...). Also, we often tend to be fooled by fatigue and laziness to cook ... and to turn to the nearest fast food.
This is what makes it one of the types of expenses we waste the most money on. And the problem is, they contribute very little to our long-term happiness, but are rather impulsive and linked to a lack of preparation.
You just have to see the difference between shopping on an empty stomach or a full stomach. It's all a matter of perception.
In this article, discover the best ways to save money on food and drinks, without having to deprive yourself!
At the supermarket
1 - Always do your shopping with a list ... and a full stomach. One of the best ways to waste money in the supermarket? Go there without knowing exactly what you need and want to buy. Before you go, browse your fridge and cupboards to find out what to buy. And above all, eat just before to avoid falling for all the delicacies that will cross your path.
2 - Look in advance for coupons to use. There are dozens of websites with special offers and coupons that you can print or present on your phone when you checkout. Take a look before you go to the supermarket. But your time is precious: spending 45 minutes scouring the sites to save $ 1 on your packet of Honey Pops is rarely worth it.
3 - Replace branded products with private labels. Branded products are often (much) more expensive, but there is actually very little difference to their private label counterparts (ie "supermarket" brands). And sometimes they're even exactly the same ... Try replacing some brands you are used to buying with their low-cost counterparts - once you've passed the psychological barrier, you might be surprised.
4 - Compare the price of the products before buying. Comparing prices only takes seconds, but can save you huge amounts of money in the long run. Take a good look at the price per kilo, which can sometimes be higher even when the products are said to be "on promotion".
5 - Order on the Drive or use the scanners. If you have a car, ordering on the Drive isn't just a time-saver. It's also a good way to save money on a daily basis . It's much easier to avoid impulse buying when you're not wandering the shelves, and you can also track your cart amount to avoid surprises when you checkout. Ditto for the system of "scanners / zapettes" more and more offered in supermarkets.
6 - Always take a look at the radius of short dates. The "short dates" department is now my first destination when I arrive in store. It includes all the products whose expiry date is approaching and which can no longer be offered for "classic" sale. Take a look to see if there are any products on your list that are missing, or if you could replace a few with these short-lived specials.
7 - Don't be fooled by supermarket techniques to make you spend more. The heads of gondolas that make people believe in promotions, the most expensive products placed at eye level, offer "promotions" where the products are in reality more expensive per kilo, provide you with huge baskets ... there are plenty of techniques that supermarkets use to encourage you to buy more. Try to keep a cool head and stick to your list so you don't get ripped off.
8 - Take advantage of cashback systems. Certain websites or applications such allow you to benefit from a partial refund on food shopping. Cumulative over time, the savings can be significant.
9 - Avoiding waste starts in the supermarket - not in your fridge! Why buy a whole bunch of 6-7 bananas when you only need 3? Even when the price is low, paying attention to the quantity will make a huge difference in food waste and help you save a lot in the long run.
In the kitchen & at home
10 - Plan your meals in advance thanks to a "meal plan". This is something that we now do every week at home. When writing the shopping list, we prepare a calendar where we define in advance all our meals in the morning, noon and evening for the week. In addition to no longer having to wonder " what do we eat " every night, it is a way to make life easier and save money.
11 - Adopt "batch cooking" / "meal prep". Cooking meals ahead of time can seem overwhelming and complicated. But quite the contrary. The meal plan is the assurance of simplifying your life, in addition to saving money! Rather than spending 20-30 minutes a day cooking your evening and lunch meals (or going out and buying it ... and wasting even more money), set aside 2 hours on Sunday to cook ahead all. your meals for the week, and store them in tupperware. This is one of the most important things you can do when looking for ways to save on food.
12 - Replace the sodas with sparkling water. Yes, I admit: I love soda. This is probably one of the expenses I have the most difficulty controlling myself over. Despite everything, I managed to limit my consumption (a lot) by replacing the soda with sparkling water, and by forcing myself to only buy a maximum bottle per week. In addition to a positive effect on health, your budget will also thank you.
13 - Define your food budget in advance - and stick to it. You should plan each month in your budget for an amount specially dedicated to your food shopping (not counting meals outside), then stick to it, even if it means having to make some sacrifices. How can you "spend less" while shopping if you don't even know how much you are spending at the base?
14 - Forget the ready meals - cook! In addition to being unhealthy, processed products and ready meals usually cost a lot more than if you cooked them yourself. Knowing that many of the meals on the go are pasta dishes or salads, they are particularly easy to reproduce.
15 - Remember to freeze. When it comes to how to save money on food, the freezer is your best friend. If you find any specials or short dates at the supermarket that you don't plan to eat right away, freeze them. Ditto for leftovers you're unsure of eating: rather than waiting until it's too late and having to throw them out, just put them in the freezer.
16 - Organize a "leftover party". You don't realize it, but throwing away the leftovers is also throwing away money. Once a week, plan a dinner where you'll finish up the week's leftovers. To make the idea a little more fun, you can even revisit them: cook a new sauce to finish the pasta, create your mixed salad.
Eat outside
17 - Store dishes in the fridge & freezer for "emergencies". Do you eat out too often? One of the best ways to limit yourself is to prepare for food emergencies. Especially to avoid the " oh, I'm too lazy to cook ... what if we order something?". Your special "lazy" dish should be a recipe that you particularly like: cheeseburgers, frozen pizzas, couscous or paella ... And if the prepared dishes are certainly not good for your health, remember that this solution is not meant to be occasional. And anyway, the fast food probably wouldn't have been much better.
18 - Stop eating out every lunchtime. One of the best ways to waste money is buying your lunch outside every lunchtime. Really: you are wasting hundreds or even thousands of dollars a month by eating out rather than bringing your tupperware. Instead of dining out with your favorite coworkers, meet them at the park or cafeteria to eat together. You even risk making more than one jealous.
19 - Recreate the menu of your favorite fast food ... at home . Are you on the verge of falling for a Mc Do so you have an irrepressible desire for Mc Chicken? How about cooking it yourself? Today, you can find almost any restaurant and fast food recipe online, at a much lower price.
20 - Don't take the menu. If you order a take-out meal, take only your dish or sandwich, off the menu. Baking a few fries in the oven and pouring yourself a glass of soda will only take a few minutes - and cost you a lot less.
21 - Take your coffee instead of buying it. One of the best ways to save money without having to give up your daily coffee is to brew your own cup at home and then take it to work (in a thermos or whatever). Taking the average price of a simple coffee, buying your coffee every day rather than making it yourself costs you around € 568 per year.
READ ALSO
22 - If you want to buy a take out meal, go through an app like Too Good To Go. Too Good To Go allows you to collect unsold items from shops around your home at the end of the day, and therefore to enjoy yourself at a low price! These are only the meals of the day that have not been sold, so no problem of freshness - but a very reduced price!
23 - If you have to eat out, take advantage of the discounts. Before going to a restaurant, browse promotional sites like TheFork (formerly TheFork) to enjoy local restaurants at low prices. In addition to discounted bookings, you will often find offers on their website or via the mobile application.
24 - Plan outings with friends other than the restaurant. If you tend to overeat outside on weekends or weekday evenings with friends, why not invite them over to your home by offering everyone to bring back their favorite dish? Or organize a party after dinner time? There are plenty of activities just as cool, and at a much lower cost.
25 - Opt for non-alcoholic drinks. Drinking alcohol is often more of a social gesture than anything else. Alcohol is really just a pretext: opting for a non-alcoholic drink during your outings will allow you to have an equally good time, but also to please your wallet and your health. Of course, there's no question of banning yourself from drinking altogether, but making the effort even every now and then will already put you on the right track.
26 - Delete the delivery applications from your phone. Out of sight out of mind. Online food orders are now (too) easy with mobile apps and automatic card registration. Remove them systematically so that you are no longer tempted.
See also 100 Tips to Save Money Every Day and 25 Tips to Save on Groceries
How to Save on Food
The most significant expense for families, after the house, is certainly food. Saving money on supermarket purchases, however, is possible, and a lot.
First of all, it is important to choose well where to shop, and which products to buy: in discount stores you can find excellent products, even branded ones, and at very competitive prices, but also in shopping centers and normal supermarkets, just paying a little attention to the relationship between quality and price, you can shorten the receipt without giving up anything.
Another element not to be neglected to save on food and avoid waste is the control of the expiry date of the product you are buying: in addition to having a better taste, in fact, and to keep its nutritional characteristics unaltered, a food far from the deadline recommended for consumption, it does not risk being "forgotten" in the fridge only to discover when it is opened, with disappointment, that it can no longer be eaten.
As for fresh products, which in any case would be ruined within a couple of days, it is an excellent idea to use the freezer: from bread to vegetables, from meat to cooked foods, it is possible to keep the food until the time of consumption without deteriorating or changing its flavor. The microwave oven is very convenient for quick defrosting, but we recommend that you take out what you intend to eat a few hours in advance and let it defrost naturally at room temperature.
Finally, how to behave when something is left over? Almost never at dinner you want to finish what is left in the fridge from lunch, so you forget it and often dishes that are still good are thrown away.
There are, however, some excellent recipes for using leftovers to create new and delicious dishes: did you know, for example, that with spaghetti already cooked and seasoned you can prepare a delicious pasta omelette, or that by blending meat left in a pan, even chicken , and adding a few simple ingredients you get some delicious meatballs?
Many recipes and advice can be found on the internet, but the best dishes are the ones you create with your imagination, depending on what the refrigerator at home offers you every day. In short, saving on food is not that difficult and can also become very tasty.
How to Save on Shopping 10 Tips not to be missed
Find out how to buy food for the whole family without emptying your wallet and save on monthly shopping
How to save on shopping? This is one of the most frequently asked questions at home. At least in ours. It will be that the bills always seem to increase and the monthly costs to be incurred seem to never end.
Still, food isn't a joke thing. It is the basis of our well-being and our health. So yes, it is okay to cut on unnecessary things but without, for this reason, giving up the quality of the foods we eat. But how to do it?
Here are some tips that can be very useful for making ends meet in the family. Without giving up good things of excellent quality.
Prepare a weekly menu
If you want to know how to save on shopping, know that a great tip is to prepare a weekly menu for the whole family. For example, on Friday evening I start to take the calendar for the following week and prepare a draft of what to prepare for lunch and dinner for everyone.
In this way, I already have clear ideas about what I have in the pantry and what I need to get from the supermarket. But most importantly, I will find myself spending money only on foods that will actually be eaten, without losing myself on foods that will not be cooked.
Set a budget
A good way to be able to save some pennies is certainly to set a weekly budget for shopping and try as much as possible not to exceed it.
To get an idea of the ideal amount, you need to evaluate several parameters. Like, for example, how many of you are in the family. If you have children and what age they are. Let's not forget, in fact, that a two-year-old eats much more than a 15-year-old.
Prepare food in large quantities
Once you have identified a seasonal vegetable, you can buy it in large quantities and cook it as soon as you get home. And then away from airtight containers and put everything in the freezer or pantry divided into single doses (so it is ready to use).
This system, in addition to allowing you not to completely empty your wallet, also helps you to always be well organized with the preparation of meals. Think, for example, how different it is to prepare a pasta with homemade ragù compared to the one purchased ready-made.
Avoid ready-made foods
Ready-made foods, whether they are first courses or side dishes, are certainly comfortable. Do not mention it. Sometimes it happens to me too that I don't have the time or the desire to put myself in the kitchen. And certainly a dish of pasta ready to put in the microwave for 5 minutes is definitely an advantage in these cases.
But don't forget that, in most cases, ready-made foods have exorbitant prices. Especially if we compare them to the cost of raw materials.
I'll give you a simple example. A bag containing two portions of ready-made amatriciana pasta costs about 5 euros (the price, however, may vary depending on the supermarket of reference). By purchasing the ingredients individually and preparing it yourself, two people eat the same amount for at least a couple of times.
Check the offers
The offers certainly allow you to save on shopping. But be careful. Promotions are done with the express purpose of attracting customers. I often consult the various flyers I find in the mailbox but, leafing through the pages, I also realize that a food sold as on offer on one side, perhaps in the supermarket where I usually go, costs even less.
My advice, in these cases, is not to get carried away and focus only on products whose price is really affordable. For the rest, go straight and pretend you don't see them.
Prefer draft food
Draft food is a lifesaver for the wallet. Some hypermarkets have areas dedicated to distributors on tap of pasta, rice, cereals and legumes on tap. Just take a bag and fill it with the quantity you are interested in.
The price is calculated by weight. But it concerns only and exclusively the reference food. This way you can avoid spending money on packaging or the brand. And, believe me, these two elements have a significant impact on the total expenditure.
Check the price per kilo
When we have to buy something, be it rice or a bag of mozzarella, it happens to be misled by the price shown on the tag. Still, that amount can vary a lot based on the brand and type of packaging used.
If you want to save money, however, it is best to check the price per kilo. You will soon realize, in fact, how a 500 g stick of butter, perhaps, costs less than a half the size. And if you don't use it all right away, it doesn't matter. You can always put it back in the fridge for next time. Or, at worst, in the freezer.
Look for discounts on expiring food
The first time I noticed this opportunity, I was living in Austria. There it was close that fresh foods approaching their best before date would be sold for up to 50% off. And, fortunately, even here in recent months they have started to do so.
Nothing strange, then, if you happen to find sections in the refrigerated cabinet with the discount sticker applied on it. These promotions are usually found more easily in the yogurt and dairy department. But I advise you to throw an eye also among the meat fridges (in many cases I have found packages of cutlets or meatloafs that expired after a few days).
Don't forget to go to the deli counter, especially if you arrive at the supermarket an hour before closing in the evening. Very often fried or spit-roasted chicken cooked on site on the spot will be offered at half price.
Buy seasonal products
Never and I say NEVER underestimate the expense of the greengrocer or the butcher. Of course, the choice may not be the same as that of the large hypermarket. But, sure enough, the things you find always taste great and are in season.
This means, for example, that if you have to prepare meat sauce, three or four carrots are enough to give flavor to a kilo of minced meat. But above all, it also means that vegetables will be sold only in season, that is when the earth produces them in large quantities and, therefore, they have a lower price than at all other times of the year.
Use apps against food waste
A few weeks ago I talked about Too Good To Go , one of the best apps against food waste. Thanks to applications like this, in fact, it is possible to buy food of all kinds with a discount of up to 70% compared to the normal price.
Just keep the offers monitored during the day and buy the Magic Boxes that interest us most. Thanks to it we save a lot of money on family spending. Every week. The promotions, in fact, do not concern only restaurants, bars and pizzerias, but also bakers, greengrocers and fishmongers. Not bad, right?
How to Save on Shopping: Tips to Avoid Unnecessary Expenses
How can a fixed shopping budget save you money every year?
Knowing how to save on your groceries can earn you hundreds of dollars each year, which can help you reach your savings goals. Want to learn how to do your grocery shopping on a budget? Here are our 12 simple tips to save on your groceries.
Do your shopping according to your budget
Shopping on a budget is a good place to start saving money. According to the UK's National Statistics Office, an average person spends € 123 per month on groceries, or around € 31 per week, not including dining out. For each additional member of your household, these numbers double.
This means that a couple spends around € 247 (almost € 123 multiplied by two) per month on groceries, a three-person household spends almost € 370, and a four-person household spends around € 494 per month, just for the races!
How to shop on a budget
Based on the figures above, if you spent around € 20 instead of € 30 per week on your groceries, you would save € 40 per month. These figures could reach more than 450 € per year! This is an important part of your annual budget goals which could include paying off a loan, saving for a project, or going towards an emergency fund.
However, before establishing your monthly budget for groceries, it would be a good idea to budget for all of your finances in order to better control your financial health. To do this, here are our tips:
Track your monthly spending so you know where your money is going each month.
Separate your variable costs from your fixed costs (that is, non-adjustable expenses, like rent, are fixed while adjustable expenses, like groceries, are variable).
Calculate how much you want to save on your variable costs each month.
Set your budget in place and measure your progress to see how well you are sticking to it, then make adjustments as needed.
Make a shopping list according to your budget
Here are our tips to help you make your shopping list within the budget you have set to save on these costs each month.
1. Cook simple dishes
When it comes to shopping on a budget, simplicity is key. Choosing to make a complex recipe can easily eat up an entire week's budget, simply because of the number of ingredients. If you want to save money on groceries, choose simple, tasty recipes you love that only require five ingredients or less.
Better yet, when choosing the meals you want to prepare for the week ahead, go for recipes with the same ingredients. This will save you money in the long run, as buying in bulk is usually cheaper, as long as you use all the food you buy!
2. Plan your weekly meals
If you really want to shop on a budget, planning your meals in advance is essential. Before you go shopping, make sure you know exactly what you are going to eat this week, in order to calculate your estimated costs.
This cuts down on the chances of going over budget and encourages you to get creative with weekly meals!
3. Give up meat one day a week
It's no secret that meat is one of the most expensive food products, especially if it's organic. Limiting your weekly meat consumption is therefore an excellent solution.
Not only will this save you money and cook vegetarian more often, you might even get a taste and start eating less meat.
4. Healthy and affordable groceries for vegetarians or vegans
Keeping the tips above in mind, here is an example of healthy and affordable groceries for a vegetarian or vegan with a maximum spend of € 22 per week:
Rice € 1.50
Fresh fruits and vegetables € 7
2 vegan spreads at € 2.50
Oats € 1
4 boxes of legumes (chickpeas, black beans) € 3.50
Bread € 2
Smoked tofu € 2.50
Oat milk € 2
It might not seem like much, and yet with € 7 you can buy different vegetables which, paired with rice or legumes, can be the centerpiece of your evening meal for six days of the week. For the 7th day, tofu could be the main ingredient.
Oats and almond milk could form the basis of a hearty breakfast, and you could make sandwiches with bread, plant-based spreads, and the leftover vegetables for lunch.
Here are our tips for saving money while shopping.
Our advice to save on your shopping
Once you know how much you want to save on your groceries each month, there are a few tips and tricks you should put into practice while you shop.
5. Calculate your races
To have a clear overview of your expenses while shopping, calculate the amount of everything in your basket. You can do this using your phone's calculator or rounding off all prices to whole numbers, which will make mental math easier. This prevents you from accidentally overspending.
6. Pay for your groceries in cash
A good tip for saving on races is to use Dave Ramsey's envelope system . This budget method requires you to take cash out of your monthly income and divide it into separate envelopes based on your budget goals.
For this, you need to have envelopes for your fixed costs and for your variable costs such as recreation, shopping for clothes, dining out and shopping. By paying for your groceries in cash, it is virtually impossible to overspend!
7. Look at the bottom shelves
Supermarkets put their most expensive products at eye level to push you to exceed your shopping budget. However, if you look at the same types of food that are sold a shelf or two lower, you will notice that the prices tend to go down, with the cheaper products being closer to the ground.
8. Take a small basket
Another method that supermarkets use to keep you from saving on your groceries is to provide you with oversized shopping carts and baskets. This makes you feel like you have few products in your shopping cart, just because they don't fill the tote.
The best way to get around this problem is to choose the smallest shopping bag for your groceries, which is often a basket. Otherwise, if you only buy a few small items, forget the basket and carry them in your hand.
9. Compare prices per kilo
Another great tip for shopping on a budget is to compare product prices per kilogram, not the listed retail prices. In general, in addition to the retail price, you can find the price of the product per 100 g. You should take this figure into account when comparing other similar products.
For example, if you want to buy Parmesan but there are two different types of cheese at € 4 and € 6, you might think that the most economical choice would be to go for the € 4 pack. However, if you look at the price per kilo, you realize that the € 6 Parmesan costs € 1 for 100g, and the € 4 pack costs € 2 for 100g.
In other words, although it costs € 2 more, the € 6 parmesan packet is 50% cheaper than the € 4 pack and gives you 200g more for just € 2 more. This is a smarter decision from an economic standpoint because it will allow you to eat longer for less money.
10. Compare prices
It's no secret that supermarkets and independent grocery stores price their products differently. Often the price of the same product varies greatly from store to store. To achieve your monthly shopping budget goals, you should therefore do a little field survey.
For this you should go from store to store and notice the difference in price of the food items you buy most often. You will soon get into the habit of going to different stores depending on the type of food you need to buy. However, these prices may vary depending on the season and promotions in each store.
11. Don't shop when you're hungry
We've all been there: we walk the aisles of the supermarket with growling stomachs, and driven by hunger, we fill our baskets with unnecessary items. Shopping on an empty stomach leads to spending more, thus exceeding the shopping budget.
The solution ? Eat before you go shopping! It sounds simple, but it can make a huge difference. Even if you eat something as small as a banana or a granola bar before shopping, it could save you from spending an extra $ 15 on food.
12. Track your expenses
Just like with your general budget, it's essential to track your food expenses after you're done shopping. You can do this by entering the numbers in an Excel spreadsheet, a manual budget manager app, or you can use a budget manager app that is fully integrated with your bank account that calculates your food expenses.
Practical Advice on How to Save and Save Money Every Day
Undoubtedly, everyone at least once caught himself thinking about how to save money in everyday life. It is your daily habits that significantly affect spending and savings, so if you reconsider them, you can find a solution that is useful for your wallet. To simplify your first steps a little, Aizdevums.lv would like to share practical tips to help you save money.
How to save money on household expenses
Regular payments and accounting of expenses to save money How to save money on groceries, clothes and everyday goods? Do it yourself - from interior to personal care - and save!
Have you ever thought about what to save money for? For savings to be more successful, you need a goal. Set a goal for yourself to save up for: for example, for old age, tuition fees, unexpected expenses, or large purchases.
How to save money on household expenses
Saving electricity
Everyone knows about the ability to save energy without having to leave lights or electrical appliances on. However, electricity consumption can be affected by many other little things that we may not pay attention to in our daily life. For example, it is recommended to use LED bulbs for lighting, because they consume less electricity compared to other bulbs. It is necessary to see if the required temperature is set in the refrigerator. If it is too low, the refrigerator will use more electricity. In addition, it is recommended to regularly take care of electrical appliances: for example, make sure to regularly clean the container or bag of the vacuum cleaner and change / wash the filter.
Saving water
In everyday life, you can think about water consumption: do you spend too much of it, for example, when washing dishes. If you regularly grow mountains of dishes, we advise you to purchase a dishwasher, but it is not recommended to run it half empty due to unnecessary energy consumption.
Heating savings
The most effective way to save on heating costs is to purchase and install a thermostat in your house or apartment that allows you to regulate the temperature. Each degree can save up to 6%. But it must be borne in mind that you can save with a thermostat only if your apartment has a separate meter or even autonomous heating, or if you live in a house that is heated centrally by a heating boiler.
Regularity of payments and accounting of expenses to save money
Planning payments
Payment scheduling allows you to make your required payments on time, which is important when monthly bills for services and loans come in. By making both payments on time, you will avoid paying interest or liquidated damages. If you do forget to pay your bills on a regular basis, consider turning on automatic bill payment or setting yourself a reminder on your phone or computer.
Accounting for monthly expenses
Accounting and assessment of monthly expenses allows you to understand how much money remains for other spending or savings after making mandatory payments (payment of bills, loan payments). Plus, you'll see where and how much money is wasted and find solutions to save!
How can you save money on groceries, clothing, and everyday items
Food
Most of us devote a significant portion of our monthly budget to grocery shopping, so it's important to consider how to save money when shopping for groceries. Go to the store only full, because a hungry person will definitely buy more than required. It is recommended that you create a shopping list in advance, which will not only help you stay on track, but also save time.
It is becoming more and more popular to buy food on the Internet, for which the above recommendations are also relevant.
Clothes and footwear
The biggest expense is usually when buying seasonal clothing and footwear (such as winter jackets and boots). In this case, we advise you to look at your clothes in the current season and determine what can be worn next season and what needs to be replaced. By the end of the season, a sale of seasonal clothing and footwear begins in stores, during which you can find what you need and save a lot. We also advise you to familiarize yourself with the offer on the Internet and in outlet stores!
Household appliances and electrical appliances
Household appliances and electrical appliances save money in the long run by choosing a more expensive but also better quality product. More expensive equipment lasts longer! In addition, expensive household appliances are often more energy efficient.
Internet, television and other services
Review the range of offers from time to time to see if there are better offers from ISPs and TVs that can help you save money. Consider offers with the opportunity to try the service for free for 30 days.
Do it yourself - from interior to personal care - and save!
It's no secret that sometimes to live beautifully means to live expensive, but not everything should be given up. Find cheaper but equally effective alternatives. If there is not enough money for major repairs, and the current look of the home is tired, it can be quickly refreshed with expressive interior details that are easy to make yourself. For example, repaint wooden photo frames with a bright color. Need advice on organizing storage? It is possible! Many diverse and interesting ideas that are easy to implement yourself can be found on the Internet - just write a query on Google or use special applications (for example, Pinterest). You can also save money on cosmetics by replacing them with alternatives. For example, you can use natural coconut oil instead of a cream or body oil, and apple cider vinegar diluted with water instead of a face toner.
Practical and Smart Saving Tips
Groceries, snacks, (online) shopping. Many small expenses can add up to save a lot of money, which you might be able to save if you think about it a little more. Do I really need this? Could this be cheaper? These tips help.
Keeping up is saving
How much did you spend on groceries in the past week? How much did you spend on small purchases here and there? And what were your expenses on clothes or shoes? Chances are you don't know this exactly.
Keeping track of your expenses is often the first step in saving. Unnoticed, we often spend more than we think. If you know where your is going, you can start budgeting and that gives you a grip on money.
Many online banking apps already sort your expenses into certain categories, such as groceries, clothing, and housing. But you can also write down your expenses in a cash book or notebook.
Savings tips for groceries
Shopping is a standard procedure. That's why we often don't think much about it, but groceries can be a major expense per month. You can save on this with some minor adjustments.
- Make a weekly schedule: determine what will be eaten per day and plan this for a few days or a week in advance. That saves time and save money. Get your weekly groceries at home once a week or at a fixed time. This way you don't have to go to the supermarket every day and you can't be tempted to buy extras.
- View the brochures (often also available online) of the supermarkets in your area. Determine the dishes for your weekly menu with products that are on sale at that moment.
- Offers can yield significant benefits. But that only applies to products that you also use in that quantity. So be careful not to stock up on too many (fresh) groceries, just because it is an offer. Products with a long shelf life such as coffee, detergents or care products (for example toothpaste or shampoo) always work.
- Make sure you have an easy meal, such as frozen pizza or leftovers, if you don't feel like cooking after a long (work) day. That is still cheaper than ordering food.
- Look at what you already have at home and often you arrive at a creative meal. Or regularly read a leftover day or plan a clean-up menu, where you empty your fridge, freezer and pantry and make a dish with it.
- Do not go shopping on an empty stomach. Trek makes you less resistant to temptations in the supermarket.
- Are the children coming? Agree in advance what you will and will not buy and what they may choose.
- In the supermarket, the more expensive brands are often at eye level. Just bending over or stretching can yield interesting savings.
- Do you still have a preference for a certain A-brand? Buy other products, which you care less about, or from the cheaper house brand.
- Water, tea and lemonade are cheaper than soft drinks and beer or wine.
- Prices on the market are in some cases lower. This can apply to foodstuffs, but also to personal care products, bicycle equipment or animal feed.
- Compare the prices. There are comparison or offer sites that can help you with this. Compare, for example, the price per kilo or per liter of certain products. Only then will you know whether one brand is more expensive than another.
- You also save by wasting as little as possible. Visit the Milieu Centraal website for more tips.
Shop and consume
- Small, recurring expenses can add up. Think of the daily coffee-to-go or the bag of liquorice at the gas station. The effect of the 'unnoticed leakage' of money is called the Latte factor.
- Think consciously about a purchase. Sleep on it. If you shop online, put the product in your shopping cart and see if you still want it the next day. And if you see something appealing that's beyond your budget, think about what needs to give way. Make choices: or and not and.
- Sharing is becoming more common. Think, for example, of sharing tools with neighbors or family, exchanging products (such as clothing exchange) or sharing systems for cars and books. There are several local exchange groups on social media. See also: alternatives to buying .
- Search social media for giveaway corners or local groups with free pick-up items. Also consider Marketplace.
- Wait for the sale or buy in the 'wrong' season: many party items are on sale after Christmas and camping equipment after the summer holidays. - Don't want to spend more than a certain amount? Set a budget in advance and keep it.
- Save the receipts: smart exchange is better than unused.
- Do not automatically opt for new or expensive: you may also be able to work with second-hand or a cheaper brand. Or visit the discount drugstore or thrift store.
- In addition to (e-)books, you can also borrow audio books, read magazines and more in the library. Young people up to the age of 18 are free members.
- To play sports? First, think about how much you will actually exercise. Unlimited sounds appealing, but if you're going low, a different plan may be cheaper. There are also countless (online) programs on YouTube and running or exercising outside costs nothing, except sports shoes.
- Do you have any coupons or gifts at home? If you've run into bargains throughout the year, you'll have some in store for birthdays or holidays.
Saving on Shopping 2021
Savings is the watchword nowadays: the economic crisis has forced many people to a more contained lifestyle in which there is no longer the economic availability and purchasing power of once upon a time. Saving has become a necessity, even for the most basic areas such as food shopping.
In this guide on how to save on shopping, I give you 20 tips and tricks that you can use right away to decrease your expenses, I list 10 apps to install on your mobile phone to find the most advantageous offers, I give you some tips on what to eat and where shopping based on the type of product.
20 tips and tricks
Buying food isn't exactly optional, but by following these tips you can save a lot of money:
1. Before going out, check what you have in the fridge and pantry
It often happens that you go to the supermarket and don't remember what you have at home: so you end up buying "duplicates".
2. Eat before you go out
Studies conducted in recent years have shown that, by going shopping for food on a full stomach, you are more aware of what you literally need. Going hungry, on the other hand, is more likely to grab anything.
3. Make a shopping list
It doesn't matter how good your memory is. The list gives you the certainty of not forgetting the things you need and will discourage you from buying the unnecessary things.
4. Don't take children with you
While sometimes you can't avoid shopping with children, it's best to try to shop when they're not around: they often ask you to buy things you don't need and it's not always easy to say no.
5. Look for discount coupons and coupons
When you buy something, they can sometimes leave you with shopping vouchers or coupons. There are also various websites that deal with their own, also in collaboration with the various brands, to distribute coupons and discount coupons.
Take some time, print all the coupons you need and present them at the cashier: don't feel guilty about the person who is in line behind you and you have a wedge of coupons on the cashier. It is really worth seeing the final bill decrease thanks to every single voucher used!
6. Get straight to the point
Supermarkets often have important things right at the end of the store. So, for example, if you buy a lot of fruit and vegetables, then first of all go to the fruit and vegetable department, without going through all the departments.
7. Buy individually or in packs
When you mostly buy fruit and vegetables, remember that buying them already clean and packaged could cost more. Other times, however, buying in packs could be cheaper, by virtue of specific offers.
8. Do not buy pre-washed and pre-cut vegetables and fruit
Remember: ready-made packages cost more because you pay for the convenience. Buy a classic lettuce and wash it in the tap - you won't notice the difference.
9. Don't be tempted by brands
It is not always said that a brand advertised on TV is the best. Take the trouble to read the label, ingredients and compare prices.
10. Look at the low shelves
It is a precise marketing choice. You must know that exhibiting your products in a supermarket can have a cost: the products of the companies that pay the most are placed in the middle of the shelf, so where it is easier to be seen.
Those who pay less are almost always at the bottom. And usually the prices are lower too. Do some exercise as you may often need to get down on your knees to find the last shelf offers!
11. Stock up
When there are major products on offer, take advantage of it. For example when your olive oil has 2X1, or the tomato sauce is 50%. If there are products you use a lot and are on offer, stock them up (at least for a month).
12. Consider dried pulses
If you are among those who buy canned or canned legumes, know that you would save much more by buying them dry. Maybe you think they are difficult to cook: it's not like that and then you can make a lot of them and freeze them. The flavor of self-made legumes will have no comparison to canned ones.
13. Stay away from prepared foods
Don't buy something that's pre-cooked. Check the ingredients and buy them individually. Something prepared by you will be much more genuine and cheaper.
14. Eat seasonal produce
Prefer seasonal fruit and vegetables. Strawberries in January cost a lot! On the other hand, when spring arrives, being very widespread, the price drops a lot. Do this for all fruit and vegetables. Over time you will learn which vegetables are for each season: you will realize it because in those periods the price drops. And not a little.
15. Buy spices and exotic foods only in specialized stores
If you go to the supermarket and buy spices or exotic foods, you will probably pay twice as much as in international markets or shops. They are now in most cities: search Google Maps for the international / Chinese / Indian / Thai store closest to you and go stock up!
16. Buy the seedlings and not the twigs
If you have even one balcony, buy the basil, mint, rosemary, etc. plant. If you buy the twigs every volt you are throwing away a lot of money without realizing it.
17. Grate your cheese
Pre-wrapped cheese costs more. Make an investment: buy a small grater.
18. Don't buy potatoes in bulk
A potato crate often turns out to be a bargain. Compare the prices per kilo with those of the bag.
19. Go shopping weekly
Don't go grocery shopping too often. Rather, try to do the "big shopping" only once a week or two and then buy only the highly perishable items daily, such as dairy products or bread.
20. Collect points
At the end of the shopping, ask the house if there is a collection of points and have the catalog delivered.
The 10 Rules and Tips to Save on Shopping
Saving is the desire of any person, even more so in this period when the general economic situation is not the most optimistic and many families are forced to use their heads and calculators to reach the end of the month with serenity. One of the crucial moments is certainly the moment when you have to go to the supermarket where it is easy to get carried away and be convinced by the numerous “irrefutable” commercial proposals. So let's see some important rules on how to shop while saving.
Establish a budget in advance
Knowing the maximum limit for your shopping will allow you to pay more attention to the prices and quantities of things you put in your cart. Everything that is not essential will magically be left on the shelves and it will be easier to make a choice of the most important products.
Prepare the amount in cash
Digital currencies have eliminated the perception of the physical value of money. Using credit or debit cards does not allow you to perceive in a clear and "physical" way how much you are actually spending on shopping. There and then you think you have been paying attention and have saved on your shopping, at the end of the month the account statement will arrive and there will be nasty surprises. Having in hand the nest egg to spend, without any alternative that allows us to go beyond, is another important limit that allows us to pay much more attention. Nobody likes to go to the cashier, have no more money to spend and then be forced to leave something there, right?
Going out fewer times to do the shopping
Another curious method on how to shop to save is to simply not shop. No, I'm not crazy. It sounds trivial, but reducing the number of times you go to a supermarket is an effective way to see your shopping costs drop. Fewer trips to the supermarket means fewer temptations and fewer opportunities to spend money on products that are not always as useful as you think.
Plan the menu to save on food shopping
Much of the money we spend on shopping goes away for food. However, there are numerous recipes to save on spending, trying to throw away the bare minimum and reusing as much as possible of each dish. We had shown you all the ways to recover leftover rice with tasty and cost-effective recipes. Furthermore, knowing already what you want to cook every day before going shopping allows us to outline everything that is useful and necessary, avoiding putting products in the cart for desire. All wisely divided between meat, fish, vegetables and everything you need, without anything escaping the control of the cost of shopping.
Track offers, flyers and coupons
The television has cleared the weather to save on spending with coupons but in our part it is not so easy and usual. Coupons are not as easily found as in America and they work completely differently in our country. However, in Italy paper marketing made up of flyers is still very strong and keeping up with them allows us to always be on the piece with the relative advantageous offers. What we need to do is be sure to receive flyers from all the closest supermarkets in order to choose in a targeted and scientific way where to go to retrieve every single item of our shopping list.
Buy seasonal products
It shouldn't come as a surprise but it's always good to reiterate the concept. Buying seasonal fruit and vegetables is healthier and, above all, costs much less. Download a table of everything that is in season and use it when you find yourself deciding on the menu and making the shopping list.
Pay attention to deadlines
Running out of your food shopping stash is enormous damage that you absolutely must avoid. Buy products making sure that they do not expire shortly thereafter and always try to order them in the cupboard by always putting in front of your eyes those that expire sooner. Throwing out expired products is a double damage (and expense) that we must absolutely avoid to avoid affecting the economy of our home.
Avoid shopping with hunger
Don't laugh, it has been proven that shopping with hunger is a considerable problem. Exposing yourself to so many temptations on an empty stomach increases the chances of you giving in to some unexpected purchase and, we repeat, every unexpected purchase weighs on the final receipt. So try to plan a snack before the scheduled exit for low cost shopping.
Use the various applications sites dedicated to saving on spending
The web is full of applications and tools to help you save money by shopping. Digital flyers, apps that report offers, price aggregators: there is really anything to get help from technology not to spend money. It is just a little bit of effort to understand which of these are real aids and which ones are just trying to direct us to certain products or services.
Learn to do things yourself
Everything that is homemade costs less so it is worthwhile to roll up your sleeves and try to do things at home. Think, for example, of pasta: a half kilo packet of trofie can cost you even 4 euros when you need 1 kg of flour, half a liter of water and an egg to make it in industrial quantities (and not everyone puts it). It's all about finding the will to do it. Plus it can be a nice way to spend time with your family and children.
And you? What techniques do you use to save on your food and non-food shopping?
