Most of us have a grocery budget to work with. There are smart ways to stretch and then there are dumb ways to blow it.
On my journey to reduce my grocery budget to $60 a week for our family of 4, I’ve made many mistakes. This is how I used to shop. Here are the top 15 ways to blow your grocery budget:
- Don’t make a list. The stores love it when you just walk around, wandering from aisle to aisle, grabbing items as you see them. This is the surest way to have to make another trip tomorrow, when you remember what you actually came to the store for.
- Don’t set limits. Buy as many items as you want at retail price. It’s not like you have limited funds.
- Bring your credit or debit card. That way you won’t actually have to prepare a budget that you’ll have to stick to.
- Trust the store’s clearance signs. You don’t need to look at the regular price to see how much of a discount you’re getting.
- Don’t take time to think about whether you need the item. If it appears to be a good price just grab it.
- Don’t consider where you could get it cheaper. Buying everything at the same store is enough.
- Don’t do any research before hand. You can trust the store to present you with the best options.
- Don’t eat before shopping. Hungry shoppers never buy expensive things they don’t need.
- Bring the kids with you. They aren’t a distraction.
- Rush through the store. You don’t need to consider unit prices, brand options, or shelf positioning.
- Leave your coupons at home. It’s ok if you saved inserts and clipped coupons.
- Grab the first option you see. No need to compare brands, store location, or alternative products.
- Don’t actually plan what meals you would like to have from the foods you buy. This is the easiest way to spend money, come home, and feel like you still don’t have anything to eat.
- If you see a good price, just buy one. Maybe the store will have it on sale again next week.
- Go to the store every day or every other day. If you don’t decide what to eat until dinner time, you’ll likely have to go to the store to pick something up.
Like I said, this is how I used to shop. Here are 15 better solutions to sticking to a grocery budget:
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An excellent lost of reminders. Thank you.
Martianne,
Thanks for your feedback. Sometimes, in order to figure out what to do, I have to think about what “not to do.”
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That is how I use to shop, too. Once I developed better shopping habits, I cut our grocery budget in half.
Thanks for the tips! Thanks for sharing at Inspire Me Mondays!
This is funny…and so true! Although I typically do most of our shopping at 1 or 2 stores, I also know what we eat and what we don’t. Eating pretty much all whole foods, definitely keeps it simple when shopping. And, since I try to do one big shop a month getting most everything we’ll need, it’s certainly much simpler. 🙂
So true. Using a list is huge and it also saves a lot of time!
Hahaha! I love playing the budget game, but sometimes I do exactly what’s listed above and it’s bad 🙁 This is awesome and so very true. Thanks for sharing at crazy frenxy friday link-up.
Lots of good pointers, Raki! Thanks so much for linking this up at Best of the Weekend!
Happy shopping!
haha! I have done all of those things on occasion. You really have to keep an eye on what you’re doing when everything in the store is designed to trap you into spending more. Great post.
Yes! I definitely feel like it’s a setup.
Bringing kids with you should be #1. Our cart is full way too soon with my daughter along. Thanks for linking up to Merry Monday! Sharing on FB ! Have a great week!
Kim
Yes! I spend the least when my daughter doesn’t come with me.
This is great! Saving to my Handy Tips board! The Wednesday “To Grandma’s House We Go” link party just started over at grandmashousediy.com and I thought you might be interested in joining it, thanks!
So funny and true. Thank you for sharing with us at #HomeMattersParty.See you again next week.
You are bang on with these tips!
Ahh the kids.. by kids you also mean significant other right? He HATES bargain shopping with me.. lol