Whether you want to save your precious time, save up some bills in your wallet and maintain your fitness goals, these six sure-fire tips will help you shop on a budget.
Plan Before Shopping
Before going to the grocery store, make sure you know what are the food items you need to buy to avoid impulse buying, aimless shopping and time wasting. Spare some time to plan ahead and think about the food items you and your family need for the week. Take a look at your kitchen pantry, do some inventory and look at the items still available in your kitchen to avoid buying the same items again while shopping. Finally, list down the food items that you need to buy in the grocery store from fresh produce to canned goods and if possible, list them according to category to avoid hopping from one aisle to another. Have a list handy with you to be guided accordingly. This way, you will not only save money but also your precious time!
Consider Frozen Goods
Frozen foods are stereotyped to be bombarded with preservatives and generally not so much of a healthy option. However, frozen fruit and vegetables are usually frozen at the peak of their ripeness which means that most of their nutrients are just preserved from the time they are prepared to the time they are eaten. In addition, they do not require much of added preservatives because most microorganisms cannot thrive at frozen temperature. Fish and meat are also a good option to purchase since most of these products displayed on the fresh counters are thawed from frozen anyway, so literally, they are just of the same quality. Opt for frozen goods and you will be surprised how much you can save and how easy storing them for a long time in your kitchen gives you good advantage.
Buy Foods In Season
This tip is actually a no-brainer. When a certain food item is in season, automatically it is abundant, it is cheap and most importantly it is in its highest quality. Its like every vendor is going to offer you the lowest prices for high quality produce because there is so much food item in stock, so take advantage of it.
Grab Some Canned Goods
Canned goods? Meh. Not for the health-conscious you, right? But take another minute to think about it. There are canned goods which can give you the best bargain you can ever imagine possible! The trick is just to stay away with the unhealthy choices and choose canned vegetables like peas, beans, tomatoes, corn, mushroom and the list goes on. Canned tuna is also a great option to purchase because the fresh ones are more expensive. Purchase them while they are on sale and stock them up in your pantry for the rainy and lazy days.
Shop When You’re Full
This is quite an old school rule but its true. It is advisable to have a meal or a snack first before going to the grocery store for some old but effective reasons. Accordingly, shopping with your stomach full will make you avoid impulsive buying and purchase food items with high calorie content just because you are craving for it for the moment. Makes sense right?
Check Nutrition Facts
As always, check the nutrition label before putting a food item in your shopping cart. Take time to scrutinize the ingredients, calorie content, nutrient content and serving size. Pay much attention to the serving size of the product and think about how much you consume. You might be consuming a can of food item which is already good for two persons. Most importantly, do not buy items with ingredients or contents you don’t understand or are familiar with.