We provide solutions that help employees save money every day using tax-free dollars to pay for their commute. We also know there are plenty of other ways to save in most of the things we do on a regular basis, like grocery shopping. Here are a few grocery shopping savings tips that can help you add to your household savings each month.
What’s Your Game Plan?
Shopping for groceries is one of many tasks that often compete with other priorities in our busy lives. Making the trip to grab a few necessities can easily turn into an odyssey that ends with a cart full of calorie-loaded treats and impulse buys. So you should have a game plan.
A solid game plan should begin with knowing your budget. One way to figure that out is to keep track of your receipts, not only on trips to the grocery store but also for takeout meals and eating out (cooking more means saving more).
Once you have a budget you can use that as a starting point to create a meal plan for the week. Knowing what to get for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next week or two, and factoring how often you might be eating out or ordering in, can provide a bird’s eye view of your items to make smarter, cost-effective choices when you go to the grocery store.
When a Shopping List is More than a List
Categorizing items in ways that combines savings with your priorities (nutrition, eating organic, more veggies, etc.) is another way to stay on target when you go shopping. The process of organizing your items is another layer of decision-making to ensure a lean and efficient shopping list. There are several grocery list templates to choose from to give you an idea of what your strategy can look like. There are also a variety of food shopping apps that can help you organize shopping lists based on your chosen items.
Develop these Good Shopping Habits
Armed with your budget, list, and plan, it finally comes down to good shopping habits to save. Shopping during off-peak hours, like weekdays instead of weekends, and avoiding the after-work crowd means less stress and less time in the aisles picking up items that you don’t really need. Another tip is to avoid shopping while hungry which can lead to the purchase of higher calorie foods. Shopping after a meal or having a snack prior to the task, would be the better way to go. Shopping alone has many advantages. It allows you to stay focused on the budget and the list. There are fewer decision makers that can easily add to the list and you can take the time to read the ingredients and calorie count to make the healthier choices, as well.
And finally, getting your employer involved can stretch your savings even further with programs like Nutrisavings.
