We all want to have nice things, travel the world or invest. No matter what we dream of, we all need that extra cash. And do you know what, the first step is not into blaming the system or whatever, but it is more about looking at yourself.
The people who live in the civilized world are kind of living a cluttered life. By cluttered I mean that we own too much things we do not need. And this is too hard to even talk about, because we all have different obsessions. One thing though that we all have in common is that fact that we all eat food so we all go to the store for groceries. And although we don’t really realize it we spend too much money and energy on that.
It turns out that there is a way to save up on groceries. And once you get used to it you will soon feel how much money you have saved. I would really like to travel. That is the only thing I am willing to save money for. So I made my travel jar where I put all the money I am able to save.
Here is an idea how to save on groceries, so that you can afford your dream too!
Do an inventory
There is a reason why shops and firms make inventory. There is no way you will know what you need if you don’t know what you already have. And that applies for your home too. Although (and thankfully) it is a whole smaller job it does the same thing. Try making an inventory of you fridge, kitchen cabinets and storage (if you have one) once every two weeks. Some people will not like the idea of that so you can make it on a monthly basis, but the often the better.
The point of that whole things is first of all to throw away anything that is expired. Then it is to see what you miss and definitely need to buy. This way you won’t pile up on the same things every time you go shopping. You will build a good variety which you will keep.
Plan meals ahead
I know that this doesn’t sound as fun. But once you know what you will cook in the next week and what you will need you will save on time in the shop and also you won’t panic.
When we don’t really know what we need, we tend to be impulsive buyers. And that just thins our budget – exactly the opposite of what we want. When you just plan your meals you know the amount of stuff you need. And you buy that. Then you add extra things for snacks like fruits, sweets, popcorn – stuff like that. And this makes out you whole shopping list. It is not impulsive and it is smart. And smart grocery shopping pays you back.
Shop only once a week
Well, you probably need to buy bread more often than that. And sometimes we need more fresh fruits and vegetables. But other than that limit your grocery time by once per week.
Firstly you will save time like this. And then you won’t once again buy things you already have and don’t need. Once you have planned your meals and got all you need to, there is no way you will need something so urgently. Yes, we forget and sometimes we decide to add something. But then just go to some local store and get exactly what you need.
Don’t stroll around it looking! Because if you look you get and that way you spend money you could have easily saved.
Try coupons
Nowadays there are many coupon systems available. And although many people say this is not for me, it actually is for anyone. Sites like Coupons.com or SmartSource.com offer all of the coupons you need on your smart phone. You don’t need to cut them out and feel like a crazy car lady.
Downloading an app is not that hard. And using those coupons might save you up to 30-40 $ per week. Which added up for a while year is unbelievably much! Who would pass on an offer like that?
Of course don’t get all crazy and buy things you don’t need! Search for the coupons only for the stuff that is on your shopping list for the week. And if you find a great deal of something you don’t need right now, but you know that in a week or a month you will need it, print out the coupon and save it until it is time to use it!
A great idea, right?
Go alone
Once you are with the kids or with your boyfriend or your friend it gets all messy and crazy. You can’t think clearly and there are way too many suggestions. Especially when you are with the kids – it is a disaster. Not that your kids are not amazing. Don’t get me wrong, but they will want bunch of stuff they must not eat and you don’t need in your cart. They will put stuff in without you looking. Or if they don’t they will ask for so much that at some point you will give up. And it is kind of the same with partners. When we though go shopping with a friend we tend to do similar shopping. And that is not what you need, is it?
So going alone at the groceries is your best bet on saving money. In order not to be bored you can just bring your head phones and enjoy your own music while shopping. Also another thing – researches have found that if you eat something right before you go to the store the chances of you over buying things and spontaneously getting stuff gets way lower. And I actually have tried that and it works!
So now it is your turn!
