We have reported on online grocery shopping hacks to save you money and creating cheap grocery lists to help you save when on a tight budget, but we have never told you about some of the grocery shopping mistakes that could be costing you a lot of money.
If you want to save money on your food expenses, you are better off preparing meals at home rather than dining out.
But even if you are buying most of your food at the grocery store, there is a good chance you are still spending more than necessary.
That's because you're probably making mistakes while shopping at the supermarket. Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid.
Avoid buying anything on an empty stomach
One of people’s biggest mistakes when grocery shopping is buying things on an empty stomach. When you’re hungry, all of the snacks in the store start to look tempting, and it’s easy to buy way more than you intended.
To avoid this, try to go grocery shopping when you’ve already had a meal or at least have a snack in your bag. That way, you won’t be as tempted to buy unhealthy snacks and will be more likely to stick to your diet.
You shop without a plan
Wandering to the store without a list just might be an unforgivable shopping mistake. But you need even more than that. You need a meal plan.
While you’re building both your meal plan and list, open the fridge, freezer, cabinets, and pantry.
Clean out expired items. Then, base your first meal for the week on what you could make without making a single purchase.
After that, determine where you might be able to use what you already have on hand and perhaps buy only one item.
For instance, you have pasta and sauce, but no source of protein to go with it. Add that item to your list. Don’t forget to think about breakfasts, snacks, and lunches, too.
Buying out of season
This is another habit that will cost you. If you're buying produce out-of-season, that means that they have been shipped internationally.
In short, this means that you're often paying a few cents more. Not to mention that produce shipped internationally loses most of its freshness during transport.
Ignoring frozen foods
Frozen foods often get a bad reputation. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth! If you’re choosing things like frozen fruits and vegetables, they will actually be packed with more nutrients and vitamins than their fresh or canned alternatives.
That’s because frozen fruits and vegetables are picked when they’re perfectly ripe whereas fresh foods are picked before they reach peak ripeness, losing out on their full nutritional potential.