How to Save $30 a Week on your Shopping
How to save $30 per week on the family food shopping is as
simple as always shopping with a shopping list and not just
wandering around the supermarket and picking up items that take
your fancy. This is a quick way to blow the shopping budget
right out the window.
It is a well known fact in supermarket presentation that it is
affective marketing to move an essential item like eggs and
locate them near other unrelated items to try and tempt shoppers
to buy items that are not on their shopping list. This is good
marketing and it works. The bottom line is shop with a list and
don't get sidetracked.
This principle can also be applied to just about any shopping we
all do. How many times have you gone to the shops for the butter
or bread that you forgot and come home with a new T shirt or
that fancy new ice cream that is double the price of other
brands. Don't impulse buy. Chances are that tomorrow you will
have forgotten what is was you absolutely had to have and it
sits in a cupboard or freezer somewhere.
To shop with a list takes us one step further in the budgeting
do's and don'ts. Don't shop every day except for fresh food
items. Plan on doing your shopping once a week. Allow for your
fresh fruit and vegetables three times a week. Nearly everyone
has a freezer these days to store their meat and bread also
freezes well. The most expensive way to shop is daily.
Remember this as it can easily add anywhere from $30 and up per
week. The best budgeters are those that live in the country who
are too far to travel daily to the shops. Make a set day for
shopping and don't run to the shops if you run out of something
unless it is essential. If you have a good method for preparing
your shopping list this shouldn't happen but we all make
mistakes.
Another tip to bullet proof your weekly budget. Use a computer
shopping list that helps you generate your list for you. Just
type into your web search "free shopping list" and you will see
a number of free software you can use. Also many of the recipe
sites have free shopping list software you can use. Or for a
free recipe file that generates a shopping list you can download
one here http://www.keyword-articles.info/downloads/regidean.exe
Don't shop when you are hungry as you will be tempted to buy
treats for yourself and also you tend to overbuy on some items.
Learn to exchange some items on your list if you see a special.
If you have lamb chops on your list but pork chops are a super
special then be flexible and save dollars. Always remember that
items that come in bulk packages aren't always the cheapest.
Coffee is a good example here.
Many times the smaller jars are a better price and it also keeps
your coffee fresher for longer. Toilet paper is another item to
watch - many times the 4 packs are cheaper than the 12 packs.
This is another marketing ploy to get you the customer to spend
more money. Learn to work out the cost of each item in multiple
packs.
Just divide the total package cost by the number of items. The
arithmetic doesn't have to be spot on just a ball park figure
will do. Another easy tip. All supermarkets have times during
the week when they mark down the prices. This will vary from
shop to shop but you can get some great bargains just by
shopping at a particular time. Also check the markdown prices on
meat. You can get some great bargains here and as long as you
are going to freeze the item there is no problem of it being
past the use by date.
So to summarise: 1. Set your weekly food budget 2. Always shop
with a list and stick to it 3. Don't impulse buy 4. Don't shop
daily - shop once a week 5. Don't shop when you are hungry 6.
Compare costs on bulk packs and items 7. Check the price mark
down time at your supermarket
Beth Black Keyword Articles http://www.keyword-articles.info