The grocery budget represents a good portion of our monthly income. More it is a repetitive expenses. Americans spent approximately 10% of their disposable income on food. That is approximately $5,174 a year, or $431 a month, on groceries. That number is only projected to go up because of multiple factors such as inflation, climate change, limited resources and supply chain challenges. So being able to save money on your groceries could help add more money to your wallet. Importantly, the dollar amount spend on foods depends on factors such as where you buy, what you buy, how you buy, how you pay and how many dependents you have.
Here are some tips that can implement to save money on your grocery bill.
A. Take advantage of your tribe
One of the most innovative means of saving money on groceries is by aggregating your needs with the needs of your close friends, family, neighbors or even your co-workers. This is also known as the power of aggregation. The concept is challenging to implement but provides great benefits to all members. For instance, it helps reduce food waste and limit the impact of inflation on your paycheck.
Here is how it works:
Every month, you chip in depending on the group agreement a certain amount.
Step 1: Consolidation
Each person brings a list and the group consolidates everything in one single list. You have to consolidate, aggregate quantities, quality, label, etc… It is probably the most challenging step.
Step 2: Buying
A designated person takes the list to a grocery store or a wholesale club and purchases in bulk. For example, a bag of your favorite rice will cost maybe $10, with coupons you can get it for $8. Probably, it is on sale so it will go for $7. So you will save $3 for the bag of rice. However, with group-buying, because it is in bulk you will probably get it for $6 with good negotiation tactics.
Step 3: Distribution
Distribute products according to everyone’s list.
The process is not easy, but it is worth it. Perhaps. it will not work for all grocery products but most likely you will be able to save some precious dollars. It is all about bargaining power. That is how a money circle can help you save money on groceries.
You can designate a leader who’s going to stop by each member’s house to drop or each member can stop by a specific location to pick up their groceries.
Nevertheless, if you are not excited about teaming up with trusted people such as your family members you can follow these simple tips to save money on grocery shopping.
B. Take advantage of supermarkets opportunities
Tips that can help you save money on grocery
- Rewards
You can Redeem your rewards, points, boost, or bonus to pay for your groceries. Some digital peer-to-peer payment apps such as cash app, actually offer discounts up to 5% for grocery shopping. In addition, many credit cards make it simple to earn rewards when you use them at checkout, that can be used to offset your grocery shopping bill. Moreover, some credit cards have developed tailor rewards programs just for grocery shopping. For instance Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card offers up to 5% cash back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market. You can also use those rewards to pay for gas as well.
- Clip coupons
Clip available coupons to take advantage of available discounts at your preferred grocery store. This is particularly easy when your favorite grocery chain have a mobile app. You can just browse all available discounts and click to load the discount onto your loyalty card. The discount will apply automatically at check out. You can also check weekly circular in your mail cut out any coupons and save them for your next grocery shopping.
- Join a loyalty program
Most stores offer rewards program that makes it easy for customer to earn points at check out. Those points can be can be redeemed on future shopping runs to offset your bill.
- Join a wholesale membership
Usually, wholesale club sell food in bulk. It is a very good option for large families because of the low costs per unit. Nevertheless, keep in mind you have to pay annual membership fees at most wholesale clubs. Finally, you will need to shop there enough to save money. Indeed, you will spend more at the outset because you shop in large quantities.
- Meal plan for the week only with seasonal produces
Weekly or even one month meal plan is a formidable exercise that would save you money and time. Notably, if you are relying on seasonal produces to make your meal. Mostly, it will ensure that you only buy things you’ll use.
- Check different grocery stores
Head to a nearby competitor to compare prices. Some stores use their buying power and their scale to negotiate lower pricing for their customers. Do not hesitate to check unusual grocery stores even online stores.
- Go shopping with a list
Going to the supermarket without a shopping list can increase your grocery bill by up to 2%.
- Limit pre-packaged/pre-cut items such as pre-cut veggies
These types of grocery items might be extremely convenient when cooking, but stores generally considered them as added values items. Hence, charging more for the convenience. Instead, always go for whole items to save money.
- Buy generic brands
Generic brand to save money such as store owned brands are way cheaper than name brands. For instance, during your next shopping run, if you look at the top or bottom of the shelves you will find cheaper option.
- Prioritized seasonal items
If you shop seasonal items chances are they are cheaper because they are produced locally for the most part. Thus limiting the cost of transportation.
- Buy items on sale
Consider buying items on sale whenever possible. Supermarket always run sales. You will be surprised by the amount of money you can save Sale items are often displayed in prominent locations throughout the store, such as at the entrance and ends of aisles.
C. Grow your own foods
One of the best ways to save money on your groceries is to grow your own foods. Even though, you might not be able to completely grow everything you need. Nevertheless, you can grow some of your favorite vegetables. If you have enough space in your backyard or balcony chances are you could grow than 60% of your vegetables needs. The key here is to choose produce that are common and easy grow. Also, if you happen to live in a city that authorized breeding you will be able to secure proteins as well by breeding chickens or even fish.
Conclusion
In conclusion, high food prices are here to stay. So it is important to explore ideas that will help save money on groceries. Find the system might not work for you. But also don’t hesitate to combine multiple. Finally, with the right mindset, savings can be big.
