6 tricks to save on grocery shopping

It may seem like an impossible task to save on shopping at the supermarket, but I assure you it is the easiest thing in the world. Plus, once you figure out how to do it, you can use that money savings to enjoy other pleasures in life. Therefore, it is certainly worth including these tricks among our habits. You only need a few minutes to read the 6 tricks that I am going to tell you below and put them into practice today.

Trick 1: choose the cheapest supermarket to save

According to the OCU, the average annual cost of the supermarket in Spain is 4,786 euros. This means that each family spends around 400 euros a month in food consumption. However, if you choose among the cheapest chains, you can save up to 947 euros a year (and, in Madrid, you could reach up to 3,000 euros a year). It is clear that choosing a supermarket is personal. However, from a pocket point of view, there is no doubt that it is worth choosing the right one.

Given the data, there is no doubt that choosing a supermarket with a good price level translates into real money savings at the end of the year. Also, you don’t need to waste a lot of time doing an exhaustive Google search to find the cheapest supermarket. If you access the cheapest super locator in a few seconds you will find your ideal place to shop every week near home.

Don’t trust flashy offers

When choosing your supermarket in order to save, remember to be wary of those who present the best offers. Sometimes we tend to confuse bargaining with saving. This is a very common error among the Spanish. The fact that some products are somewhat cheaper does not mean that global purchasing means more savings.

Trick 2: making a pre-purchase list is one way to save

This trick is really effective. Although many of us try to plan a weekly shopping list to have everything organized, the truth is that laziness sometimes surpasses us. For this reason, we usually go to the supermarket without the list made and buy on the go. And, as we all well know, this is a double-edged sword. Once you walk in the door of the grocery store, the buying spurs are huge and you often end up buying everything but what you really need.

Who hasn’t come home saying, “Oops, I forgot my toilet paper." But, instead, he brings the bag full of snacks , chocolates, products to a euro that he found in the line of boxes and countless other things, except what is really important. Don’t worry, it has happened to all of us.

To help avoid those compulsive purchases and forget what we went to buy, it is a great idea to prepare the shopping list before leaving home. Check what you already have in the fridge and plan what you will cook for the rest of the week. In this way you can calculate approximately the amount of food you need. I assure you that you will notice a great saving with this trick. In addition, that money you save can be used on other whims.

Trick 3: invest in bigger products

We often find fault when we have to spend a certain amount of money in advance on products that we are not going to consume entirely in the short term. That is to say, many times we prefer to spend money on a liter of oil than on 5 liters because the economic difference between both expenses is noticeable. However, if we calculate, the times we buy a liter of oil and how long it takes to spend it compared to the times you would buy a 5-liter bottle and the time elapsed to consume them, you will realize that you have saved a few euros. You will also have saved the time of including that product in your shopping list and buying it regularly.

Trick 4: have a certain budget for your purchases

It would be a great idea to set a budget before going to the supermarket. For many people it is very easy to spend money without realizing it. If you consider this trick as a clever strategy, you can consider it a game and try to adjust a budget as much as possible and still have everything you need in your fridge. It can be a fun challenge!

Trick 5: use the calculator while shopping at the supermarket

The calculator is an effective tool to keep the price you had stipulated in your purchase as low as possible. When you see in real numbers what you have spent in your shopping cart, you are more aware of the costs and avoid spontaneous expenses in things that you do not need. You can use your mobile calculator while you are making the purchase. If you have children, this is an opportunity to do the activity together. You take care of choosing the products and they will keep you aware of what you are spending. It is a great idea to involve them in maintaining the budget.

Trick 6: get a membership card for your purchases

Due to the competition that is generated between supermarkets today, many of them already offer membership cards to buyers. Almost all chains allow you to benefit from discounts frequently. Many of them even allow you to accumulate points or money that you can spend on future purchases.

We are lazy to stop for a few minutes to fill in the necessary information to obtain the membership card, but it is certainly worth it. Don’t wait any longer: get yours at the supermarket you have chosen for your regular purchases and start saving money.

In conclusion, once you start applying all these tricks to save on grocery shopping, you will start to see notable changes. There are many more options to gain control of our economy, but starting with these simple tricks is not difficult at all and will ignite the spark of the good saver.