The average family spends about 35% of their budget on groceries. Naturally, many would be happy to avoid such waste, but every time the supermarket trolley is filled to the very top.
In order not to spend more on food than is required, you should heed the advice that we presented in today's top ten. So, Top 10 ways to save money on food.
10. Down with semi-finished products!
Ready-made pancakes, cutlets and dumplings are much more expensive than home-made products. Moreover, the quality of such semi-finished products often raises well-grounded doubts.
9. Make a menu for the week
This approach will allow you to rationally approach the purchase of products. If the menu is planned, then you will not have excess products that can spoil, and you will not have to buy the missing ingredient at the last minute at an overpriced price in a nearby store.
8. Use lists
By purchasing products without a list, we are buying a lot of excess. If in the process of shopping there is a desire to buy something unplanned, you should include such products on the menu for the next week.
7. In supermarkets, study the goods on the lower shelves
Marketers have long found out that more often we take products that are located at eye level. Therefore, the most expensive goods are displayed on these shelves. But below you can find the same pasta, cereals or spices at a lower price.
6. Buy in bulk
This advice is especially true for a large family. Sugar, flour and potatoes can be purchased in bags at a wholesale store, saving up to 40% of the cost. If there is no place to store so many products, you can cooperate for bulk purchases with friends, family and neighbors.
5. Make preparations for the winter
Vegetables and fruits are very expensive in winter. In such a situation, berries, plums, bell peppers, zucchini and cauliflower frozen since summer are very helpful. Dill, parsley, celery, and other herbs can be dried and stored in a glass jar. Well, do not forget about pickles, marinades and sauerkraut.
4. Avoid catering
If it is possible to take homemade food to work, you should definitely do it. Meals in the restaurant will cost at least 50% more. The tradition of gathering at home for Friday and Sunday dinners will also help save money.
3. Go to the store as little as possible
Buy only fresh baked goods and dairy products every day. To buy meat, eggs, vegetables and fruits, it is enough to devote one day every week, and for everything else - 1 day a month. The more often we visit the store, the more we buy.
2. Go grocery shopping alone
As a rule, unwanted products are more often bought by men, as well as families with children. Therefore, it is better to entrust the purchase of goods in a supermarket, where there are more temptations, to a woman. But going to the store with a large company will surely turn into unnecessary expenses, since everyone will certainly buy something not planned.
1. Don't go to the store hungry
Going for groceries on an empty stomach will result in the purchase of a lot of unnecessary "snacks".If you need to stop by the supermarket after work, you should take care of a light snack an hour or two before the trip, so as not to leave the store with a cart full of excess groceries.