shopping guide for you
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Here are some tips for shopping, Which may help you and your family
1. Always go with a list. If you go without a
list, you may as well just throw your money away. Better yet, donate it to me —
I probably need it more than you. :) Seriously, though, you need to prepare a
list of everything you need, pulling from your weekly menu (next tip) and checking
to make sure you don’t have it in your pantry, fridge or freezer. Make sure
you’re not forgetting anything. Now stick to that list.
2. Plan out a weekly menu. This is the best way to
ensure that your list is complete, and that you have enough to serve your
family dinner for the week. I often plan a weekly menu and then duplicate it
for the next week — this way I can shop for two weeks at once. Be sure to plan
a leftovers night.
3. Don’t go when you’re hungry. This is a common tip,
but it’s true: when you’re hungry, you want to buy all kinds of junk. You’ll
end up spending a lot more. Eat a good meal first, and you’ll be more likely to
stick to your list.
4. Have a budget. When I go to the store,
I know exactly how much I can spend. Then I try my best to stick within that
limit. If you don’t know how much you can spend, you’ll certainly spend too
much.
5. Do a rough running tally. Related to the above
tip, if you want to stay within your budget, it’s best to know where you’re at.
Then, when you can see you’re going to go above it, you can decide whether you
really need that 10-lb. box of bon bons. I keep a running tally on my grocery
list, just rounding off so I can do some quick math. An item costs $1.85? I say
$2. Then I don’t need a calculator or all those complicated math skills.
6. Keep a list on your fridge, and write things down immediately. When
you run out of something, don’t leave it to your memory. Jot it down
immediately, and you’ll never have to run back to the store because you don’t
have eggs.
7. Make a pantry checklist. Make a checklist of
everything you normally stock in your pantry. Keep it posted on the pantry. Put
a slash next to each item for the number of items you have (if you have two
cans of stewed tomatoes, put two slashes). Then, when you use something, turn
the slash into an x. This makes it much easier when it comes time to make your
list.
8. Keep things stocked for quick-n-easy meals. Easy
meals for us might be spaghetti or mac-n-cheese or a quick stir-fry. We’ve
always got the ingredients on hand, so we can whip something up fast when we’re
feeling lazy.
9. Buy in bulk when it makes sense. If
you can save money, over the course of a month or two, by buying in bulk, plan
to do so. But be sure that you’re going to use all of it before it gets bad —
it isn’t cheaper to buy in bulk if you don’t use it.
10.
Keep your receipts, then
enter into a spreadsheet. This will be your price list. Use it so you
know when bulk or sale items are a good deal. It’s also a great way to
comparison shop between stores — buy your baking goods in Store A but your
fresh fruits in Store B. The spreadsheet can also serve as a checklist to use
when you’re compiling your shopping list.
11. Cut back on meat. Meat is expensive. We
have vegetarian meals several times a week (think pasta or chili) and for other
meals, you could just use a little meat as a kind of seasoning instead of the
main ingredient — think Asian, Indian and other such cultural food. Actually, I
eat vegetarian all the time, but the wife and kids do a little of each.
12. Pack your own lunch snacks. Buying pre-made snacks
is convenient, but a big waste of money. Buy little baggies and buy the snacks
in bulk, then it will take just a few minutes to pack some snacks for lunch
each day.
13. Clip coupons. I know, sometimes they seem like too much
trouble. But it’s not really that hard to clip a few coupons and toss them in a
coupon envelop to take on your grocery shopping trip. And you can save 10-20%
of your bottom line with coupons. Check store entrances, newspaper and flyers
for coupons.
14. Only use coupons for items you were already planning to buy. Don’t
let them trick you into buying something that’s not on your list, just to
“save” money.
15. Look for specials. Every store has
specials. Be sure to look for them in the newspaper, or when you get to the
store (they often have unadvertised specials — look on the higher and lower
shelves for deals). Don’t buy them unless they’re things you always use.
16. Try the store brands. Brand names are often
no better than generic, and you’re paying for all the advertising they do to
have a brand name. Give the store brand a try, and often you won’t notice a
difference. Especially if it’s an ingredient in a dish where you can’t taste
the quality of that individual ingredient.
17. When there’s a sale, stock up. Sale items can be a
great deal. If it’s an item you normally use, buy a bunch of them.
18. Comparison shop. Look at the different
brands for a certain type of product, including store brands. Sometimes there
will be a significant difference. Be sure you’re comparing apples to apples —
you need to divide the price by the amount (ounces, pounds, etc.) in order to
get the comparable unit price.
19. Go during slow times. One of my favorite
times to shop is late at night. But during working hours or other non-peak
times is good too. Avoid right after 5 p.m., on paydays and near major
holidays.
20. Know when the store stocks its fresh fruits and veggies. In my
area, that makes a big difference. Fruits and veggies can go bad quickly,
because they have to be shipped. So I know that the store re-stocks on
Thursdays, and so I usually go on Thursdays or Fridays, otherwise I’ll be
getting old items.
21. Try co-ops. You can often save a lot of money at these
types of places for staples.
22. Rain check. If an item is on sale but the store has run
out of stock, ask for a rain check.
23. Go when the kids are in school. When you bring kids,
they will pester you and pester you until you buy some kind of junk food. Even
if you’re able to stick to your guns, it’s not pleasant saying no 10 million
times. In most cases, you’ll save money shopping without the kids.
24. Use store savings cards. These can add up to big
savings over the long run.
25. Cut back on your restaurant eating. It’s
never cheaper or more nutritious than eating at home. Plan your dinners (see
above tip) and bring your lunches to work and save a ton of money.
26. Avoid frozen dinners or prepared entrees.
Again, these cost way more and are usually much less nutritious.
27. Drink water. If you regularly drink iced tea, Tang, sodas
or other types of drinks, cut those out completely and just drink water. It’s
much better for you, and much cheaper.
Enjo ying India: The Essential Handbook
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