Plan on two major shops a month, with weekly visits for perishables, says
Kimberly Danger, author of Instant Bargains. Singles and couples are twice
as likely as families to shop several times a week: "They see it more as a
leisurely activity than a task," says Danger. A recent study shows that
impulse buys shoot up 23 percent on unplanned trips, and decrease 13 percent
when planned. Use
Walmart Photo Coupons 50% off to save more:
1.
Map out a week's worth of meals.
Relax, we're not asking you to trot out a new dish seven nights a week. Smart
menu planning is about identifying ingredients that can make repeat
appearances, says Mary Ostyn, author of Family Feasts for $75 a Week.
Choose three star meals, then build supporting suppers around them, using
leftover ingredients in salads and pastas.
Leave your plastic at home.
Set aside about 10 percent of your weekly salary for groceries and plan on
paying with cash. Shopping with dollars in hand will cut spending by about 25
percent per trip. "It's psychologically more difficult to fork over cash
than a credit card," says Jeanette Pavini, coupons.com's household savings
expert.
2.
WHILE YOU'RE THERE
Get in and get out -- fast.
Shopping should take no longer than 30 minutes a week, says Danger. The longer
you linger, the more you'll probably spend. In a recent study, "fast and
efficient" shoppers were 82 percent less likely to impulse-buy than the
average shopper. The more you interact with a product (i.e., picking it up to
read the label), the more likely you are to buy it, says Paco Underhill, author
of Why We Buy. Couples, in particular, should take note, as they
"often encourage each other's splurges," says Danger, resulting in 50
percent higher costs per person compared to families.
Buy meat, seafood and poultry...when it's on sale.
It may feel like groceries cost an arm and a leg, but that doesn't mean you
need to eliminate breasts and thighs. There's often a cut going for less than
$2 per pound, says Ostyn. Plus, it's a myth that sale cuts are poor quality.
Meat freezes well, so stock up and divvy into meal-size portions -- the average
family will save up to $800 a year.
Some aisles have better deals than others.
Stick to the freezer aisle. Freezer staples like fruits and veggies are
your best friends. "They allow you to use only what you need," says
Pavini. Half the average household's annual 460 pounds of food waste is fresh
produce. Avoid quick breakfast foods. Eighty percent of families splurge on
boxed cereal and flavored oatmeal packets that cost three times as much as
quick fixes like plain oatmeal or eggs (which you can hard-boil on days that
you're short on time).
3.
ONCE YOU'RE HOME
Review your receipts.
In fact, hold on to a month's worth. Cross off staples like milk and eggs
-- "whatever's left are extras you can live without," says Danger.
Also check the date and time stamp. Do you tend to buy more "extras"
on weeknights, when your willpower is low from a long day at work? Try shopping
on the weekend instead.
Shop midweek to avoid crowds.
Tuesdays and Wednesdays are your best bet, advises Gault. "Go after
dinner, when the post-work crowds have cleared," she says. If you must
shop on weekends, go before noon.
Consider another store.
Ostyn suggests tracking prices of staples to see which stores offer
competitive prices. "Identical items often vary by at least a
dollar," says Ostyn, who points out that most people shop at three
supermarkets a month. Using Walmart
Photo Coupons 50% off will save more than $500 a year on shopping at
Walmart.
