A grocery list?
For many people, knowing what to buy at the end of each month without spending all their hard-earned money can be very stressful. Yet, we all need to do groceries, but how can we avoid this stressful situation? Simply make a list of grocery on a budget!
By doing so, you will save time and money by preventing you from spending money on unnecessary things.
Why do we need to make a grocery list?
We need to have this pre-defined plan because of the waste we do every month. Before implementing this, I bought many things that remain in my storage for days or even months. I didn’t realize that I picked what I thought I would need later when doing shopping.
Many of us stay at home with the recent pandemic, and our eating habits increased a lot. Even if we plan to buy groceries for a month or fifteen days, we saw that we ate more than usual. All this could have been controlled and avoided with a well-prepared grocery list.
A grocery list will also avoid us running at the store every time we need something. Saving us time and potentially protects us from being infected with this virus.
How much money should I spend every month on grocery shopping?
This will vary for every person. Some people do their shopping for the whole month others do it for a week. There are also people buying things day by day. This depends on each individual and their purchasing power.
What kind of food should I put on my shopping list?
When making a list, it’s a good thing to think about what to put on it. I buy things that I can keep for some time and that will not expire soon. There are many categories of food that you can put on your list:
- Dried food, like pasta, rice, grains, herbs, and spices.
- Canned food like salmon, tuna, beans, and soup. There are also condiments and jarred foods that you can add to your list because they can be store for a long time.
- Frozen foods like fruits, vegetables, and meat also stay for a long time in your fridge.
Apart from food, there are also other essentials like soap, shampoo, cleaning stuff, and many other things that you will need every day.
I add all these to my grocery list so that I can have control over how much money I will spend.
Should I cut on fresh vegetables and fruits?
No, I don’t think so.
Fresh vegetables and fruits are more expensive than canned or dried foods, but they are good for our health. If you can afford it, all then to your list.
Most vegetables and fruits can be store for at least one week. So, I purchase vegetables and fruits every week. But sometimes, I prepared and stored them in the fridge to be used later.
I plan meals with the ingredients I have on hand.
Doing a meal plan is not something straightforward to do. Like me, many people, when back home after a busy workday, want to prepare and cook something easy with ingredients that already have on the shelf.
I tried to make meal plans, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. Maybe it could work for you. Instead, I started to buy foods I know that my whole family will eat. I try to buy common ingredients that I can use in many dishes that I cook.
Did we save money when using a grocery list every month?
From my experience, I can say “Yes”. We do save money.
There are variations every month, but I try not to go over my monthly budget. Frozen and canned food can cost less than fresh products. I also avoid purchasing brand products. There are many alternatives for brands’ products at a lower price.
My other rule is to buy bigger packets for things that I can keep longer. For example, buying a 5kg packet of rice will cost you much cheaper than buying it per kilo, and you can use it for months.
Another way to save money is always to start picking products at the back of the shop. Most shops and markets use physiological tricks to incite customers to buy more. They put discounted and non-essentials stuff in the front.
By starting from the back, you will stick to your list and avoid being tempted with discounted and fancy stuff.
Conclusion
Before, I didn’t realize that every little money saved could make a huge difference in my family life. But after implementing some of these tips, I noticed a positive outcome.
So that to not eat the same thing every week, I buy common ingredients in bulk that can be used in many dishes. If I run out of something, I managed without it until next month.
As you see, with good planning and a perfect list to buy grocery on a budget, it’s possible to shop once a month and enjoy delicious meals.
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