With these 11 tips you save money in the supermarket
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: tips to save money in the supermarket.
An average family with two children spends 450 euros a month in the supermarket. But there can be a big difference. Do you mainly buy brand products and fill your cart at Albert Heijn? Then you will generally end up spending more than bargain hunters who only shop at Lidl and Aldi. With these 11 tips, you can save a lot of money on your daily groceries.
Our groceries have become more expensive and prices are expected to continue rising, according to research agency GfK. Over the past year, prices for especially pet food, meat, and salads have gone up. On average, we are paying 9 percent more at the checkout, calculated the research agency. Are you fed up with it too? Then take advantage of these expert tips to significantly reduce your grocery budget.
#1: Go to a different supermarket
Take a good look at which supermarket is the cheapest. In the Netherlands, Spar and Poiesz are expensive stores, Lidl and Plus are cheap, and Albert Heijn and Jumbo are mid-range. But those prices may vary in your area, as sometimes supermarkets adjust their prices based on competition. Try going to a different supermarket nearby and see what your regular groceries cost there, then you'll know where you can save.
#2: From now on, buy everything from the store brand
Especially A-brand products have become significantly more expensive lately. If you go for private labels, it can be quite manageable. And the taste? Just try it out.
#3: Make a shopping list
Those clever people who design the supermarket know exactly how to break your resistance, so that despite your good intentions, you still fill your cart with expensive cheeses, bottles of wine, and ready-made meals. Make a shopping list and stick to it.
#4: Don't go to the store too often
Do you take a stroll through the supermarket every day? Then you can be sure that you will spend too much money. Do your shopping once a week and possibly pick up some fresh products halfway through (with a list!).
#5: Keep a close eye on the offers
Every now and then, coffee packs are on sale. Or dried pasta. Or toilet paper. And you, as a true Miep Kniep, strike hard.
#6: The best offers are at the front of the supermarket
According to experts, these are products on which a supermarket even incurs a loss, but they place those offers at the front because you then think you have already gained an advantage, and afterwards you go wild at the expensive tea and the olive oil. But no, keep your cool, put the offers in your cart, and stoically follow your usual route.
#7: Look at the price per gram or per 100 grams
Sometimes a large package seems very cheap, but when you calculate what you pay per 100 grams, a small package can actually be just fine. So look at the price per gram, but also pay attention to what you actually use. Throwing away food is essentially throwing away money.
#8: Run to the discount stickers
Some products are not long-lasting anymore and then the supermarket puts a sticker on them. Take them! You can always keep them longer in the freezer. Often those items are significantly discounted. Also, take a look at the checkout in the baskets with items being removed from the assortment. Keep those dollar signs in your eyes a bit in check: it's silly to buy discounted bubble bath if you don't need it at all, just because you're saving so much.
#9: Eat with the seasons
Also sustainable! Strawberries in summer: cheap. In winter: ridiculously expensive (and not tasty). This applies to all fresh produce. Pay attention to when zucchini season, Brussels sprouts moment, and cucumber time are, and eat those vegetables then.
#10: Check your receipt
Sometimes offers are not yet registered at the checkout, sometimes a discount (like with such a sticker) is not properly applied, sometimes a cashier simply makes a mistake, so check your receipt before leaving the store.
#11: Skip takeout, but raid the freezer
Throw a few frozen pizzas in your freezer when they are discounted or make sure you have a good stock of another meal you like. You'll grab that when you feel like ordering something. A delivered pizza quickly costs 15 euros, a frozen pizza is just a few euros. Quickly earned!
