Families spend a hefty serving of their monthly budget on groceries. Here's how to make food shopping healthier for your bodies and your wallets.
Stock up on “loss leaders” and sale items
Keep an eye on the circulars and stock up on non-perishables and foods you can freeze. Buying a dozen gallons of ice cream at bargain basement prices makes little sense if you can’t store it or use it right away. Rice, pasta and condiments keep well for months.
Plan ahead and keep a list
It only takes a few minutes to plan a week’s worth of dinners and lunches. Design your menu, survey your pantry and refrigerator for the items you need and stick to your shopping list. Resist the impulse buys of attractively displayed convenience foods.
Shop less
You save more than gas money when you cut your grocery shopping trips to once a week. Every trip to the store invites more spending on items you don’t really need. Keeping a list and a well-stocked pantry cuts down on supermarket excursions.
Peruse the store’s perimeter
The aisles that ring the inside of the supermarket contain the healthy “real” foods. Tackle the fruits and vegetable area first, then the dairy and cheese section. The butcher or meat section also resides along the back or side of the store.
And while we’re talking about meat…
Eat less of it. Use poultry, beef or pork to flavor dishes, not as the main course. Try eating vegetarian meals a couple of nights each week.
Watch the scanner
It takes coordination to unload your shopping cart and watch the price of your items as they are scanned, but catching errors always pays. Some supermarkets will give you the incorrectly priced item free of charge. If not, at least you can make sure you’re not overcharged.
Buy locally and in season
Help Mother Earth and your pocketbook when you opt for produce such as apples that are grown nearby, or at least in this country, rather than shipped from New Zealand. Transportation costs add to the price of produce. Shipping in food from halfway around the world also requires greater amounts of fuel and creates more pollution.
Keep a price record
Is $5.99 a good price for that bottle of detergent? You’ll know if you keep a personal record of purchases. Stores entice shoppers with “sales” that can offer little more than a few cents off the regular price. Keeping a good record of prices also lets you know which of the stores you frequent has the best prices on the items you buy the most.
See also: Online Grocery Shopping and Get Grocery Coupons, Help Schools
