Grocery shopping is a joy for some and a pain for others. Whether you enjoy shopping or loathe it, we could all use a few tips on getting the most out of our trip. Due to the pandemic, we likely aren’t visiting the store as often. By having fewer trips, we need to buy more items to delay our next shopping trip. Here are a few tips on how to grocery shop effectively, so you don’t need to run to the store a few times a week for your necessities!
Create a List
While you’ve probably heard this advice many times before, creating a grocery list is one of the best ways to get the most out of your shopping trip. Keeping a grocery list has been shown to help you stick to the essentials, get the items you need, and stay within your budget. Use the G-Plans grocery list feature to get a complete list of all the foods on your meal plan for the week. If you’re concerned about staying with your budget, try putting the prices next to each item to get a rough estimate of how much your trip will cost. Find an old shopping receipt to see the prices of your staple grocery items. Once you’ve gotten an estimate, you can see if you have extra funds to treat yourself! Plus, having a list makes it much easier to see if any items you like are on sale when browsing through coupon pamphlets.
Necessities First!
An excellent strategy for effective shopping is to buy only the necessities first, then buy the extras after. Once you finish purchasing what you need, you’re much less likely to pick up any unneeded items. When starting your grocery shopping, try to avoid the front of the store, which is often full of extra things designed to tempt you into buying them. Once you’ve finished your main shopping list, feel free to browse the front of the store for extra goodies!
Plan out Meals for the Week
Planning meals ahead of time (or viewing your meals on your G-Plans app) helps you create a complete list of the items you need and gives you a better idea of how big or small your trip will be (important for all of you budgeters out there). By planning out meals ahead of time, you can make better shopping decisions and buy enough to last you the week (or until your next trip).
Know Your Stock
If you want to make the most of your current stock and minimize waste, keep a running list of all your grocery and pantry items in your kitchen. As you use each item, take it off the list and add it to a grocery list, so you remember to buy more. This process may take a while, especially if you have a well-stocked kitchen, but the results are more than worth it. This will help you make better use of your groceries, and allow you to see what items you have in stock to prevent over-purchasing. It may be helpful to keep your grocery stock list on your phone, so you can access it when you’re at the store!
Never Shop Hungry
While this may seem like an odd tip, it’s been shown that shopping while hungry leads to people buying more unnecessary items. You are more likely to purchase items on a whim when you’re hungry because they seem appealing at the time. Try shopping after you’ve had a meal and can resist the urge to splurge!
Try a few of these tips out the next time you’re at the grocery store and see what works for you! With these tips, grocery shopping can be an easy and pleasant experience for everyone!