Saving money while shopping for food is not an easy task as food markets and online shopping apps are designed to take money out of your pocket by exaggerating merchandise, packaging them in an interesting way, and displaying them in a striking manner. But if shoppers want to save money while purchasing food, smart people can adjust their shopping strategies, change their usual ways of preparing meals, and replace their favorite recipes with other recipes. Making lists, feeling full while shopping, taking advantage of sales offers, and balancing prices can all help shopaholics save money while spending on food and food. Below we will review important strategies for saving money while shopping in food stores and when purchasing food.
First: inventory the needs before going to the market
Before you go to the market to buy the household and family needs and their monthly needs, you should sit quietly and write down on the paper the necessary things that you need for this month in detail, such as foodstuffs, household cleaning tools, family and children’s supplies, in addition to some of the luxury items that the home needs.
Second: Compare market prices before shopping
Before you go shopping, you have to give an overview of the prices of materials distributed in the market, as there are some markets that offer their products at lower prices than others, and you have to choose the appropriate market for purchase before the date of going to shopping in order to be able to save some money for the time of necessity.
Fourth: Wholesale markets
Instead of shopping from normal markets, supermarkets or malls, you should go shopping from wholesale markets that sell goods at much cheaper prices than other markets, to the point that you can make more money to use for useful things rather than waste them.
Fifth: Take advantage of leftovers on the next day
To succeed in saving more money spent on the food we recommend that you take advantage of leftovers to eat the next day instead of preparing food every day after this food is well preserved in the refrigerator to preserve its flavor and benefits.
1- Commitment to purchase materials that are included in the sale offers:
Many items are sold at a discounted price periodically or during certain seasons, as you may find that fresh fruit prices decrease in August, or that chocolate is sold at prices below the usual prices after “Valentine’s Day”, or the store where you buy your items may offer periodic discounts On certain varieties of non-perishable food. If you buy items from stores that are sold at discounted prices, you will need less money to buy the foods you usually buy, so keep an eye out for downloads and buy large quantities of your favorite products when their prices drop so that they are sufficient for you until the new sales season comes, which may affect new items. Buying food during the sales seasons for each item will help you reduce the amount of money you spend on food and food.
2- Purchase items in their production seasons:
In these seasons you will see that your favorite foods are more often available – and that they are tastier. Take a look at the seasons in which each known type of food is produced and adjust the recipes to suit the season. For example, start with peaches, corn, and tomatoes at the end of summer and buy pumpkins and sweet potatoes in the winter. And if you are a fan of buying items from markets that are established on farms or through associations that support agricultural activities, you will definitely see that the varieties offered by farmers or merchants are products of the season.
3- Store cheap food that gives a feeling of fullness:
Inexpensive items like beans, oats, frozen vegetables, and rice may be the best foods to buy when you don’t have a lot of money. As these ingredients can be added to meat, pasta dishes, snacks that make people feel full, and nutritious breakfasts to get a meal that costs only a little money, not to mention that they are considered more healthy than cheap processed foods that are often marketed as economic products by material stores Food companies and food companies, while eating whole foods processed with a slight treatment can save you money and improve your health.
4- Benefiting from the offers that the stores offer to their loyal customers:
Many food stores give their most loyal customers cards that enable them to purchase items that the store sells at reduced prices, and some of these cards provided by food stores may give you fuel discounts. Find the “loyalty offers” programs offered by the store near you and try to register them to save money while purchasing food
5- Visiting stores that sell items at reduced prices:
There are in some countries stores that specialize in selling items at cheaper prices than they are sold in other stores, do not forget to visit these stores during shopping tours where you will be able to purchase specific quantities of food at wholesale prices but make sure that you avoid buying perishable food products that It can be spoiled before it can be used. And if you do not plan to save some of what you buy through either freezing it, or canning it, or drying it, or if you are not following a diet that includes a lot of fresh foods, buying fresh fruits and vegetables from wholesale stores is not a good deal because its fate may be the trash basket.
6- Try visiting non-food stores:
Some general stores may sell food at competitive prices, so make it one of the shopping trip stations, and you can also make this trip go beyond the real world stations and reach the virtual world stations, by thinking about the costs and benefits of material delivery services from food stores such as (AmazonFresh), ( Google Express), (Instacart), and (Peapod). This step may save you time and encourage you to cook at home, and if you calculate the financial value of the time you spend while shopping in food stores, you will see that home delivery is often more convenient than doing it yourself.
7- Watch out for the traps that food stores set for you:
Food stores may use smart tricks to encourage you to spend more money. Be wary of dazzling food display methods, and the shelves over which items are temptingly filtered make you make ill-conceived purchases. Think carefully about the ads that promote the purchase of a product and get another one for free, as the price you will pay is actually the price of two products, but the offer was marketed in a way that shows that you will get one of them for free in order to get you to buy both. Food stores rely on moving your desire to buy away from thinking about the real need for the product, investing this to increase sales and doing everything they can to make you buy more things than you were planning to buy.
8- Purchase products that carry the brand of the store:
Store-branded products are often cheaper than other brand-name counterparts with a similar taste. One of the best money saving strategies is buying strategy for brand name products. Compare the prices of the products that bear the brand name of the store with the prices of the products that bear other brands, but do not forget to take into account the quantity or size to determine which products are really cheaper.
9- Stay away from ready foods:
Buying pre-prepared salads, cut pizza pans and cut fruits and vegetables may seem tempting on busy weeknights, but in return, you will have to pay a heavy price. If cutting the starting ingredients during the week is not possible, try devoting the day off to preparing meals and doing these time-consuming activities. This day devoted to preparing meals will not only save you time, but also save you money, because it will motivate you to buy meal ingredients in large quantities, and this can make the price of a kilo or piece less and allow you to benefit from the discounts and offers offered by food stores.
10- Purchase large quantities:
Buy large quantities of non-perishable products such as pasta, rice, and frozen food from the supermarket or your favorite wholesale store to get them cheaply, as buying bulk products can make the cost of the piece or kilo less, and it can also guarantee that you have At home, you don’t cook instead of going to the restaurant at night or ordering food from outside. Just make sure that you have a place to store the items you buy and that you will really eat these foods and that you will not throw them in the container.
11- Avoid eating meat:
Getting protein by eating meat is an expensive option while eating vegetables and plant foods can save you money in the long run, as the price of meat, in general, is four times the price of dried grains. If you are really interested in saving money, you can do so from During the transition to eating fully vegan foods
12- Read magazines :
Read weekly magazines that publish offers that include your favorite products and create a meal plan that takes into account the weekly discounts offered on those products. Through these offers, you may come up with great ideas that can be used on the day in which you prepare meals in advance, or in preparing foods that you take with you to work. But remember to check the expiration dates to know if you can eat the food that you buy before it spoils, because the food you buy and you do not eat wastes money and its fate is the wastebasket, so make sure that you can actually use whatever purposes you buy in the downloads.
13- Download the store’s application:
Another way to get the best offers is to download the food store app. The Safeway store chain app allows shoppers too, for example, scan product barcodes and discover offers. The store app may allow you to get specific offers, receive notifications when there are discounts, receive additional points or discounts on fuel when making purchases, and do not forget online shopping applications such as (Instacart) or (Amazon) if you buy food for The way of the Internet. But don’t completely ignore a true trade-off between stores and prices even if through your small phone screen.
14- Balancing the prices of pieces or kilograms:
It is difficult to balance the prices when food comes wrapped in boxes of different sizes. Calculate the price of one piece or one kilogram when weighing the value of two products to ensure a fair balance. For example, you must balance the price of an ounce with the price of an ounce, and the price of a pound with Pound Price, Liters Per Liters, then you may find that the product that you thought was best is actually more expensive than other products on the shelves, and in this way, you can discover new options while shopping for food.
15- Leave the credit card at home:
If you need additional incentive to stick to the shopping budget, leave your credit cards at home and take cash with you. This is an outdated technique but it prevents you from wasting and sticking to your weekly food budget and helps you limit unplanned purchases. If you exceed the pre-determined budget, you will have to return some products, and you will not be able to use your credit card in order to make purchases without thinking about their feasibility.
16- Check the food storage place:
Before going to the supermarket, count your stored items. This step is like shopping inside the house before going to the food store. This way, you will avoid purchasing your existing materials or more quantities that you can take before their expiry dates. The goal is to avoid throwing food and making sure that the budget for food is spent on buying really useful items by eating everything you buy. You may also find that you have enough food to cook a dinner meal or to prepare a few lunches before going to the supermarket.
17- Check the goods at the top and bottom of the shelves:
Shops usually place the most expensive merchandise on shelves that have a height of eye level and hide the cheapest items in the upper and lower shelves, so make sure to check the shelves completely from top to bottom and see each product and its price before making the purchase decision, and do not pick up the first product you see in front of you. If you buy food online or through mobile apps, you will probably more easily sort the products by their price, which is also an important measure
18- Dealing kindly with sellers:
This is a beautiful strategy if you constantly visit a particular food store as building a friendly relationship with store workers – especially those who work behind meat, fish and bread coolers – can provide you with valuable information about upcoming offers. Shopping in times when the store is not crowded like late night or early morning periods may give you more time to develop these relationships and build friendships with workers.
19- Learn how to plan meal preparation:
A plan that organizes the meals you plan to cook can help you stop buying ingredients you don’t need and cut spending on food purchases. One of the strategies involved in planning meal preparation is to make an inventory of the food stored in you, to use ingredients that can be cooked in more than one meal, and to reuse leftovers. Planning for meal preparation can allow you to purchase more ingredients and benefit from the offers offered by wholesale stores without wasting material residue. And if what prevents you from planning to prepare meals is the fear of not having enough time, try setting aside a day at the weekend to devise a plan that organizes the meals that you will cook during the week, shopping, cooking and keeping meals for eating during the weekdays, this will help you in saving time and money.
20- Entering the store, buying things, then leaving immediately:
Wasting time traveling around the store can cost you more things than time. The more time you spend in the store, you spend more money buying food, so enter the store, stick to the list of purchases you previously prepared, and go out before the temptation pays you to make purchases. Not calculated. Preparing a well-thought-out shopping list is key to the success of this strategy, as making the shopping trip as brief as possible can help you ensure that no children accompanying you have time to claim food, sweets, or other items not on the list.
21- Allow children to use their expenses:
This lesson in organizing expenses and managing money can also help you save money while purchasing food. Let your children bring the money they collected in their piggy banks and tell them during their shopping trip that they can buy any foods their money allows them to buy. This will teach the kids a lesson in controlling expenses, and it will be an entertaining challenge to keep themselves busy while you buy things. It will save you more money every month, and your children will learn a valuable lesson during this
22- Create a shopping list:
Making and sticking with a shopping list can help you limit unplanned purchases and help you remember to benefit from discounts, seasonal offers, and other price reductions. Write down the names of the items you have stored, make a plan to remember the meals you intend to cook for the next few days or a whole week, specify the items that you need to purchase from the store and create a carefully studied list. In order to avoid unplanned purchases and unexpected costs stick to your list.
23- Take advantage of the refrigerator:
Whether you prepare meals in advance, buy frozen vegetables, or take advantage of offers from wholesale stores and buy food in large quantities, it can be important to use the refrigerator to store food and increase its shelf life to save the money you spend buying food. Remember to search for the best methods of storing food in the refrigerator, such as vegetables, fruits, soups or hot peppers, for best results. For example, you can put a sticker on each item that indicates the date it was placed in the refrigerator and cook some dishes partially cooked if you plan to put them in the refrigerator directly and heat them in the oven later.
24- Trying to shop at night:
If distracting sources such as overcrowding, children, feeling hungry, and others make you spend a lot of money in food stores – in order to finish the shopping trip as quickly as possible – try shopping at night or at other times when you don’t see crowds to relieve Distraction, focus on getting the best price. Lack of long lines in front of payment points can make you feel more comfortable when using vouchers, and having a few people in the corridors and at cold stores can give you a better opportunity to discover any discounts and balance the prices.
25- Using high-quality cooking tools:
It may seem strange to spend your money on expensive cooking utensils, but having the right tools such as a slow cooker, a coffee maker, blender, or a set of knives can make home cooking easier and encourage you to prepare food yourself instead of Request from abroad or go to restaurants. Strategize to buy the best varieties of these important kitchen products at the lowest prices, such as planning to do so on Holidays.
26- Store food carefully:
In order to prolong the lives of fruits, vegetables, herbs, frozen foods, and other materials, be sure to store them cautiously and appropriately. For example, you can wrap lettuce or herbs with a paper towel to absorb moisture from them while they are placed in the fridge, and you can also place herbs in a full container. With water until its long life. And you can make it a priority to eat spoiled foods quickly, like berries, right after you return from the shopping trip and save products that stay longer to eat later in the week.
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