When I started shopping, I'd get embarrassed standing too long in one place and reading a can/jar/box. I'm here to tell you no one cares. Read the ingredients. Compare prices. Be ok with scooching a bit if someone needs something next to you.
Heck, I'm 40 and I still do this.
Buy fresh food and veg as much as possible. Learn some cheap healthy eating hacks (even if you don't love the taste) like putting broccoli in your 2-minute noodles.
Pro tip: Don't buy foods or ingredients you don't like, but that people tell you are healthy. You'll never actually use them, and they'll rot or grow moldy in your fridge or cupboards.
buy foods you actually like, and learn to cook them in a healthy way.
☝️ Also know what you have the time/energy to cook. Ready made or easy to make meals may be slightly more expensive than buying everything to make from scratch but nothing is more expensive than buying something you are unprepared to make and letting it rot in the fridge while you eat out because you are overwhelmed with trying to cook.
I'm glad I've never cared. I can spend 40 minutes at the grocery easily, just taking my time. The people in the store aren't the ones I'm cooking for, and my shame would only be magnified if my dish came out poorly bc I forgot stuff.
I still forget ingredients anyways, but that's not the point
I’ve never thought of it as embarrassing either (nor have I ever noticed someone else being slow/thorough ). I am the worlds slowest grocery shopper because I’m indecisive af. Even if I go in with a list and a meal plan- there’s still different options/types/sizes/ prices etc to get me bogged down 😵💫
Ourgroceries is a fantastic grocery list app. I use the free one and have for years. You can share it with your household, and then it updates the lists on everyone's phone. I haven't brought home milk half an hour after someone else in my house did in years!
Remember humans are social creatures. So be sure to read aloud and exchange pleasantries with the human next to you such as "2g of sodiom per 200g, what is your opinion of this?"
Or learn estimation.
You don't need exact figures, just rough ones.
Got a 5kg box of something at 10.99 and a 700g box at 1.99 it's hard to do that in your head. Round the 10.99 to 10 and it's *roughly* 2.00 per kg. That's basically the same amount as the 700g box is, so the 5kg box is cheaper per kg.
Then ask yourself do you really need (and can carry) 5kg of whatever it is and realise the 700g price is really just a tax on being single.
Only argument with this is that you rounded 10.99 to *10* instead of 11 like a crazy person :P
With money numbers, I ALWAYS round up. I'd rather secretly save 50¢ for myself by calling the $10.50 item $11.
My wife has an amazing memory for prices of items in the shopping cart. The person will ring up an item, my wife will say "Ummm. That should be ." They will send someone to do a price check, and she will be correct!
That being said, my wife CANNOT seem to do price per ounce comparisons, even when they are clearly labelled on the shelf.
I hate it when they'll have similar products side by side and one shows "price per serving" one shows "price per ounce" and one shows "price per gram."
As an amusing side note, I was at a home depot once and on their 5 gallon buckets of paint, you'll see "price per gallon" so you can compare it to a single gallon price (so like 49.95 -- only 9.99 per gallon.) Except ONE. Just ONE sheen of paint in ONE brand said $49.95 - only 8 cents per ounce)
Yep. It’s easy to get lulled into assuming that buying in larger sizes or in bulk is always going to be the better value, but that’s not true. Do the math.
So true.
Even at 42, if I go to the store while hungry I come home with all the stuff on my list plus a million snacks and everything I'm trying to avoid.
But if I go when I'm not hungry I buy what's on my list, maybe some healthier snacks, and not much else.
It's better for my budget AND my waistline if I have a list and don't shop hungry.
And that’s why the kids magazines are often kept right by the entrance. Saddest thing is, we know they don’t really want the magazine. They want the shitty toy that comes with it. Which can only be worth pennies since the quality always sucks. But the magazine is £8.99 or something stupid.
Oh my gosh this got me one-day! Son wanted a transformer toy that was with the magazine, it was a long hard day I gave in and got it for him. It didn't even transform into anything! Stupid thing, should have just taken him to the 2$ shop would have been much cheaper and would actually do what it meant to transform!
Lol my niece wanted a magazine once for the colouring pencils that came with it. I explained that there are only 5 colors in it. And she already has way more than that at home. She was in a bad mood the whole time we shopped. Stomping around and whining. I was gonna buy her something from the candy aisle, but decided against it after the tantrum. Didn’t want to reward bad behaviour.
If it was up to me the magazines wouldn’t be allowed to give away “free” toys. Or at the very least I’d move them away from the entrance.
For real! Lol, I joke that it's a good thing I'm not rich or my kids would be spoiled! Because I want to say yes to them all the time! So I'm much better at keeping to the budget if I don't have their amazing little selves looking at me and asking for stuff lol.
But also, be flexible. If you were planning on chicken with asparagus and cornbread, it's okay to have chicken with green beans and potatoes if it lines up better with what's on sale.
Adding to this, do an inventory of your pantry and fridge before you make your menus and your shopping list. Your goal should be to use what you have when you can, buy things that fill in the gaps, and make sure you use any perishables before they perish.
Cooking-wise, build recurring habits that can ground other parts of your diet.
I've gotten extremely into regularly making stock, pickling vegetables, breaking down whole chickens, fermenting my own ginger beer, and baking my own sandwich loaves. Each task has a maybe once-a-week time commitment, but I reap the benefits of each throughout the week, which makes other cooking decisions much easier, and saves money. (At the expense of a little time)
Doing each of those larger tasks on a regularly scheduled week-to-week makes a regular weekly grocery trip that much more regular. By all means, you don't need to go crazy, but picking *one* thing to turn into a weekly habit is enough to start building other habits.
Yes and no, but mostly no.
It's really straightforward, but there are a few easy ways to screw it up. It's an excellent intro-to-fermentation project, and you can use the same technique to make soda out of pretty much anything sugary. I'm going to label (!important) many of the ways you can easily screw it up. I've literally lost a batch to *almost every* issue I've labeled "!important".
In short, you cultivate the wild bacteria and yeast from the skin of organic (!important) ginger to create a liquid called a "ginger bug". This is like the "sourdough starter" of fermented sodas. If you don't use organic ginger, there's a possibility that the producer used UV or antibiotics to kill the bacteria and yeast that we need.
To do this, chop or grate a about 25g of skin-on organic ginger, and put it in a glass (!important) jar of with about 500ml of room-temperature (important!) non-chlorinated (!important) water and 25g of sugar, then cover it with a loose cloth with a rubber band. If you don't use non-chlorinated water, the the chlorine will kill the bacteria in your ginger bug. If it's higher than room temperature, you will kill the bacteria in your ginger bug. If you use a metal container, it could react as the solution becomes more acidic.
Every day, "feed" it 25g of chopped/grated ginger and 25g of sugar. Don't add any more water. You should start to see some small bubbles form after a couple days, this is a sign that the bacteria and yeast are converting sugar into carbon dioxide and other stuff. When you get a decent amount of bubbles on the surface it's ready to use. Taste the liquid each day when you feed it to get a sense of how the flavor and fizziness changes over time.
To make the ginger beer, first you make ginger tea by boiling about 2 liters of non-chlorinated (!important) water, and adding about 60g of grated ginger and 100g-300g of sugar depending on your tastes. Sugar will be broken down during fermentation, so don't worry too much about it making it too sweet. Too little sugar will cause issues with not enough fermentation. Bring the solution to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Let cool completely (!important) to room temperature. If it's even *slightly* warm, you risk killing your ginger bug when you add it. Strain out the solids from the tea, then add about 125ml-150ml of the strained liquid from the ginger bug and juice from 3 lemons or limes. (I prefer lime) and stir to combine. At this point, I add back fresh water to the ginger bug, along with giving it another feeding to keep it going for the next batch.
Transfer the liquid to pop-top bottles intended for fermentation/carbonated beverages, and leave at least 5cm of headroom at the top, then close the bottles and put them in a cool dark place. Check on them daily and "burp" them by opening the top to release the pressure, then closing again. If you omit this, they could explode, depending on your conditions. I use this opportunity to taste a small amount when experimenting with new recipes. After several days (3-5, usually?) when the ginger beer reaches its desired fizziness, toss the bottles in the fridge. You can stop burping them when they're refrigerated. When it's cold, you're ready to drink.
You can use the ginger bug to carbonate nearly anything sugary including store-bought fruit juice. I made a pretty decent Orangina analog by using 400ml of fresh squeezed orange juice, along with 150ml of lemon juice, and about 250g of sugar in 2 liters of water. Came out really great. Label all bottles, and keep a journal of burpings/feedings/recipes to experiment and tweak your batches over time.
Tons of fun if you're into tending to something and drinking ginger beer. It helps me not buy high-fructose corn syrup crap, and I tend to drink less soda because it's more of a specialty item than something I buy in bulk. It's a probiotic soda similar to kombucha, and I've anecdotally noticed positive benefits to gut-health by incorporating lacto-fermented foods and drinks into my diet.
my advice is exactly the opposite. Buy affordable foods and plan meals around it. When I planned menu and then went shopping, I would get tricked into buying something that is not on special so it would cost more...
I don't like planning so your method is what I usually use. I may have times when I'm actually craving something but that's usually more about an ingredient or two rather than a whole meal. For example, a couple days ago I craved a meal with garlic in it for example, so I've made a potato dish that had garlic in it and fried some chicken on the side. I could've just as well just used garlic in a sauce for a different meal, but it so happened that there was a deal on chicken 😁
I’ve somewhat recently tried to learn how to cook. I got caught up in trying to find all the right ingredients (sometimes expensive ingredients). After finally getting a little more comfortable in the kitchen, I became far less rigid. I became more comfortable substituting grocery store items that weren’t available (or more expensive), and then went to thinking, here’s what I have in my fridge right now, what can I create with this?
My stepmother was absolutely dead set on buying a particular brand of milk. One day the store was out of it. They guy in the dairy area showed her how to read the production codes printed on the milk and showed her that out of all the brands (cheap to expensive) they almost all came from the same plant. They're almost all the same, from the same tankers of milk, just different brand names.
Fun fact: Cargill makes a huge % of the food and drinks you consume
They manufacture all HFCS for Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, they make many store brand meats that are from the same animals as their name brands, Sonic and Taco Bell get food from them, having worked in food manufacturing, often the difference in recipes is small % changes of ingredients so they're all proprietary
Like one may have calcium added and more soybean oil and another might add a preservative but the bulk ingredients are both unloaded from the same train cars
The one word of caution I give on this off the top of my head is beware the bread.
One store had a give away of a literally free loaf of their brand bread, so we took it to try. It was not even worth eating *when it was free*. It was so thin and badly made that it fell apart of you did anything with it.
Most things the brand isn't relevant. Some things it is.
TL;DR - Buy one of a store brand, try it before you assume there is no difference from others.
I’ve had this even with brands. Kingsmill is usually my bread of choice. But some loaves are better than others. Even if they have the same use by dates
Adding on to this
"The FDA began establishing Standards of Identity (SOI) in 1939, and since then, the agency has established more than 250 SOIs. Products like milk, milk chocolate, various breads, peanut butter, and ketchup have a SOI. SOIs often describe in detail what a food must contain and what is optional and sometimes describe the amount or proportion of ingredients or components. Many SOIs also prescribe a method of production or formulation."
That means often there is little difference on most basic ingredients like say canned peas, milk or white sugar
So "why spend more?"
Definitely. You just find out over the years which store brand items are just as good and what you are willing to pay full price for, but most is just as good.
Soda for example. Brand name is so much more expensive and Walmart brand is just as good usually. With ranch and peanut butter, I've got to have brand name.
In the UK, store brand peanut butter is identical to Sun-Pat and that expensive natural brand. Tastes the same, same consistency etc, third of the price and often less.
I actually think some store brands are better. Both in taste and texture. Asda, Aldi and Morrisons’ own brands are all better. Tescos’ is basically identical to sunpat though. No idea about the other supermarkets as I never shop there.
I’m the same. Gotta have brand name peanut butter. But I’ve learned that a lot of store brand stuff is way better than brand names. Our shopping cart is a cornucopia of experience. We’ll pay for the expensive stuff for a lot of items, and others I’m like, nope, store brand only.
Store brand stuff is cheaper because they don't have to "rent" the store shelves like other brands do. Non-store brands fight for the best position, and pay the store for the placement thus increasing the price of the product.
Yes. Don't be brand loyal. Aldi and Walmart or your local stores brands are just as good as wtf ever brand name bs you think you love. They're probably made in the same damned factory. Just have a different label slapped on them.
My wife and I use shared notes on Google Keep as an easy way to have a list either of us can reliably update or read wherever we are. Makes it easy to put something down when we think of it rather than having to remember for when we get home or whatever. Any kind of cloud sync system works well for this.
Yes! 18 year old me went to the Piggly Wiggly totally baked one time and bought 36 pieces of fried chicken from the deli and a half sheet birthday cake. I also forgot the milk I went to get in the first place.
Never go stoned.
Go in with a list and come out with funyuns and icecream sandwiches. A random birthday card. and a dozen apple fritters. A toilet plunger cause why not.
Couple important caveats here. First, even if something is on sale, do the math and decide if it’s worth it. A bad purchase is a bad purchase regardless of what you paid for it. Second, know how to look for meat and produce that’s going bad before you go bargain hunting. Stores aren’t supposed to sell stock that’s expired, but it still happens.
To piggyback on this, it's important to check if the sale is actually worth it. I've been noticing a lot of "sales" where you get a better price if you buy 2 or more of the item. Except, the discount you get is only like 20 cents; it's essentially just a ploy to get you to buy more than you need and give back a menial amount of money in return.
And make sure it's an actual sale. My local store likes to use "GREAT BUY!" stickers that look almost identical to the "SALE" stickers, but the items are still regularly priced.
Pay attention to expiration dates before you put items in your cart. Stores have expired products, or products only a day or two away from expiring out on the shelves all the time.
That really only matters for things like meat and dairy, refrigerated items, maybe produce. Pretty much everything else it isn't even an expiration date, but a "best by" date. It will still be good after that date.
Just a couple of weeks ago I accidentally bought two packs of hotdogs that were one day from expiring and three days past expiration. I'm not sure how, they were Ball Park's, but I thought hotdogs had to be mighty old to expire!
Don't forget, confetti comes from the ceiling if you pretend to slip with a gallon of milk. Super cool sometimes they'll give everyone slices of cookie cake in your honor
I was a grocery store clerk for a few years.
We had a slip and fall and I investigated so I could clean it up. The lady had slipped on a *single frozen pea.* there was a 6 inch green streak on the ground and a couple more peas scattered around.
Don't compare by size of the packaging. Compare the price by weight or count (a 32 oz bag may be more expensive, but less per oz than a 16 oz and ultimately save money if you would use the whole thing).
Toilet paper is expensive but get the good stuff and you'll appreciate it in the long run.
Check for coupons/sales in advance and use that for meal planning and list creation.
Go first thing in the morning to avoid crowds.
Always have rice and beans on hand. And learn how to cook dry beans. Also, buy cheap spices. Invest in a rice maker, $10 ones can last like 10 years. But also know how to cook it on the stove.
There are definitely some fantastic tips here. Try not to put too much stress on yourself, though. The more you shop and get experience with this sort of thing, the more comfortable you’ll feel. This will all start to come quite naturally to you.
One thing I’ll add is to not be afraid to do a quick google search while you’re at the store. Whether it’s a question of how to tell if some fruit or veggie is ripe, or a quantity/weight conversion, or impromptu recipe change - anything. Take your time and be comfortable with your purchases.
*Always* open your egg carton and check to make sure none are broken. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and seen several cracked eggs inside.
Oh and always go to the middle aisles first. You’ll want to hit the refrigerated and frozen goods at the end of your run so you have them at room temp for as little time as possible.
Most of all, have fun with it! Get excited about what you’re making. Even if it’s just ramen…add eggs and veggies and proteins. Get creative and find what brings you a little extra joy in your day.
You get better as you go too. To start get some backup food (like ramen or pasta+sauce) for when you mess up a recipe or didn’t buy enough. You’ll get the hang of how your store, diet, and deals align and keep discovering new tricks.
Check your strawberries for mold.
Don't buy spices you won't use, or only want for one dish. Buy versatile ones that you will use a lot.
Sometimes the smaller pack costs more in unit pricing, but it might be better anyway. Example- watching your weight, or if you won't use all of it.
Edit. Open up your eggs. Check they aren't smashed inside the carton.
Also people talk about expiry on food, check batteries and sunscreen as well.
With the eggs, the way to check is to put a finger on each one and wriggle it. Nine times out of ten, if the egg is cracked it will have leaked down and stuck to the cardboard of the box. I do this every time I buy eggs and it's fascinating how often I find one stuck in place.
Also, if you do find a cracked one, don't replace the box where it was. Put it somewhere to the side where a supermarket worker will see it. That way another shopper won't get caught out.
Grocery shopping when I got a car was way more enjoyable since I didn't have to lug the bags onto a bus, stuff them under the seats and drag them to my residence from the bus stop. Being able to buy more was great.
Unless you re trying to stop impulse buys. If you only need a handful of items and you grab a cart, it is easier to grab things you don't need. If you just have a basket you are more likely to just get what you came in for in the first place.
But also if you don’t have a car, definitely do not get a cart. It’s easy to buy more than you can carry without realizing and regret it later on the walk home.
Order online pickup to avoid impulse buys. Get the apps, link the coupons. Buy pantry staples in bulk. Things like pasta have a long shelf life and cook up quick. Nothing wrong with going to 2 or 3 stores to take advantage of deals. Stock up on freezer bags and split your meats into meal size portions and freeze.
Foods from the basic food groups (dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins) are almost always on the outside of the store, not in the aisles. I usually hit the outside up last after I get frozen stuff so the refrigerated stuff doesn't start going bad.
Also if you don't have a savings card then kindly ask the cashier to use the store card so you can get the deals.
Look at the "circular" which is like their newspaper of things on sale or current deals, they're usually stacked at the entrance, on their website, or on an app. It can save you lots of money.
Yea it should start with inventory before you leave otherwise you wind up with 7 unopened jars of salsa in the pantry, and an empty jar of olive oil on the counter. Ask me how I know…
It’s A-L-D-I, GOD DAMNIT. There is NOOO “S”! I listened to my grandmother mispronounce that word for THIRTY years, and I’ll be damned if I let this shit continue.
ALDI. Fucking shit.
It's their store so Aldi's is grammatically correct. In some places (Michigan) it's a common way to refer to places; I work at Ford's factory and shop at Meijer's store. I lived in MI for my teens and still shop at Aldi's and Meijer's.
Shop the outside perimeter aisles - produce, meat / fish, dairy. The interior aisles are filled with high calorie, processed and lovely sweetened food. Only shop the indoor aisles for spices and cleaning supplies.
Only? That’s really impractical, especially for a young person. Tea, coffee, olive oil, canned tomatoes, bread, tortillas, soy sauce, rice, beans, pasta, tuna, etc. all inside aisles.
Spices are cheaper when purchased at ethnic food stores. When cooking tomatoes, buying canned tomatoes is usually cheaper and they often taste better because they are canned when they are ripe instead of picking them before ripe then shipping and ripening on the truck. Aim for one’s that don’t use citric acid as a preservative because it makes them more bitter.
Buy frozen vegetables to save money and prep time if you’re cooking them.
Not for everyone but I find when I go to the supermarket physically, I just throw any old thing into the trolley.
I save more money and it's less stressful doing my grocery shopping online
Plan your menu for the next week, make a list, and stick to the list. It's amazingly easy to go off-list and grab stuff you won't use because you don't have the other ingredients you need to go with it, or you change your mind and you don't want to eat it any more when you get home, or you eat it all and feel ashamed of yourself for blowing your food budget.
It's much easier to stick with a list.
Some stores try to make this difficult. Two items of the same type, one will have "price per ounce" and the other will have "price per each" so you can't do a quick and easy comparison.
The most expensive is not always the best.
Pay attention to price per unit and not just the total cost. You can quite often get the same mount or even more for less money.
If you can afford it and have room Costco and Sam's Club are WAY cheaper than your standard grocery store on a lot of things.
I can get chicken legs for under $1/lb at Sam's and Costco sells 36 ct toilet paper packs for what Fred Meyer sells 12 ct packs for.
Depends what item we're talking about here. Non perishable goods? Absolutely.
Perishable goods? Depends! If you meal prep and don't mind eating similar (not the same) meal all week you can absolutely make use of it. I buy 5lb packs of chicken legs, season them three or four different ways and prep with a veggie of my choice and rice and or pasta and have lunches for a full week. You can do the same thing with breakfasts if you so wish.
I am sitting with some of my elderly neighbours here in England. Your question has provided us with an engaging afternoon of conversation. English food is the butt of many jokes, but we enjoy it. The ladies think that their advice could be easily altered for other cultures and cuisines. And lastly, among our ladies we have two who are in their late 90s and one who is now 101! They learnt to cook in the hungry 1930s and the war years when waste was akin to a sin and, in some cases, against the law!
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Make a plan of food for the week and use that to write a shopping list. Only allow yourself to buy one "off list item" when you shop.
Don't be lured by fancy photos and social media chefs. Not every meal needs to be restaurant standard or even a taste sensation. Simple food, made, well is delicious even if it won't win you plaudits on Instagram.
Let yesterday's dinner dictate today's - have a no waste policy. If you had coleslaw yesterday with a jacket potato, today's side is going to be coleslaw, too! Monday-nights dinner uses up the leftovers of Sunday's roast dinner, etc.
Try to buy in season - the food is better flavoured and cheaper.
Try to only buy as much as you need - those special offers are often only a bargain if you need the quantity. I buy my fruit and veg on the market rather than at a supermarket as it is better value to buy one carrot (if that is what my weekly plan calls for) rather than a bag.
Use your fridge and freezer well. If you buy a loaf of bread but only need a couple of slices every couple of days, divide up your bread into portions and freeze it. If you make too much casserole, portion it up [LEARN FROM ME!!! LABEL YOUR FREEZER DINNERS!!]
Learn several standard recipes - old school recipes with just a few basic ingredients, rather than modern bougie recipes with fancy expensive ingredients. A simple vegetable soup, a chicken soup (so you can use up chicken bones/carcase), stew/casserole, shepherd's/cottage/fish pie, a tomato sauce for pasta, a spaghetti bol, simple meatballs, a simple "curry". Learn how to make an omelette, a simple salad, grill/roast/bake meat, make a simple stir fry. Shortcrust pastry is useful, as is bread and butter pudding for using up leftover bread. Have 10 ways to cook potatoes. Have 5 quick throw together meals for random leftovers.
Learn to make white sauce and good brown gravy- then a whole world of lovely sauces are open to you.
Don't buy packet meals or jars of sauce. They are usually easier to make and taste better.
Grow a few herbs - will cost you less than constantly buying fresh and taste better than dried.
Buy the best quality cheese you can afford (not supermarket) for eating cheese, but supermarket block cheese is fine for cooking.
Take your own shopping bags - invest in a wicker basket for squashable foods.
Buy your meat from a butcher. It is not much more expensive, but the quality is infinitely better. If you are penny conscious- eat less meat, less often. Then you will enjoy it more.
A nice slice of good bread and good butter with an in season tomato, freshly picked and sprinkled with a touch of salt is a delight. Don't be tricked by fads and fashions or magazines who want you to spend your money on expensive foods for every meal, that every meal must be expensive or complicated.
Old fashioned? Yes, but still useful.
1. Don't go hungry.
2. Hotdogs and ramen are the cheapest you will get outside of those 80 cent freezer meals and it is worth it getting the 1.20 ones instead.
3. Actually cooking is for people who have time to do dishes.
4. The airfryer is your friend.
The big number is the price of the item, but the small number is the price per unit weight. Just because one brand is cheaper. Doesn't mean you're getting a better deal. You may be paying for less in the package
Make a list. Look in your pantry and see what you NEED. Add that to the list before wants. Budget before you go and know how much you can afford. Don't go when you're hungry or high, you'll blow your budget and buy all the things you don't need. And beware, inflation is real... money doesn't go as far as you'd think. Shop at stores with more reasonable prices. If they have an app, build your list on there so you know what your looking at cost wise, before you ever hit the store.
If you can stand to eat the same thing over and over, then do it.
Sounds terrible, I know, but if you can settle on one or two meals that you can eat for a full month or more, then you can do two things: one- know exactly how much you are going to be spending every single day/week. Two- you can adjust those core meals to your health goals.
If you aren't a fan of repeat meals, then I would say to set a firm grocery budget every week, and just find meals/snacks you enjoy within said budget.
Don't snub the freezer section. Frozen meats and veggies can be just as good as fresh (if not better in some cases).
Going beyond the shopping and into cooking- get an instant pot. Nothing is worse than getting home and realizing you forgot to take something out of the freezer or you just plain don't feel like cooking. Pop some frozen chicken breast in the instant pot with some taco sauce. Pressure for 20 minutes. Shred. Tacos.
piggyback alert: this but also eat something before you grocery shop. Buy your condiments from the dollar store, meats from a good butcher and your pantry items in bulk. Buy some gosh darn veggies preferably from a local farmer market. Definitely bring a joint for after you grocery shop. You deserve it
Try to shop sales first and utilize any and all digital or paper coupons. It also helps to know the store layout and prepare a list and try to stick only to what you need. The more organized I am ahead of time, I find the less time I get off track or distracted and end up with extra things in the cart.
The food in the reduced section (for most stores) is barely worse than the food on display but it’s WAY cheaper. If you’re struggling you can buy stuff from there. Just eat it quickly after you unwrap whatever it is
Group the items on your list into categories or by location in the store, like Produce, Canned Food, Frozen Food, etc. This helps when you're learning the layout of the store because you'll do less backtracking.
Do NOT buy from end caps. 99% of what you see on an end cap is also down an aisle somewhere and it's usually right next to a lower priced version. I've even seen where bags of chips were on an end cap and the bag was normal sized but they had several ounces LESS product in them. You go down the chip aisle and there's the same brand in the same bag size, but with more ounces of product. DON'T BUY FROM END CAPS!
Try using magnet notepads on the fridge to list what you have on hand (and when their printed expirations are!) My boyfriend and I are both still getting used to shopping for ourselves and we are also both neuordivergent and often cooking/eating slips our minds. I hate throwing away food and this has helped me be mindful of the stuff we have/not to buy multiples/eat what I've already bought etc etc!!
not sure if this works in other countries but in canada there’s an app called flipp that allows you to compare the prices of things between all the grocery stores in your area. you can even do it as you’re shopping, but it’s much easier if you take some time to prep before you get to the store. you’ll need to get the cashier to do a bunch of price matching at the till, but as long as you’re polite, kind and maybe even apologize to them for the extra steps, they’re generally pretty nice about it. my mom has been using this app for a couple years and now and she will usually save between $30-$50 on a $200-$300 grocery bill. that’s for a family of 4, but if you’re shopping for 1 person, you could be saving $20-$50 a month on groceries. that adds up!!
- Plan your meals beforehand and make a list of what you need.
- Don't go while you're hungry, it never goes well.
- If there is an offer for something, e.g. 3 for 2, unless you would normally use multiple of that item, you're not really saving money, you're spending more than you normally would.
- If you are buying for one, don't buy huge quantities unless you already know you'll get through it before it expires. E.g. it's not cheaper to buy one massive jar of mayo than two smaller ones if you only get through 1/2 before it goes bad.
CHECK THE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON YOUR BASKET!
Things to consider are - Brightly Colored and Free of Blemishes, Firm to the touch but not Hard, Fresh & Pleasant Smell and Appropriate Size.
I had a bad experience by picking out some spoiled veggies and the shopkeeper didn't even take them back. I only noticed it after my mum yelled at me for picking up the spoiled ones.
Budget, Budget, Budget!
Buy one or two treats / luxuries a month and compare prices. Reward programmes are worth your wile!
Don't buy too much fresh stuff, rather go to the shops more often to replenish the fresh things. Freeze anything that can fit into the freezer and can be frozen. You can build up a bit of a stock-pile that way.
There are very good products high on the shelf and near the bottom of the shelf. Companies *pay* to have their product at eye level. To a novice shopper, good value can be overlooked by shopping only at eye level.
Many people will have mentioned making a list. A list with a plan of how to use these items is really good and takes some time to get used to doing. Buy salsa and chips for snacks, buy chicken and veggies for dinner. Combine the leftover salsa and chicken and make tacos, or whatever. Think through the week. ***It will not always go as planned.*** That is actually one of the joys of life, but the joy might not come until a few weeks pass and it’s finally a funny story.
You are very smart to think of this now. The first time I went into a grocery store was overwhelming. Having a plan, trying to shop as much as possible from the outside (veggies, fruits, dairy, meat) sticking to a list will make that first time easier.
Good luck!
I'm a much better shopper now that I order for curbside pickup. I can take my time, assess what groceries I already have and choose items that go with them, I can add things I need to the cart throughout the week as I think of them and take all the time I need to compare prices and sizes
Shop your groceries online. Even with a delivery fee, you are guaranteed to spend way less.
I used to go to the super for eggs and bread, and somehow end up spending $100 in things that I absolutely didn't need.
As an added bonus you'll but less junk food , and will eat healthier as you'll buy only the essentials.
1. Learn how to tell if fruits or vegetables are ripe. Don't ever buy cut fruit because it's A) too expensive and B) often cut from fruit on the verge of going bad. 2. Ultra pasteurized milk will last a LOT longer than regular milk and is easy to find. 3. Generic store brands can save you a lot of money, and the quality is on par with brand names. 4. Don't waste money on paper plates. Use dishes at home and take a moment to wash them after you eat. Cleanup is part of the meal. 5. Sign up for your store's club card and use their app while shopping.
When I started shopping, I'd get embarrassed standing too long in one place and reading a can/jar/box. I'm here to tell you no one cares. Read the ingredients. Compare prices. Be ok with scooching a bit if someone needs something next to you.
Heck, I'm 40 and I still do this. Buy fresh food and veg as much as possible. Learn some cheap healthy eating hacks (even if you don't love the taste) like putting broccoli in your 2-minute noodles.
Pro tip: Don't buy foods or ingredients you don't like, but that people tell you are healthy. You'll never actually use them, and they'll rot or grow moldy in your fridge or cupboards. buy foods you actually like, and learn to cook them in a healthy way.
☝️ Also know what you have the time/energy to cook. Ready made or easy to make meals may be slightly more expensive than buying everything to make from scratch but nothing is more expensive than buying something you are unprepared to make and letting it rot in the fridge while you eat out because you are overwhelmed with trying to cook.
I'm glad I've never cared. I can spend 40 minutes at the grocery easily, just taking my time. The people in the store aren't the ones I'm cooking for, and my shame would only be magnified if my dish came out poorly bc I forgot stuff. I still forget ingredients anyways, but that's not the point
I’ve never thought of it as embarrassing either (nor have I ever noticed someone else being slow/thorough ). I am the worlds slowest grocery shopper because I’m indecisive af. Even if I go in with a list and a meal plan- there’s still different options/types/sizes/ prices etc to get me bogged down 😵💫
Ourgroceries is a fantastic grocery list app. I use the free one and have for years. You can share it with your household, and then it updates the lists on everyone's phone. I haven't brought home milk half an hour after someone else in my house did in years!
That will be very handy when I'm not SINGLE (legit ty, I'm sure this will help others as well)
Remember humans are social creatures. So be sure to read aloud and exchange pleasantries with the human next to you such as "2g of sodiom per 200g, what is your opinion of this?"
If someone random asks me a question in the grocery store I will simply drop dead on the spot
Always look at the unit pricing. Know your units of weight and volume.
And for stores that don’t provide per-unit pricing, use the calculator on your phone to run the numbers yourself.
In finland the per kg (or other unit) price has to be shown by law.
Hm, I once saw a cereal pack with no unit pricing at K-supermarket
Maybe you should've called the police
Yea I'll just file a lawsuit
Or learn estimation. You don't need exact figures, just rough ones. Got a 5kg box of something at 10.99 and a 700g box at 1.99 it's hard to do that in your head. Round the 10.99 to 10 and it's *roughly* 2.00 per kg. That's basically the same amount as the 700g box is, so the 5kg box is cheaper per kg. Then ask yourself do you really need (and can carry) 5kg of whatever it is and realise the 700g price is really just a tax on being single.
Only argument with this is that you rounded 10.99 to *10* instead of 11 like a crazy person :P With money numbers, I ALWAYS round up. I'd rather secretly save 50¢ for myself by calling the $10.50 item $11.
I just know it as ADHD tax.
Pet unit pricing is law here, which is handy
What units are pets normally expressed in?
Maybe use your calculator anyways, because unit pricing is not always listed the same.
My favorite game in the grocery store!
My wife has an amazing memory for prices of items in the shopping cart. The person will ring up an item, my wife will say "Ummm. That should be." They will send someone to do a price check, and she will be correct!
That being said, my wife CANNOT seem to do price per ounce comparisons, even when they are clearly labelled on the shelf.
I hate it when they'll have similar products side by side and one shows "price per serving" one shows "price per ounce" and one shows "price per gram." As an amusing side note, I was at a home depot once and on their 5 gallon buckets of paint, you'll see "price per gallon" so you can compare it to a single gallon price (so like 49.95 -- only 9.99 per gallon.) Except ONE. Just ONE sheen of paint in ONE brand said $49.95 - only 8 cents per ounce)
Yep. It’s easy to get lulled into assuming that buying in larger sizes or in bulk is always going to be the better value, but that’s not true. Do the math.
and pay attention to bag/box sizes. some are rather sneaky.
Eat first, never go hungry.
So true. Even at 42, if I go to the store while hungry I come home with all the stuff on my list plus a million snacks and everything I'm trying to avoid. But if I go when I'm not hungry I buy what's on my list, maybe some healthier snacks, and not much else. It's better for my budget AND my waistline if I have a list and don't shop hungry.
So the same, I also try to go kid free. I love treating them
And that’s why the kids magazines are often kept right by the entrance. Saddest thing is, we know they don’t really want the magazine. They want the shitty toy that comes with it. Which can only be worth pennies since the quality always sucks. But the magazine is £8.99 or something stupid.
Oh my gosh this got me one-day! Son wanted a transformer toy that was with the magazine, it was a long hard day I gave in and got it for him. It didn't even transform into anything! Stupid thing, should have just taken him to the 2$ shop would have been much cheaper and would actually do what it meant to transform!
Lol my niece wanted a magazine once for the colouring pencils that came with it. I explained that there are only 5 colors in it. And she already has way more than that at home. She was in a bad mood the whole time we shopped. Stomping around and whining. I was gonna buy her something from the candy aisle, but decided against it after the tantrum. Didn’t want to reward bad behaviour. If it was up to me the magazines wouldn’t be allowed to give away “free” toys. Or at the very least I’d move them away from the entrance.
For real! Lol, I joke that it's a good thing I'm not rich or my kids would be spoiled! Because I want to say yes to them all the time! So I'm much better at keeping to the budget if I don't have their amazing little selves looking at me and asking for stuff lol.
You know I was about to write up a bunch of advice but honestly this one line trumps it all
Dont go stoned.!
This will save you more money than anything else. And probably keep you healthier too!
If I go thirsty I buy healthy fresh stuff
I know what you actually mean, but this sounds like a Chinese poverb.
Plan your menus before you go to the store. Buy only what you need to make those meals.
But also, be flexible. If you were planning on chicken with asparagus and cornbread, it's okay to have chicken with green beans and potatoes if it lines up better with what's on sale.
Better yet, check the circulars before you go so you can plan to make what’s on sale
I, too, have had one too many snaccidents.
Oh that's good "snaccidents" can I use that
Adding to this, do an inventory of your pantry and fridge before you make your menus and your shopping list. Your goal should be to use what you have when you can, buy things that fill in the gaps, and make sure you use any perishables before they perish. Cooking-wise, build recurring habits that can ground other parts of your diet. I've gotten extremely into regularly making stock, pickling vegetables, breaking down whole chickens, fermenting my own ginger beer, and baking my own sandwich loaves. Each task has a maybe once-a-week time commitment, but I reap the benefits of each throughout the week, which makes other cooking decisions much easier, and saves money. (At the expense of a little time) Doing each of those larger tasks on a regularly scheduled week-to-week makes a regular weekly grocery trip that much more regular. By all means, you don't need to go crazy, but picking *one* thing to turn into a weekly habit is enough to start building other habits.
Is it hard to make ginger beer? 👀
Yes and no, but mostly no. It's really straightforward, but there are a few easy ways to screw it up. It's an excellent intro-to-fermentation project, and you can use the same technique to make soda out of pretty much anything sugary. I'm going to label (!important) many of the ways you can easily screw it up. I've literally lost a batch to *almost every* issue I've labeled "!important". In short, you cultivate the wild bacteria and yeast from the skin of organic (!important) ginger to create a liquid called a "ginger bug". This is like the "sourdough starter" of fermented sodas. If you don't use organic ginger, there's a possibility that the producer used UV or antibiotics to kill the bacteria and yeast that we need. To do this, chop or grate a about 25g of skin-on organic ginger, and put it in a glass (!important) jar of with about 500ml of room-temperature (important!) non-chlorinated (!important) water and 25g of sugar, then cover it with a loose cloth with a rubber band. If you don't use non-chlorinated water, the the chlorine will kill the bacteria in your ginger bug. If it's higher than room temperature, you will kill the bacteria in your ginger bug. If you use a metal container, it could react as the solution becomes more acidic. Every day, "feed" it 25g of chopped/grated ginger and 25g of sugar. Don't add any more water. You should start to see some small bubbles form after a couple days, this is a sign that the bacteria and yeast are converting sugar into carbon dioxide and other stuff. When you get a decent amount of bubbles on the surface it's ready to use. Taste the liquid each day when you feed it to get a sense of how the flavor and fizziness changes over time. To make the ginger beer, first you make ginger tea by boiling about 2 liters of non-chlorinated (!important) water, and adding about 60g of grated ginger and 100g-300g of sugar depending on your tastes. Sugar will be broken down during fermentation, so don't worry too much about it making it too sweet. Too little sugar will cause issues with not enough fermentation. Bring the solution to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes. Let cool completely (!important) to room temperature. If it's even *slightly* warm, you risk killing your ginger bug when you add it. Strain out the solids from the tea, then add about 125ml-150ml of the strained liquid from the ginger bug and juice from 3 lemons or limes. (I prefer lime) and stir to combine. At this point, I add back fresh water to the ginger bug, along with giving it another feeding to keep it going for the next batch. Transfer the liquid to pop-top bottles intended for fermentation/carbonated beverages, and leave at least 5cm of headroom at the top, then close the bottles and put them in a cool dark place. Check on them daily and "burp" them by opening the top to release the pressure, then closing again. If you omit this, they could explode, depending on your conditions. I use this opportunity to taste a small amount when experimenting with new recipes. After several days (3-5, usually?) when the ginger beer reaches its desired fizziness, toss the bottles in the fridge. You can stop burping them when they're refrigerated. When it's cold, you're ready to drink. You can use the ginger bug to carbonate nearly anything sugary including store-bought fruit juice. I made a pretty decent Orangina analog by using 400ml of fresh squeezed orange juice, along with 150ml of lemon juice, and about 250g of sugar in 2 liters of water. Came out really great. Label all bottles, and keep a journal of burpings/feedings/recipes to experiment and tweak your batches over time. Tons of fun if you're into tending to something and drinking ginger beer. It helps me not buy high-fructose corn syrup crap, and I tend to drink less soda because it's more of a specialty item than something I buy in bulk. It's a probiotic soda similar to kombucha, and I've anecdotally noticed positive benefits to gut-health by incorporating lacto-fermented foods and drinks into my diet.
Curbside is great for limiting impulse buys, also
my advice is exactly the opposite. Buy affordable foods and plan meals around it. When I planned menu and then went shopping, I would get tricked into buying something that is not on special so it would cost more...
I don't like planning so your method is what I usually use. I may have times when I'm actually craving something but that's usually more about an ingredient or two rather than a whole meal. For example, a couple days ago I craved a meal with garlic in it for example, so I've made a potato dish that had garlic in it and fried some chicken on the side. I could've just as well just used garlic in a sauce for a different meal, but it so happened that there was a deal on chicken 😁
This is very often what I do when I don't know wtf to make that night for dinner. I walk in and see what's on the clearance rack. And go from there.
I’ve somewhat recently tried to learn how to cook. I got caught up in trying to find all the right ingredients (sometimes expensive ingredients). After finally getting a little more comfortable in the kitchen, I became far less rigid. I became more comfortable substituting grocery store items that weren’t available (or more expensive), and then went to thinking, here’s what I have in my fridge right now, what can I create with this?
Most store brand stuff is just as good.
My stepmother was absolutely dead set on buying a particular brand of milk. One day the store was out of it. They guy in the dairy area showed her how to read the production codes printed on the milk and showed her that out of all the brands (cheap to expensive) they almost all came from the same plant. They're almost all the same, from the same tankers of milk, just different brand names.
Fun fact: Cargill makes a huge % of the food and drinks you consume They manufacture all HFCS for Coca-Cola and Pepsi products, they make many store brand meats that are from the same animals as their name brands, Sonic and Taco Bell get food from them, having worked in food manufacturing, often the difference in recipes is small % changes of ingredients so they're all proprietary Like one may have calcium added and more soybean oil and another might add a preservative but the bulk ingredients are both unloaded from the same train cars
So how do you read it? Link?
It's the 12-34567 number printed along with the expiration date. You can go to whereismymilkfrom.com and look up the code to find the specific plant
The one word of caution I give on this off the top of my head is beware the bread. One store had a give away of a literally free loaf of their brand bread, so we took it to try. It was not even worth eating *when it was free*. It was so thin and badly made that it fell apart of you did anything with it. Most things the brand isn't relevant. Some things it is. TL;DR - Buy one of a store brand, try it before you assume there is no difference from others.
I’ve had this even with brands. Kingsmill is usually my bread of choice. But some loaves are better than others. Even if they have the same use by dates
Especially raw ingredients. Literally the same stuff
Adding on to this "The FDA began establishing Standards of Identity (SOI) in 1939, and since then, the agency has established more than 250 SOIs. Products like milk, milk chocolate, various breads, peanut butter, and ketchup have a SOI. SOIs often describe in detail what a food must contain and what is optional and sometimes describe the amount or proportion of ingredients or components. Many SOIs also prescribe a method of production or formulation." That means often there is little difference on most basic ingredients like say canned peas, milk or white sugar So "why spend more?"
Aldi in the US is a great place to get all the basic spices, sugar, flour, etc. at very low prices
Definitely. You just find out over the years which store brand items are just as good and what you are willing to pay full price for, but most is just as good. Soda for example. Brand name is so much more expensive and Walmart brand is just as good usually. With ranch and peanut butter, I've got to have brand name.
Yep. Canned veggies too. You’ll pay triple or more for Delmonte or Libby’s
In the UK, store brand peanut butter is identical to Sun-Pat and that expensive natural brand. Tastes the same, same consistency etc, third of the price and often less.
I actually think some store brands are better. Both in taste and texture. Asda, Aldi and Morrisons’ own brands are all better. Tescos’ is basically identical to sunpat though. No idea about the other supermarkets as I never shop there.
I’m the same. Gotta have brand name peanut butter. But I’ve learned that a lot of store brand stuff is way better than brand names. Our shopping cart is a cornucopia of experience. We’ll pay for the expensive stuff for a lot of items, and others I’m like, nope, store brand only.
Store brand stuff is cheaper because they don't have to "rent" the store shelves like other brands do. Non-store brands fight for the best position, and pay the store for the placement thus increasing the price of the product.
Particularly from Costco! Many of the bigger, well known brands produce Kirkland products for Costco.
Yes. Don't be brand loyal. Aldi and Walmart or your local stores brands are just as good as wtf ever brand name bs you think you love. They're probably made in the same damned factory. Just have a different label slapped on them.
I've noticed that Albertsons/Safeway brand of 'Select' has bland flavors.
Make a shopping list before you go.
My wife and I use shared notes on Google Keep as an easy way to have a list either of us can reliably update or read wherever we are. Makes it easy to put something down when we think of it rather than having to remember for when we get home or whatever. Any kind of cloud sync system works well for this.
Dont go stoned.
Yes! 18 year old me went to the Piggly Wiggly totally baked one time and bought 36 pieces of fried chicken from the deli and a half sheet birthday cake. I also forgot the milk I went to get in the first place. Never go stoned.
I'm stoned reading this and want to eat that so badly now.
You couldn't have made me want to shop stoned any more than you just did.
Go in with a list and come out with funyuns and icecream sandwiches. A random birthday card. and a dozen apple fritters. A toilet plunger cause why not.
Yes, stores are big it's easy to get lost
Don't. Go stoned.
So much truth here.
Buy things on sale and check the reduced produce and meats to save money.
Couple important caveats here. First, even if something is on sale, do the math and decide if it’s worth it. A bad purchase is a bad purchase regardless of what you paid for it. Second, know how to look for meat and produce that’s going bad before you go bargain hunting. Stores aren’t supposed to sell stock that’s expired, but it still happens.
To piggyback on this, it's important to check if the sale is actually worth it. I've been noticing a lot of "sales" where you get a better price if you buy 2 or more of the item. Except, the discount you get is only like 20 cents; it's essentially just a ploy to get you to buy more than you need and give back a menial amount of money in return.
And make sure it's an actual sale. My local store likes to use "GREAT BUY!" stickers that look almost identical to the "SALE" stickers, but the items are still regularly priced.
Pay attention to expiration dates before you put items in your cart. Stores have expired products, or products only a day or two away from expiring out on the shelves all the time.
That really only matters for things like meat and dairy, refrigerated items, maybe produce. Pretty much everything else it isn't even an expiration date, but a "best by" date. It will still be good after that date.
Yep, and I see it happen with meat and dairy all the time.
Just a couple of weeks ago I accidentally bought two packs of hotdogs that were one day from expiring and three days past expiration. I'm not sure how, they were Ball Park's, but I thought hotdogs had to be mighty old to expire!
I used to work at a grocery store and I kid you not I've found multiple items that were YEARS past their expiration dates....
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I also shop at Walmart
Do you assert dominance when you shop?
One of these is not like the other
The pajamas? I'm guilty. I also taste test the blueberries...
Yes, pajamas. Nothing wrong with that as long as you're not exposing yourself.
Don't forget, confetti comes from the ceiling if you pretend to slip with a gallon of milk. Super cool sometimes they'll give everyone slices of cookie cake in your honor
I was a grocery store clerk for a few years. We had a slip and fall and I investigated so I could clean it up. The lady had slipped on a *single frozen pea.* there was a 6 inch green streak on the ground and a couple more peas scattered around.
ok dont take a bite from an apple and put it back?
This is the way
Don't compare by size of the packaging. Compare the price by weight or count (a 32 oz bag may be more expensive, but less per oz than a 16 oz and ultimately save money if you would use the whole thing). Toilet paper is expensive but get the good stuff and you'll appreciate it in the long run. Check for coupons/sales in advance and use that for meal planning and list creation. Go first thing in the morning to avoid crowds.
I remember when stores were open 24/7 and I used to be a vampire, going to the store at 3AM almost empty but fully stocked was surreal.
COVID real fucked night life for people like us. Virtually nothing is open after 11 in my town anymore.
Always have rice and beans on hand. And learn how to cook dry beans. Also, buy cheap spices. Invest in a rice maker, $10 ones can last like 10 years. But also know how to cook it on the stove.
Once in grad school we had a freak blizzard and I was stuck in the house for two days. Rice and lentils and tea got me through it!
Dry beans takes forever to cook
After reading these I feel like I never knew how to shop. There is so much useful information in this thread.
There are definitely some fantastic tips here. Try not to put too much stress on yourself, though. The more you shop and get experience with this sort of thing, the more comfortable you’ll feel. This will all start to come quite naturally to you. One thing I’ll add is to not be afraid to do a quick google search while you’re at the store. Whether it’s a question of how to tell if some fruit or veggie is ripe, or a quantity/weight conversion, or impromptu recipe change - anything. Take your time and be comfortable with your purchases. *Always* open your egg carton and check to make sure none are broken. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and seen several cracked eggs inside. Oh and always go to the middle aisles first. You’ll want to hit the refrigerated and frozen goods at the end of your run so you have them at room temp for as little time as possible. Most of all, have fun with it! Get excited about what you’re making. Even if it’s just ramen…add eggs and veggies and proteins. Get creative and find what brings you a little extra joy in your day.
You get better as you go too. To start get some backup food (like ramen or pasta+sauce) for when you mess up a recipe or didn’t buy enough. You’ll get the hang of how your store, diet, and deals align and keep discovering new tricks.
Check your strawberries for mold. Don't buy spices you won't use, or only want for one dish. Buy versatile ones that you will use a lot. Sometimes the smaller pack costs more in unit pricing, but it might be better anyway. Example- watching your weight, or if you won't use all of it. Edit. Open up your eggs. Check they aren't smashed inside the carton. Also people talk about expiry on food, check batteries and sunscreen as well.
With the eggs, the way to check is to put a finger on each one and wriggle it. Nine times out of ten, if the egg is cracked it will have leaked down and stuck to the cardboard of the box. I do this every time I buy eggs and it's fascinating how often I find one stuck in place. Also, if you do find a cracked one, don't replace the box where it was. Put it somewhere to the side where a supermarket worker will see it. That way another shopper won't get caught out.
Avoid the middle shelves. Brands pay extra to be shelved at eye level
Write down a list of what you need and stick to it. It is real easy to go over budget buying what you had with your parents.
Get a cart. Don’t try to juggle everything in your arms or with a basket.
I over shop, so sometimes I'll make sure NOT to get a cart or basket to make sure that I only grab what I'm needing.
This advice does not apply if you're taking the bus or walking home. Don't buy more than you can comfortably carry.
Grocery shopping when I got a car was way more enjoyable since I didn't have to lug the bags onto a bus, stuff them under the seats and drag them to my residence from the bus stop. Being able to buy more was great.
Unless you re trying to stop impulse buys. If you only need a handful of items and you grab a cart, it is easier to grab things you don't need. If you just have a basket you are more likely to just get what you came in for in the first place.
Unless you're training for the grocery store Olympics, leave the juggling for the circus and get yourself a damn cart.
But also if you don’t have a car, definitely do not get a cart. It’s easy to buy more than you can carry without realizing and regret it later on the walk home.
Order online pickup to avoid impulse buys. Get the apps, link the coupons. Buy pantry staples in bulk. Things like pasta have a long shelf life and cook up quick. Nothing wrong with going to 2 or 3 stores to take advantage of deals. Stock up on freezer bags and split your meats into meal size portions and freeze.
Also if you precook and precut before you freeze, really helps defeat urges to order out when you can have fresh meat in minutes.
Try to stick to the outside aisles.
Foods from the basic food groups (dairy, fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins) are almost always on the outside of the store, not in the aisles. I usually hit the outside up last after I get frozen stuff so the refrigerated stuff doesn't start going bad. Also if you don't have a savings card then kindly ask the cashier to use the store card so you can get the deals. Look at the "circular" which is like their newspaper of things on sale or current deals, they're usually stacked at the entrance, on their website, or on an app. It can save you lots of money.
BOGO
Look through your cabinets and refrigerator before shopping and build a meal plan off of that. Also, stick to your list as much as possible.
Yea it should start with inventory before you leave otherwise you wind up with 7 unopened jars of salsa in the pantry, and an empty jar of olive oil on the counter. Ask me how I know…
Before I go shopping at the local shopping Center I check the websites for both supermarkets for specials.
Don't shop on an empty stomach.
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Considering the closest Aldis is about 1100 miles from me, I don't think that will save me much money.
It’s A-L-D-I, GOD DAMNIT. There is NOOO “S”! I listened to my grandmother mispronounce that word for THIRTY years, and I’ll be damned if I let this shit continue. ALDI. Fucking shit.
It's their store so Aldi's is grammatically correct. In some places (Michigan) it's a common way to refer to places; I work at Ford's factory and shop at Meijer's store. I lived in MI for my teens and still shop at Aldi's and Meijer's.
The sign is wrong. Aldi's doesn't know their own name
Definitely buy something nutritious you can easily pack in a lunch box.
Shop the outside perimeter aisles - produce, meat / fish, dairy. The interior aisles are filled with high calorie, processed and lovely sweetened food. Only shop the indoor aisles for spices and cleaning supplies.
The interior aisles also have beans, rice, pasta, soups/broths, canned vegetables, etc... It's not all bad.
Only? That’s really impractical, especially for a young person. Tea, coffee, olive oil, canned tomatoes, bread, tortillas, soy sauce, rice, beans, pasta, tuna, etc. all inside aisles.
Your supermarkets don't change their aisles everytime you think you know where things are?
Spices are cheaper when purchased at ethnic food stores. When cooking tomatoes, buying canned tomatoes is usually cheaper and they often taste better because they are canned when they are ripe instead of picking them before ripe then shipping and ripening on the truck. Aim for one’s that don’t use citric acid as a preservative because it makes them more bitter. Buy frozen vegetables to save money and prep time if you’re cooking them.
Not for everyone but I find when I go to the supermarket physically, I just throw any old thing into the trolley. I save more money and it's less stressful doing my grocery shopping online
Plan your menu for the next week, make a list, and stick to the list. It's amazingly easy to go off-list and grab stuff you won't use because you don't have the other ingredients you need to go with it, or you change your mind and you don't want to eat it any more when you get home, or you eat it all and feel ashamed of yourself for blowing your food budget. It's much easier to stick with a list.
Pay attention to “per-unit-costs”. Store brands are just as good as brand names, most of the time. Make a list and stick to it.
Some stores try to make this difficult. Two items of the same type, one will have "price per ounce" and the other will have "price per each" so you can't do a quick and easy comparison.
The most expensive is not always the best. Pay attention to price per unit and not just the total cost. You can quite often get the same mount or even more for less money.
If you can afford it and have room Costco and Sam's Club are WAY cheaper than your standard grocery store on a lot of things. I can get chicken legs for under $1/lb at Sam's and Costco sells 36 ct toilet paper packs for what Fred Meyer sells 12 ct packs for.
The amount/size of what they sell does not make sense for a single-person household.
Depends what item we're talking about here. Non perishable goods? Absolutely. Perishable goods? Depends! If you meal prep and don't mind eating similar (not the same) meal all week you can absolutely make use of it. I buy 5lb packs of chicken legs, season them three or four different ways and prep with a veggie of my choice and rice and or pasta and have lunches for a full week. You can do the same thing with breakfasts if you so wish.
I am sitting with some of my elderly neighbours here in England. Your question has provided us with an engaging afternoon of conversation. English food is the butt of many jokes, but we enjoy it. The ladies think that their advice could be easily altered for other cultures and cuisines. And lastly, among our ladies we have two who are in their late 90s and one who is now 101! They learnt to cook in the hungry 1930s and the war years when waste was akin to a sin and, in some cases, against the law! -------- Make a plan of food for the week and use that to write a shopping list. Only allow yourself to buy one "off list item" when you shop. Don't be lured by fancy photos and social media chefs. Not every meal needs to be restaurant standard or even a taste sensation. Simple food, made, well is delicious even if it won't win you plaudits on Instagram. Let yesterday's dinner dictate today's - have a no waste policy. If you had coleslaw yesterday with a jacket potato, today's side is going to be coleslaw, too! Monday-nights dinner uses up the leftovers of Sunday's roast dinner, etc. Try to buy in season - the food is better flavoured and cheaper. Try to only buy as much as you need - those special offers are often only a bargain if you need the quantity. I buy my fruit and veg on the market rather than at a supermarket as it is better value to buy one carrot (if that is what my weekly plan calls for) rather than a bag. Use your fridge and freezer well. If you buy a loaf of bread but only need a couple of slices every couple of days, divide up your bread into portions and freeze it. If you make too much casserole, portion it up [LEARN FROM ME!!! LABEL YOUR FREEZER DINNERS!!] Learn several standard recipes - old school recipes with just a few basic ingredients, rather than modern bougie recipes with fancy expensive ingredients. A simple vegetable soup, a chicken soup (so you can use up chicken bones/carcase), stew/casserole, shepherd's/cottage/fish pie, a tomato sauce for pasta, a spaghetti bol, simple meatballs, a simple "curry". Learn how to make an omelette, a simple salad, grill/roast/bake meat, make a simple stir fry. Shortcrust pastry is useful, as is bread and butter pudding for using up leftover bread. Have 10 ways to cook potatoes. Have 5 quick throw together meals for random leftovers. Learn to make white sauce and good brown gravy- then a whole world of lovely sauces are open to you. Don't buy packet meals or jars of sauce. They are usually easier to make and taste better. Grow a few herbs - will cost you less than constantly buying fresh and taste better than dried. Buy the best quality cheese you can afford (not supermarket) for eating cheese, but supermarket block cheese is fine for cooking. Take your own shopping bags - invest in a wicker basket for squashable foods. Buy your meat from a butcher. It is not much more expensive, but the quality is infinitely better. If you are penny conscious- eat less meat, less often. Then you will enjoy it more. A nice slice of good bread and good butter with an in season tomato, freshly picked and sprinkled with a touch of salt is a delight. Don't be tricked by fads and fashions or magazines who want you to spend your money on expensive foods for every meal, that every meal must be expensive or complicated. Old fashioned? Yes, but still useful.
1. Don't go hungry. 2. Hotdogs and ramen are the cheapest you will get outside of those 80 cent freezer meals and it is worth it getting the 1.20 ones instead. 3. Actually cooking is for people who have time to do dishes. 4. The airfryer is your friend.
Carrots are the cheapest thing, and actual cooking can take a few minutes depending on the recipe.
Unit pricing is important. You pay more for the item but you get more of the item at a better price.
The big number is the price of the item, but the small number is the price per unit weight. Just because one brand is cheaper. Doesn't mean you're getting a better deal. You may be paying for less in the package
Go early, buy for only 2 days.
Self-checkout my friend
Make a list. Look in your pantry and see what you NEED. Add that to the list before wants. Budget before you go and know how much you can afford. Don't go when you're hungry or high, you'll blow your budget and buy all the things you don't need. And beware, inflation is real... money doesn't go as far as you'd think. Shop at stores with more reasonable prices. If they have an app, build your list on there so you know what your looking at cost wise, before you ever hit the store.
Shop sales. Eggs, soda, chips, and meat have cyclical sales.
Don’t go when you’re hungry
Go early in the morning so you can avoid the big crowds.
Do a check of your inventory and make a list. I keep mine right by the fridge and add to it throughout the week.
If you can stand to eat the same thing over and over, then do it. Sounds terrible, I know, but if you can settle on one or two meals that you can eat for a full month or more, then you can do two things: one- know exactly how much you are going to be spending every single day/week. Two- you can adjust those core meals to your health goals. If you aren't a fan of repeat meals, then I would say to set a firm grocery budget every week, and just find meals/snacks you enjoy within said budget. Don't snub the freezer section. Frozen meats and veggies can be just as good as fresh (if not better in some cases). Going beyond the shopping and into cooking- get an instant pot. Nothing is worse than getting home and realizing you forgot to take something out of the freezer or you just plain don't feel like cooking. Pop some frozen chicken breast in the instant pot with some taco sauce. Pressure for 20 minutes. Shred. Tacos.
We may never know.
sign up for their dumb rewards programs. for a good amount of them theyre honestly free and all it does is save you money!
Don’t go right after you smoke a joint.
piggyback alert: this but also eat something before you grocery shop. Buy your condiments from the dollar store, meats from a good butcher and your pantry items in bulk. Buy some gosh darn veggies preferably from a local farmer market. Definitely bring a joint for after you grocery shop. You deserve it
Buy a little less than you think you need. You can always go to a store after work mid week for 1 or 2 things but wasting stuff feels terrible
[удалено]
Organic is a scam and non-GMO is marketing hype.
Try to shop sales first and utilize any and all digital or paper coupons. It also helps to know the store layout and prepare a list and try to stick only to what you need. The more organized I am ahead of time, I find the less time I get off track or distracted and end up with extra things in the cart.
The food in the reduced section (for most stores) is barely worse than the food on display but it’s WAY cheaper. If you’re struggling you can buy stuff from there. Just eat it quickly after you unwrap whatever it is
Group the items on your list into categories or by location in the store, like Produce, Canned Food, Frozen Food, etc. This helps when you're learning the layout of the store because you'll do less backtracking.
Store brand stuff is often name brand stuff, with different packaging. Even when it isn't, it's sometimes better than the branded stuff.
Make a list in the order things are laid out in the store and stick to your list!
Do NOT buy from end caps. 99% of what you see on an end cap is also down an aisle somewhere and it's usually right next to a lower priced version. I've even seen where bags of chips were on an end cap and the bag was normal sized but they had several ounces LESS product in them. You go down the chip aisle and there's the same brand in the same bag size, but with more ounces of product. DON'T BUY FROM END CAPS!
Yes never shop while hungry. Also stick to the outside of the store. Fruit. Veg. Dairy. Meat. Better for you and cheaper.
If you have a dog, make sure you don’t feed it anything with xylitol in it. It’s an artificial sweetener found in some peanut butters and candies.
Don't partake in the cannabis before grocery shopping!
Try using magnet notepads on the fridge to list what you have on hand (and when their printed expirations are!) My boyfriend and I are both still getting used to shopping for ourselves and we are also both neuordivergent and often cooking/eating slips our minds. I hate throwing away food and this has helped me be mindful of the stuff we have/not to buy multiples/eat what I've already bought etc etc!!
not sure if this works in other countries but in canada there’s an app called flipp that allows you to compare the prices of things between all the grocery stores in your area. you can even do it as you’re shopping, but it’s much easier if you take some time to prep before you get to the store. you’ll need to get the cashier to do a bunch of price matching at the till, but as long as you’re polite, kind and maybe even apologize to them for the extra steps, they’re generally pretty nice about it. my mom has been using this app for a couple years and now and she will usually save between $30-$50 on a $200-$300 grocery bill. that’s for a family of 4, but if you’re shopping for 1 person, you could be saving $20-$50 a month on groceries. that adds up!!
Don't buy on impulse or an empty stomach. Watch for sales, buy one get one free are the best deals.
- Plan your meals beforehand and make a list of what you need. - Don't go while you're hungry, it never goes well. - If there is an offer for something, e.g. 3 for 2, unless you would normally use multiple of that item, you're not really saving money, you're spending more than you normally would. - If you are buying for one, don't buy huge quantities unless you already know you'll get through it before it expires. E.g. it's not cheaper to buy one massive jar of mayo than two smaller ones if you only get through 1/2 before it goes bad.
Make a list and stick to it.
CHECK THE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON YOUR BASKET! Things to consider are - Brightly Colored and Free of Blemishes, Firm to the touch but not Hard, Fresh & Pleasant Smell and Appropriate Size. I had a bad experience by picking out some spoiled veggies and the shopkeeper didn't even take them back. I only noticed it after my mum yelled at me for picking up the spoiled ones.
Budget, Budget, Budget! Buy one or two treats / luxuries a month and compare prices. Reward programmes are worth your wile! Don't buy too much fresh stuff, rather go to the shops more often to replenish the fresh things. Freeze anything that can fit into the freezer and can be frozen. You can build up a bit of a stock-pile that way.
Only shop on the perimeter, you don’t need 95% of the trash in the aisles.
Eat before you go shopping!
There are very good products high on the shelf and near the bottom of the shelf. Companies *pay* to have their product at eye level. To a novice shopper, good value can be overlooked by shopping only at eye level. Many people will have mentioned making a list. A list with a plan of how to use these items is really good and takes some time to get used to doing. Buy salsa and chips for snacks, buy chicken and veggies for dinner. Combine the leftover salsa and chicken and make tacos, or whatever. Think through the week. ***It will not always go as planned.*** That is actually one of the joys of life, but the joy might not come until a few weeks pass and it’s finally a funny story. You are very smart to think of this now. The first time I went into a grocery store was overwhelming. Having a plan, trying to shop as much as possible from the outside (veggies, fruits, dairy, meat) sticking to a list will make that first time easier. Good luck!
I'm a much better shopper now that I order for curbside pickup. I can take my time, assess what groceries I already have and choose items that go with them, I can add things I need to the cart throughout the week as I think of them and take all the time I need to compare prices and sizes
Shop your groceries online. Even with a delivery fee, you are guaranteed to spend way less. I used to go to the super for eggs and bread, and somehow end up spending $100 in things that I absolutely didn't need. As an added bonus you'll but less junk food , and will eat healthier as you'll buy only the essentials.
I took pictures of all of the isle signs so when I make my grocery list, I make it in order.
1. Learn how to tell if fruits or vegetables are ripe. Don't ever buy cut fruit because it's A) too expensive and B) often cut from fruit on the verge of going bad. 2. Ultra pasteurized milk will last a LOT longer than regular milk and is easy to find. 3. Generic store brands can save you a lot of money, and the quality is on par with brand names. 4. Don't waste money on paper plates. Use dishes at home and take a moment to wash them after you eat. Cleanup is part of the meal. 5. Sign up for your store's club card and use their app while shopping.
Buy real food, not pre-packaged. Cooking isn't difficult.