Sure, everyone wants to save money – who doesn’t? Saving money is essential especially during these tough times. Like myself, I know that most of you are trying to stretch your hard earned money to cover all your family’s necessities.
So, how can we save more money? The answer is easy: by cutting or limiting our expenses. We can do that by effectively managing the money that comes in and out of our pocket; and by making smart financial decisions.
Food is one area that we can save a lot of money from. If you analyze your monthly expenses, you will notice that a large chunk is spent on food (after housing, education, and transportation). If you are Filipino, you might be familiar with the saying “Magtipid ka na sa lahat ng bagay, huwag lang sa pagkain” (try to save on everything but food). I totally agree on the saying and I always put it into practice, but I am still able to save a lot of money on groceries. How was that possible? Simple – I read between the lines. Instead of spending without limits on food items, I tried to think smarter by identifying and prioritizing the food items that I needed before shopping for a bargain.
Here are some tips on how you can save money on groceries:
Check your inventory
Maintain a list of necessary items
Plan next week’s menu ahead of time
Allot a grocery budget and stick to it
Be alert on sale items
Never shop when you’re hungry
Shop alone
Choose the right store
Bring a calculator
Shop Online (save on tax and gas)
Collect coupons and use them
Consider store brand items
Compare similar products
Watch-out for marketing strategies (and avoid them)
Avoid packaged ready to eat food
Keep your eye on the scanner
Limit your trip (at least once per week)
I might have missed some important tips and I need your input. It is now your turn. How do you save money on groceries?
Source: www.panlasangpinoy.com