Cutting down your grocery bill

I managed to cut down my grocery bill by £80, that’s a big saving for me. In ten months that would be £800. Cutting down on spending whether it be in the form of grocery bills takes discipline and focus. If you can write your goal down of how much you’d have in ten months you will begin to take action.

Shopping unconsciously has been something I’ve done for a while. Until you become conscious about your money you won’t realise where it’s going. You will unconsciously lift things off the shelf and buy things you don’t need. You will give into to advertising temptations and before you know it your bill at the till has tripled. I realised I was unconsciously spending when I bought things I didn’t need and found them a month later in my cupboard unopened. Also I found that I had more than one item in my cupboard so basically I was duplicating what I already had in the cupboard. Which brings me to the next point.

This is important if you want to cut your grocery bill. Once I bought a packet of rice and spaghetti only to discover I had two of each unopened in the cupboard. I’ve done this with cheese, tinned vegetables. That’s money just sitting there wasted, unused. Doing a list makes you consciously aware of what you have and what you need. This way you won’t buy more than you actually need. When you have your list make sure you stick to it.

This is vital if you really want to save on your bill. I know it’s hard when all the goodies are staring you in the face, when all the buy one free promotions are flashed in front of you every turn you make to the next aisle. Consciously ask yourself, do I need this, before you pick it up. Resist the temptation to give into advertising. This was hard for me but I did a few things that helped me resist temptation.

1. I have a set list and I stick to it.
2. I don’t shop when I’m hungry. When you’re hungry it’s so easy to buy food on impulse, food you don’t really need. Your mind’s wondering how that frozen shepherds pie is going to taste. You see the picture and your mouth waters and before you know it, you’ve picked it up and placed it in your trolley. I found that if I went shopping after work when I was hungry my bill was a lot higher than when I went on a weekend on a full stomach.
3. Set a reward or a treat for the money saved. My daughter and I each have something we want from the money we’ve saved. If you have children, involve them and encourage them to give you ideas. Help them understand the benefits of saving and of having discipline.

I saved quite a bit buying from different places. Instead of doing all my grocery shopping under one roof. I buy my toiletries at Wilkos, and my vegetables and juice at Aldi. I did this when I was saving for Florida. I learnt how to shop and how to stretch between shopping trips.

Being conscious of your spending on your groceries makes you conscious of your money in all areas. You will begin to feel in more control of your finances, just by taking a simple step of saving on your groceries and that’s a great feeling to have.