Five practical grocery tips

As prices begin to inch its way up as the Holidays draw near, there’s now way for us but make sure we take it easy with our expenses. We want to make sure we have everything allocated for- from meals and gifts to our personal CSR and, of course, the non-stop bills. With those in mind, I’m counting down the Top five ways to cut down on grocery costs…. This Holiday season, and in every season.

1. Peel your eyes open for specially priced items

In this pandemic age, many brands have come to slash their prices or offer discounts or bundle promos just to also keep their businesses going. Also, in my experience, the location where an item is placed in a store can mean a difference by about a peso or two. I have experienced that a shampoo located strategically in the entrance of a grocery is priced higher than the same shampoo brand stocked in the hair and body care aisle.

2. Don’t do your grocery with your kids in tow

Try not to bring your kids when grocery shopping. Otherwise, you’d end up buying stuff you actually don’t need (specially when they can’s stop telling you “I want this- I want that, Mommy”. If you have to bring them, set a rule: tell them they can only get one item in the store they really really want. This way, you don’t get sweet-talked to buying things that’s out of your budget.

3. Don’t do your grocery run when hungry

This will push you to shop for things you crave from appetizers to mains to deserts; from something sweet to something salty- but don’t need. When hungry, all food aisles (except for soap and insecticides) will look enticing to you that before you know it, you would have filled up your cart to the brim.

4. Make sure you’re not hoarding

You can do this by making a physical note on what you have inside your ref or pantry at home. Make sure you don’t buy too much of one thing.Also keep in mind that there’s nothing wrong with buying frozen food like vegetables which you can keep on using when needed. The only time it makes sense for you to buy in bulk Is when the item is a staple in the dishes you prepare (like cooking oil or pasta). And when you do, check out the expiry dates carefully.

5. Buy in-store brands

These are brands by the supermarkets themselves (like SM Bonus, Robinson Supersavers, Puregold’s Equal or simply SNR). These store brands are often cheaper than the big brands out there and offer you a good and practical alternative.