Shopping is easy, once you learn a few tricks.  Now, you can be a better shopper instantly and save time and money while you’re at it.  Here are six keys to becoming a better grocery shopper you can use right now.

#1 Eat Before You Go Shopping

I always spend more if I go to the store hungry.  The reason: Everything looks good.  Do yourself a favor:  Eat before going out.

#2 Plan Ahead

Plan the next three meals you’ll be preparing before you hit the store.  Also, check your social calendar before shopping.  If it’s Monday and you are entertaining on Friday, chances are good you’ll be hitting the store Thursday.  If you can, wait until Thursday to do all of your shopping.  Fewer trips mean less gas.  Plus, if you buy fresh foods closer to the day of your dinner party, everything will taste better and you’ll experience less spoilage.

#3 Make A Food Budget And Stick To It

This is harder, but well worth your time and effort in the quest to save money.  Do you know the amount you spend on food every month?  Don’t guess.  Instead, work with real numbers.  Here’s how:

Step 1:  Look at past purchases.

Review your checkbook, bank or online statements.  Look for any purchase made at the grocery store in the last three months.  Add them up.  Include drugstore purchases if you buy toiletries or over-the-counter items at both the grocery and drugstore.  This keeps it simple.  Do the best you can to get a total and then divide by 13 (for the number of weeks in 3 months).  The number you end up with is your average weekly food cost and is a good starting point for a budget.  Ask yourself if the amount is reasonable.  If you think you can get by on less, then by all means, try less.

Step 2: Begin a budget experiment.

Go to the bank or ATM (if there are no charges) and withdraw the weekly budgeted amount.  For example, if you came up with $150 for your budget, withdraw that amount of cash.  Now, try to save 10%. Calculate 10% of the total.  An easy trick for this is to drop the last digit in a number.  In the case of $150 if you drop the zero you get $15. That’s 10%.  Now, subtract $15 from $150 and you end up with $135.    This is the amount of money you’ll use for shopping.  Put the extra $15 aside in a safe, secure place.  Here comes your test:  Can you pay for all the groceries you buy during the week with $135?  If you can avoid the need to use your debit or credit card, you will slowly build a reserve.  You can use the reserve as a means to save, to cover emergencies or to fund special purchases throughout the year (i.e. bulk purchases that offer incredible value or the extra food you buy for the holidays).

Step 3: Learn to, keep a running total in your head as you shop.

This takes a bit of practice but is well worth your time and effort. Forget pennies, and convert every price to the nearest dollar. If an item costs $1.84, call it $2 when you add it to your mental total and put it in your basket. If an item costs $3.47, call it $3. If you buy enough items, the total at the checkout stand will be surprisingly close to your estimate. If it feels like you are rounding down more than rounding up, add an extra dollar or two to even things out. If you get to the checkout and you’ve gone over budget, pick an item, and ask the clerk to take it off of your bill. Knowing what the bill will be before it comes due is the surest way to stay on budget.

#4 Clip Coupons

These days most grocery stores try to develop store loyalty by asking you to sign up for their “savings” card.  This is good because you get a discount.  What is often overlooked is the extra savings you get by clipping coupons.  Look for coupons in mailers, newspapers and online.  Start a file.  A small pouch you keep in the car will always insure your coupons are handy when you need them.

#5 Make A List And Check It Twice

How many times to you come home from the store only to learn you forgot to buy a particular item?  Post-it notes seem convenient for list making, but if you end up writing illegibly or too small you will often miss an item.  It’s better to use a longer pad (one with lines).  Put one item on each line and take a pen or pencil to check off the items as you go.  Better still, group similar items (e.g. all produce) together.  This way you’re more apt to remember all the items on your list, and you’ll do less running back and forth in the store.  A good list also saves gas as it reduces extra trips.  Finally, an important reason to shop by a list is to avoid making extra impulse buys.  The stores love it when you make impulse buys because you’ll spend more money.  Avoid them whenever possible.

There are only two reasons to deviate from your list:  1) You forgot to put an item on it in the first place, or 2) you spot an item you use all the time that happens to be on sale.  If it’s not on your list or doesn’t fall into these categories, don’t buy it.  Over the long haul you’ll save hundreds of dollars.

#6 Find A Shopping Buddy

To be sure you’re getting the best value, poll your friends and find out who is the savviest shopper.  Ask to go shopping with them to learn their tricks for saving money.  Offer to drive.  It’ll be well worth the extra time and energy, plus make shopping more fun for both of you.   A shopping buddy can give you an idea of which stores offer the best value.  Or maybe they know of the latest smart-phone app that will give you a shopping advantage.  Buddies can also keep you posted on all the special deals they hear about.  Some people seem built to shop and others hate it.  If you fall into the second group, be sure to hook up with someone who loves shopping.

By Bob Anderson
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