5 grocery shopping tips to save more

Grocery shopping has become tough in recent times due to inflation. Prices of a lot of staple items like eggs have increased in recent weeks and months. They are only expected to keep rising.

Hence, it's important to find ways to save money while grocery shopping. You cannot just keep cutting items from your list as every home needs some staples and also some extra luxuries. You want to eat delicious meals after working all day and it can be tough with the rising prices.

However, there are some steps you can take to help save you some money during your grocery shopping. Let's take a look at five of them:

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1) Advance menu planning

This is quite helpful in multiple ways, not just grocery shopping. Firstly, planning meals for a few days or a week in advance saves you from decision fatigue each day. This enables you to spend your mental energy on other things.

Moreover, planning a meal in advance can also help you figure out the quantity of the ingredients needed. You can also prepare some elements in bulk in advance which may be used in different dishes like roasted vegetables or stocks.

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2) Buying in bulk isn't always good

One of the most commonly dished out advice for saving money is to buy things in bulk. It's also quite beneficial for a large family as many retailers offer great deals for bulk orders and it can save you a lot of money.

However, it's not a great idea for small families. While bulk offers might sound good, the products could get wasted if bought more than required. It's always better to buy only as much as you need to avoid wastage of food and your money.

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3) Visit stores rather than grocery shopping online

Grocery apps and other pickup apps are very convenient. However, they can lead to you paying more. Most of these platforms charge delivery fees and other payments.

Some stores also have a minimum amount for delivery. Hence, you might add more items than you actually need to reach that target. To save this, it's best to visit stores and do your shopping yourself.

While it can cost fuel, you can add grocery shopping to your list while leaving your home for other work as well.

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4) Developing relationships

One of the most underrated ways to save money and get high-quality products is by making relationships with vendors and shop owners. If you become a loyal customer over the years, you can get discounts and premium products often.

For example, butchers might give you good cuts of meat if you're a regular customer, or store owners might tell you about upcoming offers. This helps you save more money and get quality products from a trustworthy place.

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5) Tips for farmers' markets

Farmers market tomatoes in Denver, Colorado USA (Image source: Getty)

One great way to save money is to strategize your farmer market visits. Vendors are more likely to give discounts towards the end of the day as they look to sell their products off instead of taking them home.

Moreover, seasonal produce is always high in demand. However, buying it between mid-season to end of the season can also lead to good discounts. This is because vendors are looking to sell their produce while most of the people have also had enough of the said produce at the start of the season.

Moreover, you can get some discounts on produce with minor blemishes or faults if you're looking to use them for things like sauces and jams.

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There are many other things you can do like utilising your pantry to the fullest, switching stores, and more, to save money. This will not only help you financially but also help strategise your cooking and grocery shopping, leading to fewer decisions.