Everything is so expensive these days. I’m going to sound a bit old now, but I swear to God everything was cheaper back in the day. I could go to the store with a twenty and…you know? I’m not going to finish that thought because it reminds me of my parents telling me how much snow they had to walk through for 3 hours to get to school in the morning and how they could buy a bag of chips, drink, candy, and a bar for 50 cents. I’m not going to be THAT blogger!
So what do you do? We all got bills to pay and people to feed and house. How can we do it for less? Well, I can’t give you real estate advice, but I can share a few corner cutting tips I use for groceries!
1. Buy in bulk – It lasts a long time!
Buy bulk dry goods, like beans, lentils, rice, grains, cereals, and a lot of the other stuff at the Bulk Barn. They last FOREVER (almost), and buying in bulk is cheaper.
Pro advice – get anything you need for baking here in small amounts. The last thing you need to very specific themed sprinkles that you didn’t use and paid 15 bucks for lying around after you’ve used a teaspoon of them!
2. Buy Frozen – It can be more nutritious!
Frozen food gets a bad rap. But frozen fruits and vegetables won’t go bad very quickly (unlike fresh), so they’re great to use in desserts, smoothies, and meals. Plus, when the foods are not in season, they can be more nutritious than fresh, since the fresh loses nutrition during transport. Frozen doesn’t – it’s flash frozen right from the source.
3. Eat at Home – Take out infrequently.
This one is pretty easy – we all know making our own foods are cheaper than buying restaurant/take-out meals. But of course, sometimes you want a break from cooking. Totally fair!
4. Look for deals!
Many times, you can find breads, produce, and meats at the supermarket priced to sell. Usually at least 30% off. Check those racks out. Not all of them will be good to buy depending on your needs, but buying bananas that are a little bruised can be great for smoothies, banana breads, etc. For meats, just check the expiry date and promptly place them in the freezer or cook the same day. Tastes JUST THE SAME.
5. Kick Waste! Plan Ahead!
I know, it can be a chore, but meal planning (even not in great detail) can help reduce waste. If you buy more than you can eat, you may end up throwing food away, and money with it. If you even just outline quickly how much veg, meat, and fruit you will need for the week, it can save you mucho dineros!
6. Try Wholesale!
Costco and others like them are so awesome! Some of them may have a membership, but it can certainly pay for itself in the long run. Once again, buying in bulk can be a huge savings boost. If you can’t do the membership (no issue there), you can always ask someone you know with a membership to buy you a gift card from there. Even 50 dollars will get you in, (and you can’t shop there for less, I swear!), and you can spend more than that.
7. Go to a Butcher! (If you’re into meats)
This one may require a substantial investment up front (like 1-3 thousand dollars), but if you have the capital, and a freezer, you can get your meat for the year. It ends up being MUCH cheaper than buying every week or two.
8. Clip Coupons!
No shame in this – why pay full price when you don’t need to??? You can go the old-fashioned way of paper clipping them, or you can use a bunch of online resources, like save.ca (which will send you paper coupons in the mail) or Retail me Not where you can print them/load on a smartphone. There are so many options!
9. Price Match and Rebate!
You can bring in paper flyers, as you always could, but I absolutely LOVE Flipp. You can see all the flyers for your area on your device via their apps, and clip items that you want to price match for when you’re in the store. They also have coupons as well that you can send to yourself to print. Double-whammy sale.
Checkout 51 will give you rebates on items you buy that are in their list. The savings keep adding up!
10. Shop sales!
God made flyers so that we could save money. Look at your local flyers to find the places with the items you need on sale, and you’ll keep a lot of money in your pocket! Reebee is great because you can make a shopping list as well! That’s 2 apps in one!
So what do you think?? I use a LOT of these on the regular to save me money. I don’t have the capital to buy from a butcher, but the savings is tremendous if you eat meat. I know some people who do it, and they are super happy with their decision. Are there any methods I forgot? If so, please tell me! Why pay full price when you don’t need to??
Look after the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves!
Healthy Not Hangry 