Grocery prices as we know can fluctuate. This can be caused by a result of supply and demand. I know that I do not want to start spending a lot more money. Below are 8 secrets to buying groceries when prices rise. Helpful ways to stay within our budget even when prices rise.
Why do we tend to get stressed when grocery prices rise?
It is natural to feel stressed when grocery prices rise. Food is a necessity. Fears of will I have enough money to feed my family to what if I won't be able to afford groceries at these prices long can flood our minds. It is important to have some go to tips when grocery prices rise.
8 Best Tips to buying groceries when prices rise.
Tip 1: Look to see what you already have.
Look in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer to see what you already have. Do you have any items already that you could use as a main dish? Do you have anything that could be used as side items? If you have a box of pancake mix and syrup in the pantry and eggs and bacon in the refrigerator, you could split the bacon in half and have pancakes and bacon for one meal and bacon and eggs for another. These could be served as a breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If you have taco shells and a bag of rice in the pantry and chicken in the freezer, you could have chicken tacos and rice for a meal. Try to use up as much as you can that you already have to save more money.
Tip 2: Look at store circulars
Look at store circulars to see what is on sale. You can usually find them in the Sunday paper or online. Plan your weekly meals around what is on sale for that week. For example, if chicken is on sale by enough that is within your budget to make several different meals out of it. It may sound boring to eat chicken several times in one week, but you can get creative with your meals.
Some meal ideas using chicken include: chicken tacos, chicken and rice, shredded barbeque chicken, chicken fajitas and chicken parmesan.
If you have enough in your budget to buy even more than a weeks worth for meals at the great sale price, stock up and save some for the future as well.
Tip 3: Shop the loss leaders
Stores tend to mark down some of their items in order to bring in customers. By shopping these loss leaders you can save money and help you to stay within your budget. For possibly more variety in items, going to multiple stores may help. If you want to go to multiple stores, but they are far from one another it may not end up being a savings after all. Take into consideration how much you would have to spend in gas in comparison to how much you would save on the loss leader items.
Loss leaders can usually be found in some parts of grocery store circulars. Depending on the season, certain items may be loss leaders.
Tip 4: Shop in season
When buying items in season, you can pay lower prices. Planning meals around these items can help you to stay within your budget. Is there a fruit or vegetable you have never tried? Is there a main dish you could make out of some of them? This is another way to get creative with meal planning.
We may have certain fruits for example that we love to buy but depending on the time of year, there can be a difference in the cost for them.
An approach that we can take that could change how we view new items is the excitement of the new season and the variety it has to offer. Which of coarse includes lower prices on some of them.
Tip 5: Leftovers, leftovers, leftovers
Do you eat leftovers? By doing so, not only is food not going to waste, but we are stretching our savings too by not going out to eat. Do you have just a single serving left of multiple different meals? Make it a hodgepodge kind of night with them. Who says we all have to eat the same thing?
If you do not feel like having your leftovers within the next day or two, freeze it for later on in the week. This can help us to feel a little bit more of a variety in our meals.
Tip 6: Cook from scratch
When we do not buy prepackaged items we are going to save money. It is also a healthier option to opt for cooking from scratch rather than buying the items premade.
If you do not want to choose this option all the time, maybe you could make a new tradition of cooking a new meal each week from scratch. Include the family in helping to prepare it. This would be a great opportunity to teach kids how to cook some healthier homemade meals. Perhaps you have a favorite you could teach them how to make.
Tip 7: Skip the bottled beverages
I am no stranger to purchasing soda from the grocery. When we are trying to stick to a budget, especially when prices have gone up, it is best to skip the bottled beverages. Drinking water that we are already paying for at home will save us money at the grocery store.
If you are used to drinking soda or juice and the thought of drinking plain water does not interest you, you could try adding a wedge of lemon to it for some flavor. Some other options are some of your favorite kinds of fruit that are in season to add to your water.
Tip 8: Do not go to the store hungry
This can be a big money saver. Do not go to the store hungry. Have you before? Do you tend to think everything you see looks good regardless of the price? Try going to the store when you are not hungry. This can help you to better stick with your list and save you money.
When going to the store hungry, even items you may not usually think look good may start to. When you have gotten home and put your groceries away, have you ever asked yourself why you bought certain items? Has it been because you were hungry while shopping so it went into the cart? That can then become food and money wasted.
The Last Thing You Need to Know about Buying Groceries When Prices Rise.
When prices rise, try not to get stressed. Remember there are tips to help. What are some of your tips for saving money when grocery prices go up? Please share in the comments.
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