You can’t save your way to wealth…you just can’t (and others agree…check one article here). But is saving on groceries worth it with the effort it requires?
Many friends simply can’t understand why I am so passionate about watching grocery costs. “It’s my nightmare,” said Beth recently. To be honest, maybe it started when I had more time than I had money. Some of that time went to making the very most of what we had…through saving. Let’s look at some mindset issues that could make saving more worthwhile than you might think.
Saving can’t do it alone
I think most people agree now that exercising alone can’t get you that svelte figure. You have to change the food you eat as well. The exercise shouldn’t be ignored. It just can’t get you there by itself.
The same is true for saving on your groceries. Income is a big factor in determining your wealth. But you shouldn’t completely throw out the idea of saving through cost cutting. It CAN have an impact.
Awareness
Do you automatically buy whatever brand you see or try first? I’ve been reading “Predictably Irrational” by Daniel Ariely, and his research makes a strong case for this being true. Perhaps that first brand we see IS the best purchase for us. But maybe it isn’t.
Many people are now more aware health-wise. Reading labels is done more widely, but what about those price tags? Do you know how much you pay for items you regularly buy? If you’re one of those who just loads the cart and then is surprised at checkout, perhaps this is an area where you need more awareness.
A first step is to simply look at the price of each item as you take it from the shelf. Register that price…does it feel okay to you? Glance along the shelf to a few similar items. Do you see something that’s cheaper you might wanna try? It’s just a good exercise to experiment sometimes.
Sales are there…why not use ‘em?
Let’s face it…stores use sales to get you in the door to buy other full-price things. But why can’t we use sales to OUR advantage?
My friend Kate cooks a chuck roast whenever her kids come home for a visit. She has 3 and now with spouses and kids, that’s a significant number of people to feed. I found her wringing her hands in the meat department at our local Kroger. “I just can’t do it, I won’t pay that price,” she said. When I saw the price of $7.49 per pound, I had to admit I would NEVER pay that!
So, chuck roast sales are something I watch for now…and because she’s a personal friend, I text them to Kate. She can buy roast at $4.99 per pound on sale whenever and freeze it. Then she has enough to pull out for one big meal when the kids come over.
Maybe checking sales isn’t your thing. If you’re in Middle Tennessee, FL, or Southern California, I post those sales for you. I have friends and family in those areas I like to help out with good deals. You can benefit from the work I already do by checking these lists before you shop. (The deals are updated each week here…bookmark it!)
Nickels and dimes (and sometimes dollars!) add up over time
That 10c you save on one item this week isn’t going to make a huge difference. It’s the accumulation of 10c here, 5c there, a couple of dollars when meat’s on sale…each and every week saving a little bit begins to add up.
Here’s my recent Kroger receipt. They actually track the savings and add it up each year. I’m not upset at all with that $451.38! I worked for that just like I would work for my paycheck. And I can certainly put it to good use.
But here’s the fun part…I don’t get everything I buy at Kroger! I buy most of my groceries at Aldi, whose prices are often even lower. There’s no real way to track everything I save in a week, but I can tell you I still generally come in at $120 each week for the two of us…even with these current prices. We do eat almost every meal at home so I’m definitely busy!
So, IS saving on groceries worth it?
Would you like to have that $451? Well, it’s possible for you to get your own IF you start paying attention and make small changes each and every time you shop. It can be done. I’m living proof!
Don’t forget to bookmark my weekly sales page…I may have already done the hard part for you. I’d love to know how much you save this week. Let me know in the comments!
Want more on grocery savings? Try these posts…
We have been able to cut our grocery budget by $30-$50 a week from “smart shopping” so… I say it’s definitely worth it!
So proud of you…you have really worked at this and made it happen! Even at $30/week that’s $1500 for the year…year after year…who wouldn’t want that money saved???