Food prices have been going crazy lately, reaching a world record in February 2022, after a jump of over 24% in one year. The shopping cart costs more and more every day, and forecasts show that this is just the beginning.
The annual inflation rate rose to 13.76% in April 2022, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices rose by 13.54%, and the highest price was marked by potatoes, by over 40%.
How to spend less money on food
Make a shopping list
If you plan on getting the food you need before you leave home, you won’t have the urge to put in the basket whatever you can. In addition, if you shop chaotically, you will get home and realize that you are missing ingredients to prepare various dishes, which will only lead to another visit to the store, according to thekitchn.com.
Don’t go shopping if you’re hungry
Many people have a habit of stopping at the store on the way home, that is, after a day of work in which they either did not eat anything or tasted something on the run. When we are hungry, everything seems appetizing, as a result you will only end up buying in excess, which leads to discarded food, so also money thrown out the window.
Choose the store brand when possible
The products sold under the store’s brand are not always the highest quality, but they are almost always cheaper. As a result, when you can, you can opt for this more affordable option.
Don’t fall into the trap of organic products
Except for the particular case of fruits and vegetables, products whose labels claim to be organic are not always a real advantage. For example, organic foods such as biscuits, chips, cakes, have a nutritional value very similar to normal, but the price difference is significant.
The main ingredient, cheap and tasty
You can make many dishes that have as a main ingredient a cheap product, such as lentils, beans, rice.
Do not always throw away expired food
Of course, you don’t have to risk your health, but you can also figure out whether other foods are good or not, such as smell and appearance. For example, if a bag of pasta expired a week ago, it most likely poses no risk.
Check your stock before you go shopping
We often buy food that we feel we have eaten, and when we get home we realize that we still have it. It is best to quickly look through the fridge, freezer and pantry when shopping.
Cooked food
It is much cheaper and healthier to cook at home than to eat in the city, order from the restaurant or buy semi-finished products. If you don’t have time, you can choose one day of the week to cook for the next few days. You can also put pans in the freezer, which you can take out when you need them.
Watch for discounts
All stores have promotional offers, and some are really advantageous, so it would not be bad to pay attention to them. Although the difference may seem small, in reality the amount is added up.
Give the leftovers another chance
A piece of cheese left in the fridge, a few bananas starting to darken, a salad starting to wither, and the list goes on. The tendency is to throw away food that is about to spoil, but the truth is that you can often cook with it for another day. Especially in the age of the internet, where you will find dozens of recipe ideas. That cheese can end up in an omelet and the bananas in a cake.
Use a small basket if you don’t have a lot of shopping to do
Who hasn’t entered the store at least once for a loaf of bread and some milk, but left with a few bags? If you only have a few products to buy, don’t opt for a big cart at all. It will be tempting to fill it up, maybe even without realizing it.
Bani cash
People are using the card more and more and less and less cash. However, if you really want to meet your budget, get out of the house with only that cash, no cards. You will have nowhere to go.
Don’t ignore store loyalty cards
You will get special offers and discounts with their help, and some supermarkets already have applications in this regard, so even easier.
Market instead of supermarket
Not everyone has a market near their home, but you can certainly stock up there at least once a week. Fruits, vegetables and dairy products are fresh, cheaper, and in this way you help the small Romanian producers. In addition, if you go to the end of the program, you will get the products even cheaper.
Stop buying products you can make at home
Many people often buy a bottle of water, a coffee, or a sandwich on the way to work. If you wake up just 10 minutes early, you can prepare them at home. Thus, you save about 20 lei per day, ie 440 lei in a month with 22 working days. If you buy coffee, water and the necessary ingredients for a sandwich or any other snack, you probably won’t spend even half of that amount.
Don’t go to certain districts “just look” if you don’t need anything from there
For some people, going to the supermarket is really relaxing, so they are tempted to walk through all the districts, even though they don’t need anything from there, under the pretext that they do nothing but look. The truth is that most of the time, you end up putting products in the basket that you don’t really need.
Calculate the prices
We are often tempted to buy a larger quantity than we need because we feel like we are going out cheaper. This is not always the case. Calculate the price. A set of 6 yogurts may have the same price per unit as those taken per piece.
Take the rest of the food in the package
Many people go out to eat in the city, but they only manage to finish half of the portion. Don’t be shy about asking the waiter to pack the rest.
Leave the children at home when you go shopping
It’s not always possible, but it’s a good idea when possible. Many times you will give in to their requests and end up buying sweets or other extra products.
Calculate at the end of the month how much money you spent on food
Most of the time, we make estimates, but we don’t know exactly how much money we spent on food in a month. You may be surprised that the amount is much higher than you thought. Once you realize what percentage of your salary you spent on food in a single month, you may be more eager to follow all of the above tips.
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