Frugal Food Shopping

No matter if you are in great shape financially or things are a little tight, in today's economic climate finding ways to minimize food expenses is smart.  It's not easy because the folks who run supermarkets have tapped into behavioral sciences to make you spend more.  Have you noticed the lighting, floor design, wall colors, aisle layout, displays and a myriad of other factors at new and remodeled food stores?  They are all designed to lull you into parting with your hard earned green.  Here's how to make sure you stay on track.

Food shopping is just another chore, approach it like one.  Your job is to get it done under budget in a reasonable amount of time.

Make a list.  Know what you need.  This will help you resist wandering the aisles and succumbing to impulse buying.  So stick to your script.

Try to avoid going grocery shopping when you are hungry.  The best time is after a meal.  Again, this will help you avoid buying things you hadn't planned on or budgeted for.

Avoid using ATM or credit cards because it's too easy to go over budget.  Instead use cash.  If you are not good at keeping estimated running totals in your head, use a calculator to keep track of how much the items in your shopping cart are going to cost when you check out.

Avoid being "steered."  When you get your shopping cart and enter a store, it's set up to make you go a certain direction to specific department or section.  This is often the fresh vegetable part or the bakery and gourmet deli sections.  There is a reason they do this.  You should start in the center of the store where the boring canned and boxed goods are.

Try to buy store brands.  You can save a lot and generally you are getting the same quality of product.  Indeed, the big brand names are the very ones who make the brands for the store.

Avoid gourmet and buy things like cheese in the dairy case and not the deli counter.  Having them sliced and packaged can cost a lot.

Save money by buying frozen over fresh.  For example, frozen fish and beef have all the basic nutrition at a fraction of the cost.  Another advantage is that when you get it home, you can pop it into the freezer and reduce waste that might occur if you refrigerate it and don't use it on time.

Don't be lazy.  Avoid convenience products that are pre-prepared and packaged in such a way as to save some time.  Some, like pre-washed salad, may be worth it to you, but in general you pay an unbelievable amount for the convenience.

Avoid hype.  For example:  organic fish has no real meaning since the USDA has no standards for organic seafood.  Or the term "hormone free" poultry.  The truth is that hormones have been banned in such products as chicken since the 1960s.  The same is true with "growth hormone free milk" because most brands don't use those hormones.  So be smart and if you are paying extra, know what you are paying for.  Buy grass fed beef.  It is much cheaper and contains much less fat with all the taste.